For Immediate Release:
November 29, 2005

Contact:
Nanci Gonder
Office of Public Information
573-751-6062

Health department steps up efforts to provide vital records for driver licenses
Birth certificate now needed to obtain or renew license

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is reminding citizens that local health departments can often provide copies of certified birth certificates now needed to obtain a driver license. A new state law that was passed in 2004, signed by former Gov. Bob Holden and went into effect July 1, 2005, requires residents to submit a certified copy of their birth certificate or other “proof of lawful presence” in order to obtain or renew their driver license.

The law has greatly increased requests to the health department's Bureau of Vital Records.

“Business at the Bureau of Vital Records has certainly been booming,” said Julia M. Eckstein, director of DHSS. “The demand for certified birth certificates has greatly increased the bureau's workload, but we are working hard to handle all the requests.”

Because of the heavy demand at the state health department, Eckstein said she is encouraging individuals to utilize their local health departments to get the records they need. Anyone who was born in Missouri can obtain a certified copy of his or her birth certificate from any of the local public health departments in the state. Death records back to 1980 also are available at local health departments. In addition, marriage records can be obtained from the Recorder of Deeds in the county where the license was issued. Divorce records can be obtained at the Circuit Clerk's office in the county where the divorce decree was granted.

“Requesting birth, marriage and divorce records locally will assist the Bureau of Vital Records in meeting the huge demand for the records,” Eckstein said.

Once Missouri residents present the necessary documentation to obtain or renew their driver license, they will not be required to submit the documents again unless legislative changes occur regarding obtaining or renewing a driver license , according to the Missouri Department of Revenue.

Applications for birth, marriage or divorce records and other information about vital records can be found on the Bureau of Vital Records web site at www.dhss.mo.gov/BirthAndDeathRecords/.

The cost for a copy of a birth, marriage or divorce record is $15. A check or money order for the $15 fee, made out to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, should be sent with each application. Death certificates are $13 with $10 for each additional copy requested at the same time for the same person. A legal-size, self-addressed stamped envelope also should be included with the request. Please allow six to eight weeks for delivery.

For information about making a correction on a vital record or to request an application for a copy of a vital record, contact the Bureau of Vital Records by calling 573-751-6385.

The $15 fee for copies of vital records is distributed among several agencies according to state law: $5 to the Department of Health and Senior Services, $4 to General Revenue, $5 to the Children Trust Fund and $1 to the Endowed Care Cemetery Audit Fund.

More information about the procedures for obtaining or renewing a driver's license can be found at www.dor.mo.gov/mvdl/drivers/.