One of the main goals for genealogists is finding birth, marriage, and death (BMD) information about their ancestors.
Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians and archivists (as well as the largest of them all - FamilySearch), a great number of indexes to birth, marriage, and death collections have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes provide specific BMD information, and sometimes scanned images of the actual birth, marriage, and death certificates themselves. These free online collections have hundreds of millions of records in them in total.
There are a great number of online and offline collections that may include birth, marriage, and death information that are not included in the lists below. For example, newspapers, draft registration files, naturalization records, etc. have BMD info. To find out which types of other records may include BMD information, please see:
- 27 Ways to Find Ancestor Birth Information
- 22 Ways to Find Ancestors Marriage Information
- 21 Ways to Find Ancestors Death Information
The lists below are specific birth, marriage, and death indexes and record collections that are available for free online for the state of Iowa.
Note 1: Many of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. In many cases there is a link to the digital collection in the middle of the page, but also near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections' images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. Please also note that I have listed below only BMD databases that are accessible digitally from your computer (or tablet/phone)
Note 2: I have included links to Free Ancestry records and indexes. You do not need a subscription, but do need an Ancestry account. Without a subscription you can view indexes. If there is an image associated with a record, in most cases you will need a subscription, but the index does include very usable information.
(Updated May, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD)
General U.S.
- United States Births and Christenings, 1867-1931
- United States Deaths and Burials, 1867-1961
- United States Korean War Battle Deaths, 1950-1957
- United States Marriages, 1733-1990
- United States Social Security Death Index
- United States, Freedmen's Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Iowa
- Adair County Birth Records, 1881-1990
- Adair County Death Index
- Adair County Death Record Indexes (Jan.-June 1917, 1920-1939)
- Adair County Assessor's Return of Deaths, 1897-1908
- Adair County Assessor's Returns of Birth, 1897-1908
- Adair County Birth Records, 1880-1920 ; Index to Births and Deaths, 1880-1921
- Adair County, Birth Records, 1924-1941
- Adams County Death Record Indexes (July 1921-1922, 1936-1939)
- Adams County, Birth Records, 1929-1941
- Allamakee County Death Record Indexes (1936-1939)
- Allamakee County, Birth Records, 1921-1937
- Appanoose County Death Record Indexes (1928-1939)
- Appanoose County, Birth Records, 1921-1936
- Audubon County Birth Records
- Audubon County Death Index
- Audubon County Death Record Indexes (July 1921-June 1922, 1928-1939)
- Audubon County, Birth Records, 1921-1922
- Benton County Death Record Indexes (July-Dec 1921, July 1935-1939)
- Benton County Marriage Records, 1851-1936; Index, 1852-1950
- Benton County Birth Records, 1880-1939
- Benton County Death Records, 1880-1938
- Benton County, Birth Records, 1921-1940
- Black Hawk County Death Record Indexes (July 1935-1939)
- Black Hawk County Vital Records Indexes
- Black Hawk County, Birth Records, 1921-1941
- Boone County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Boone County Death Record Indexes (1922-1939)
- Boone County, Birth Records, 1921-1936
- Bremer County Death Record Indexes (Jan.-June 1918, July 1921-June 1922, 1936-1939)
- Bremer County Vital Records Indexes
- Bremer County, Birth Records, 1921-1936 1921-1936
- Buchanan County Death Record Indexes (1935-1939)
- Buchanan County, Birth Records, 1921-1935
- Buena Vista County Death Record Indexes (July 1918-1922, 1938-1939)
- Buena Vista County, Birth Records, 1921-1936
- Butler County Death Record Indexes (1936-1939)
- Butler County, Birth Records, 1921-1936
- Calhoun County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Calhoun County Death Record Indexes (1919-June 1920, July-Dec. 1921, 1933-1939)
- Calhoun County, Birth Records, 1921-1935
