The Recorder’s Office holds birth, death and marriage records that occurred in Buena Vista County.
You can obtain a birth record from any county in Iowa here in Buena Vista County from 1987 and after.
You can obtain a death/ marriage record from any county in Iowa here in Buena Vista County from 1954 and after.
Entitled persons for a vital record include:
- Person named on the record or that person’s spouse.
- Children of legal age.
- Legal parents.
- Grandparents.
- Grandchildren.
- Siblings.
- Legal representative or guardian.
- Legal guardians, legal representatives and siblings must also provide additional proof of entitlement.
County registrars do not have the following records in their physical custody:
- Single-parent births prior to 1987;
- Adoptions;
- Birth records after a legal change of name through Iowa Code chapter 674;
- Delayed records filed one year or more after the event;
- Any record ordered seal by a court of law;
- Birth, death, and marriage records between the years 1921 to 1941
How to request a vital record in Buena Vista County Recorder’s Office:
In-Person: You will need the following items:
- Completed application – you can complete the application at our office.
- Driver’s license or current government-issued photo ID.
- Payment of $15.00 for each certified copy.
- If you apply in person, we will typically be able to issue the copy while you wait.
By Mail: you will need the following items:
- Completed application (including having your signature notarized at the bottom of the application by a public notary)
- A copy of your driver’s license or current government- issued photo ID
- $15.00 check/ money order payable to the Buena Vista County Recorder
- If you apply by mail, upon receiving the completed application material with the necessary requirements, we will mail the completed request within one to two business days.
If returning your application by mail, send it to the following address:
Buena Vista County Recorder’s Office
PO BOX 454
Storm Lake, IA 50588
Plain paper copies/ Genealogy requests:
While Recorder’s office personnel can assist the public in using the documents on file to conduct research, time constraints can often prevent personnel from researching telephone and email requests for genealogy purposes.
Our office can only provide plain paper copies for events that occurred in Buena Vista County.
Plain paper copy fees:
- $1.00 per copy
- $1.00 postage fee if requesting record be mailed.
To request a certified copy online or by telephone: Link: How to Request a Certified Record (iowa.gov)