- Carroll County Death Record Indexes (1917-1921 and July 1935-1939)
- Carroll County Marriage Applications and Licenses, 1855-1868
- Carroll County, Birth Records, 1921-1937
- Cass County Death Record Indexes (1917-June 1921)
- Cass County, Birth Records, 1921-1935
- Cedar County Death Record Indexes (1924-1939)
- Cerro Gordo County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Cerro Gordo County Death Record Indexes (July 1921-1939)
- Cerro Gordo County, Birth Records, 1921-1941
- Cherokee County Births
- Cherokee County Death Record Indexes (1937-1939)
- Cherokee County Deaths
- Cherokee County Marriages
- Cherokee County Marriages : Early Marriages 1866-1880
- Cherokee County, Birth Records, 1921-1935
- Chickasaw County Death Record Indexes (1919-1939)
- Chickasaw County, Birth Records, 1921-1941
- Clarke County Death Record Indexes (1917-1920, 1933-1939)
- Clay County, Birth Records, 1921-1939
- Clayton County Births and Baptisms
- Clayton County Death Indexes
- Clayton County Death Record Indexes (July 1921-1939)
- Clayton County Marriage Indexes
- Clayton County, Birth Records, 1921-1940
- Clinton County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Clinton County Death Record Indexes (1934-1939)
- Clinton County, Birth Records, 1921-1937
- Crawford County Births
- Crawford County Deaths
- Crawford County Marriages
- Crawford County, Birth Records, 1921-1930
- Dallas County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Dallas County Death Record Indexes (July 1921-1939)
- Dallas County, Birth Records, 1921-1929
- Davis County Births, Marriages and Deaths
- Davis County Death Record Indexes (1938-1939)
- Davis County, Birth Records, 1921-1927
- Decatur County Death Record Indexes (July 1936-1939)
- Decatur County Vital Records
- Decatur County, Birth Records, 1921-1940
- Delaware County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Delaware County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-1921, 1931-1939)
- Delaware County, Birth Records, 1921-1934
- Des Moines County Death Record Indexes (July 1921-1939)
- Des Moines County Death Records, 1880-1921
- Des Moines County, Birth Records, 1921-1941
- Des Moines County, Burlington Index
- Des Moines County, Burlington City Register of Births, 1904-1906
- Dickinson County Birth Indexes
- Dickinson County, Birth Records, 1921-1931
- Dubuque County Birth, Baptism, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Dubuque County Death Record Indexes (1917-1939)
- Dubuque County, Birth Records, 1921-1941 1921-1941
- Emmet County Death Record Indexes (July 1935-1939)
- Emmet County, Birth Records, 1921-1927
- Fayette County Death Record Indexes (July 1918-1922, 1935-1939)
- Fayette County Death Records, 1880-1935; Index 1880-1900
- Fayette County, Birth Records, 1921-1935
- Floyd County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-June 1921, 1925-1939)
- Floyd County, Birth Records, 1921-1938
- Franklin County Assessor's Returns of Births, 1916-1917
- Franklin County Birth Records, 1880-1937; Indexes, 1880-1908
- Franklin County Death Records, 1880-1941
- Franklin County, Birth Records, 1921-1936
- Fremont County Death Record Indexes (1917-1921, July 1935-1939)
- Fremont County, Birth Records, 1921-1923
- Greene County Death Record Indexes (1920-June 1921, 1936-1939)
- Greene County, Birth Records, 1921-1939
- Grundy County Death Record Indexes (1917-1918, 1922-1939)
- Grundy County, Birth Records, 1921-1923
- Guthrie County, Birth Records, 1921-1936
- Hamilton County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Hamilton County Death Record Indexes (July 1927-1939)
- Hamilton County, Birth Records, 1921-1930
- Hamilton County, Newspaper clippings, 1849-1937
- Hancock County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Hancock County Death Record Indexes (July 1918-June 1919, July 1920-1921, 1934-1939)
- Hancock County Vitals
- Hancock County, Birth Records, 1921-1925
- Hardin County Death Record Indexes (July 1920-1939)
- Hardin County, Birth Records, 1921-1931
- Harrison County Death Record Indexes (1917-1920, July-Dec.1921, 1933-1939)
- Harrison County, Birth Records, 1921-1939
- Henry County Death Record Indexes (1919, July 1920-1921, July 1935-1939)
- Henry County, Birth Records, 1921-1927
- Historical Society - Vital Records Indexes
- Howard County Death Record Indexes (1918-1928, 1933-1939)
- Howard County, Birth Records, 1921-1925
- Humboldt County Death Record Indexes (July 1921-1939)
- Humboldt County, Birth Records, 1921-1923
- Ida County Death Record Indexes (1919-June 1921, July 1938-1939)
- Iowa Births and Christenings, 1830-1950
- Iowa City News Index
- Iowa County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Iowa County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-1924, 1928, 1936-1939)
- Iowa County, Birth Records, 1921-1935
- Iowa Death Certificates, 1904-1951
- Iowa Death Records, 1904-1951
- Iowa Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990
- Iowa Federal and State Census Mortality Schedules 1850-1880
- Iowa Marriage and cemetery Records, 1945
- Iowa Marriage Records, 1938-1941
- Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992
- Iowa Marriages, ca. 1844-1900
- Iowa Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880
- Iowa, Birth Records, 1921-1942
- Iowa, Church and Civil Marriages, 1837-1989
- Iowa, County Births, 1880-1935
- Iowa, County Death Records, 1880-1992
- Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934
- Iowa, Death Records, 1921-1940
- Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939
- Jackson County Death Record Indexes (1931-1939)
- Jackson County Vital Records
- Jackson County, Birth Records, 1921-1936
- Jasper County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Jasper County Death Record Indexes (July 1918-June 1921, 1925-1939)
- Jasper County, Birth Records, 1921-1934
- Jefferson County Marriages
- Jefferson County, Birth Records, 1921-1925
- Johnson County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-June 1921, July 1932-1939)
- Johnson County Deaths
- Johnson County Marriage Indexes
- Johnson County Register of Marriages to 1880
- Johnson County, Birth Records, 1921-1940
- Jones County Death Record Indexes (July 1918-1939)
- Jones County Vital Records
- Jones County, Birth Records, 1921-1937 1921-1937
- Keokuk County Miscellaneous Birth Records
- Keokuk County Miscellaneous Death Records
- Keokuk County, Birth Records, 1921-1938
- Kossuth County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-1922, 1929-1939)
- Kossuth County, Birth Records, 1921-1941
- Lee County Death Record Indexes (1917-1939)
- Lee County Vital Records
- Lee County, Birth Records, 1921-1939
- Linn County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Linn County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-1922, 1925-1939)
- Linn County, Birth Records, 1921-1941
- Louisa County Death Record Indexes (1930-1939)
- Louisa County, Birth Records, 1921-1933
- Lucas County Death Record Indexes (July 1918-1922, 1935-1939)
- Lucas County, Birth Records, 1921-1925
- Lyon County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-June 1922, July 1935-1939)
- Lyon County, Birth Records, 1921-1937
- Madison County Birth Index
- Madison County Death Index
- Madison County Death Record Indexes (1917-1919, 1921-June 1925, 1938-1939)
- Madison County Marriage Index
- Madison County, Birth Records, 1846-1923
- Mahaska County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-June 1921, 1930-1939)
- Mahaska County, Birth Records, 1921-1939
- Marion County Death Record Indexes (1917-1939)
- Marion County, Birth Records, 1921-1929
- Marshall County Death Record Indexes (July-Dec. 1918, 1933-1939)
- Marshall County, Birth Records, 1921-1940
- Mills County, Birth Records, 1921-1927
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Mitchell County Death Record Indexes (1919-1939)
- Mitchell County, Birth Records, 1921-1925
- Monona County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-1921, 1930-1939)
- Monona County, Birth Records, 1921-1934
- Monroe County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-1925, July 1935-1939)
- Monroe County Index of Births, Deaths & Marriages from newspaper clippings, 1898-2015
- Monroe County, Birth Records, 1921-1929
- Monroe County, Index of Births, Deaths & Marriages from newspaper clippings, 1898-2015
- Montgomery County Death Record Indexes (1917-1921, July 1935-1939)
- Montgomery County, Birth Records, 1921-1941
- Mount Pleasant Newspaper clippings, 1836-1966
- Muscatine - Musser Public Library Birth, Marriage and Death Index
- Muscatine County Births
- Muscatine County Death Record Indexes (1936-1939)
- Muscatine County Deaths
- Muscatine County Marriages
- Muscatine County, Birth Records, 1921-1938
- O’Brien County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-1921, 1936-1939)
- O'Brien County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
- Osceola County, Birth Records, 1921-1925
- Page County Death Record Indexes (1917-1921, 1936-1939)
- Page County, Birth Records, 1921-1929
- Palo Alto County Death Record Indexes (1920-1938)
- Palo Alto County, Birth Records, 1921-1936
- Plymouth County, Birth Records, 1921-1938
- Pocahontas County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-June 1921, 1935-1939)
- Pocahontas County, Birth Records, 1921-1939
- Pocahontas County, Birth, Cemetery and Death Records, 1880-1984
- Polk County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Polk County Death Record Indexes (1917-1939)
- Polk County Birth Records, 1880-1921; Indexes, 1880-1885
- Polk County Marriage Certificates, 1846-1849
- Polk County, Birth Records, 1921-1941
- Polk County, Marriage Applications, 1886-1889
- Pottawattamie County Births, Marriages, and Deaths Indexes
- Pottawattamie County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-1939)
- Pottawattamie County, Birth Records, 1921-1939
- Poweshiek County Death Record Indexes (July 1918-June 1922, 1931-1939)
- Poweshiek County, Birth Records, 1921-1935
- Ringgold County Death Record Indexes (1918-1939)
- Ringgold County, Birth Records, 1921-1925
- Sac County Death Record Indexes (1920-1939)
- Sac County, Birth Records, 1921-1935
- Scott County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Scott County Death Record Indexes (1918-June 1921, 1932-1939)
- Scott County Local Index
- Scott County, Birth Records, 1921-1941
- Shelby County Death Record Indexes (1917-1922, 1935-1939)
- Shelby County, Birth Records, 1921-1935
- Shelby County, Coroner's Records, 1929-1944
- Sioux County Birth Indexes
- Sioux County Death Indexes
- Sioux County Marriage Indexes
- Sioux County, Birth Records, 1921-1938
- Spirit Lake, Birth, Marriage and Obituary notices
- Story County Births
- Story County Births, Marriages and Deaths
- Story County Death Certificates
- Story County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-June 1921 and 1934-1938)
- Story County Deaths
- Story County Marriages
- Story County, Birth Records, 1921-1935
- Tama County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-1921, 1934-1939)
- Tama County, Birth Records, 1921-1932
- Taylor County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-1922, July 1935-1939)
- Taylor County, Birth Records, 1921-1925
- Union County Birth Records
- Union County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-June 1921)
- Union County Death Records
- Union County Marriage Records
- Union County, Birth Records, 1921-1925
- Van Buren County, Birth Records, 1921-1927
- Vital Records of Counties in Iowa
- Wapello County Death Record Indexes (1920-June 1921, 1923-1938)
- Wapello County, Birth Records, 1921-1936
- Warren County Birth Indexes
- Warren County Death Indexes
- Warren County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-June 1921, 1935-1939)
- Warren County Marriage Indexes
- Warren County, Birth Records, 1921-1936
- Washington County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-June 1921, 1931-1939)
- Washington County, Birth Records, 1921-1934
- Wayne County Death Record Indexes (1918-1920, 1935-1939)
- Wayne County, Birth Records, 1921-1923
- Webster County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-June 1921, 1925-1939)
- Webster County, Birth Records, 1921-1940
- Winnebago County Births and Baptisms Indexes
- Winnebago County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-June 1921, July 1935-1939)
- Winnebago County, Birth Records, 1921-1939
- Winneshiek County Death Record Indexes (July 1919-June 1921, 1934-1939)
- Winneshiek County, Birth Records, 1921-1930
- Woodbury County Births 1904-1906
- Woodbury County Death Record Indexes (1919-1923, 1927-1939)
- Woodbury County Marriages
- Woodbury County, Birth Records, 1921-1933
- Worth County Death Record Indexes (1919-1939)
- Worth County, Birth Records, 1921-1929
- Wright County Death Record Indexes (1917-June 1921, 1934-1939)
Check out the links for other states on the BMD Records page.
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free Iowa Links, click on the category of interest:
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