Are Idaho Vital Records Open to the Public?
Yes. Vital records in Idaho are available to the individual named on the record, immediate family members of the individual on the form, authorized legal representatives, and those who can provide documentation showing the record is needed for their property rights. Idaho law defines immediate family members as spouses, parents, children, grandparents, and grandchildren. Idaho vital records remain confidential for a specified period, after which the records become public information and are open to the public pursuant to Idaho’s vital record statute.
What Information Shows Up in Idaho Vital Records?
Idaho vital records provide essential information on an individual's life milestones, including birth, death, marital status, and legal marriage dissolutions. These records are maintained at the state and county level and are made available to interested and eligible members of the public.
How Do I Obtain Idaho Vital Records?
The Bureau of Vital Records and Statistics is responsible for producing, maintaining, and disseminating vital records through the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Parties can request vital records online, through the mail, or in person. In addition, the applicant will need to submit a completed Idaho Vital Statistics Certificate Request form and a check or money order for the appropriate fees. A copy of an acceptable form of identification is also required to obtain vital records in Idaho.
Requesters must provide relevant and adequate information to aid the record search to obtain Idaho vital records. In addition, since authorized copies of Vital Records in Idaho are classified as confidential records, the applicant will also need to provide acceptable identification to certify their eligibility to receive the document.
Publicly available vital records are managed and disseminated by some third-party aggregate sites. These sites are generally not limited by geographical record availability and may serve as a convenient jump-off point when researching specific or multiple records. However, third-party sites are not government-sponsored. As such, record availability may differ from official channels. To find a record using the search engines on third-party sites, the requesting party will be required to provide:
- The location of the record in question, including the city, county, or state where the case was filed.
- The name of someone involved, provided it is not a juvenile.
Requesters must provide relevant information associated with the record to conduct an online search for vital records. Some of these include:
- The registrant's name
- Date of the event
- Place of the event
- City or county where the life event occurred
- First and last name of parents
- Presiding judge (for marriage or divorce records)
What Information Do I Need to Search for Idaho Vital Records Online?
To order Idaho vital records online, the requestor will require pertinent information, which will include:
- Name of the person on the record
- Date of the event
- Location of the event
- Father's name
- Mother's maiden name
- Relationship to the person on the record
- Reason for requesting the record.
Certified Copy vs. Informational Copy: Understanding the Difference
A certified copy of an Idaho vital record issued by the Department of Health and Welfare for eligible requests can be a computer-generated printout or a photocopy of the original certificate, depending on the scope of the request. Either is valid for identification and legal purposes. An informational copy is a notification of the information of the record that bearers cannot use for legal purposes or identification.
Are Idaho Marriage Records Public Information?
Yes, after the statutory period of confidentiality elapses, Idaho marriage records are public. Marriage records remain confidential for 50 years, after which the records become public information. As confidential records, Idaho marriage records are only available to any spouse named on the record, their immediate family, and their authorized legal representative.
How Do I Obtain Idaho Marriage Records?
The Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Statistics is charged with retaining all marriage records in Idaho. It maintains records dating back to May 1947. Interested persons can obtain public marriage records by contacting the County Recorder in the county where the marriage occurred. To obtain an Idaho marriage record, interested persons must submit a request for the record to the Bureau of Vital Records.
Requests can only be submitted online or by mail as the Idaho Bureau of Vital Records does not maintain a public counter. Computer-generated printouts of Idaho Marriage Records cost $16, while a certified copy costs $21 for the first copy ($16 for each additional copy).
To request an Idaho marriage record, complete the Vital Statistics Certificate Request form and send it by mail directly to:
Vital Records Unit
Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0036
A written request containing all relevant information is also acceptable. The request must also have a photocopy of a proper form of identification and a check or money order for the complete fee made payable to Idaho Vital Records.
How to Get an Idaho Marriage Certificate
To obtain an Idaho marriage certificate, contact the county recorder's office where the marriage license was issued or the Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics. It is worth noting that eligibility is limited to the named individuals, their immediate family members, legal representatives, or those with a court order.
Are Idaho Divorce Records Public Information?
Idaho divorce records remain confidential for 50 years, after which the records cease to be confidential and become public information. As confidential records, Idaho divorce records are only available to a party (husband or wife) named on the record, immediate family, or a legal representative with authorization.
How Do I Obtain Idaho Divorce Records?
Idaho divorce records are retained by the Bureau of Vital Records and Statistics, which has records for divorces granted in the state from May 1947. To obtain earlier records, contact the Recorder for the county where the divorce was granted. The bureau issues copies of the divorce certificate. For a copy of the actual divorce decree, contact the county where the parties obtained the divorce.
To obtain a divorce record in Idaho, an applicant must submit a request order to the Bureau of Vital Records. Submissions are only online and by mail, as the bureau does not maintain a public counter. Computer-generated printouts of Idaho divorce records cost $16, while a certified copy costs $21 for the first copy ($16 for each additional copy).
To submit a request for an Idaho divorce record, complete the Vital Statistics Certificate Request form or use a written request containing enough information about the record to aid the search. Include an acceptable form of identification and a check/money order for the complete fee and mail it to:
Vital Records Unit
Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0036.
How to Get a Certified Divorce Certificate in Idaho
Divorce certificates can be obtained from the clerk of the district court where the divorce was granted or the Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics. Only the named individuals, immediate family members, legal representatives, or those with a court order can obtain a divorce certificate.
Are Idaho Birth Records Public Information?
Yes, but it depends on the statutory period of confidentiality. Idaho birth records are considered confidential and are not public information when filed at the Bureau of Vital Records. However, Idaho birth records do become general information after 100 years. While confidential, Idaho birth records are available to the individual named on the form, the individual's immediate family members, and authorized legal representatives.
How Do I Obtain Idaho Birth Records?
Birth records in Idaho are under the custody of the Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics, which maintains records of births in the state from July 1911 to the present. To obtain a copy of an Idaho birth record, interested parties must submit a request online or by mail to the Bureau of Vital Records. The bureau does not maintain a public counter for walk-in requests. Computer-generated printouts of Idaho birth records cost $16, while a certified copy costs $21 for the first copy and $16 for each additional copy.
To order birth certificate replacements or photocopies, complete a vital statistics certificate request form or write a request containing enough relevant information to conduct a record search. Submit the request, along with a copy of a valid, approved photo ID and a check or money order for the application fee (payable to Idaho Vital Records), and mail it to:
Vital Records Unit
Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0036
Are Birth Certificates Public in Idaho?
Idaho birth certificates are not public records. The Idaho Code §39-261 outlines the provisions for disclosing a birth certificate, restricting access to the individual, immediate family, legal representatives, or those with a court order.
Are Idaho Death Records Open to the Public?
Yes, but it depends on the statutory period of confidentiality. Death records in Idaho remain confidential for 50 years, after which they become public records. Before becoming public death records, Idaho death records were only available to the deceased's immediate family, legal representatives, or anyone who required the record for their property rights. Requesters will be required to present valid identification and accompanying documentation to assert this; death certificates issued by the hospital are especially restricted to the deceased next of kin.
How Do I Obtain Idaho Death Records?
The Bureau of Vital Records and Statistics maintains death records in Idaho, and the bureau retains records from July 1911. In addition, interested parties may obtain Idaho death records for 1907-1911 from the County Recorder where the death occurred.
Eligible parties can initiate a death record search by name by submitting a request to the Bureau of Vital Records. Requests may be submitted online or by mail, as the bureau has no public counters to handle in-person requests. Certified copies of an Idaho death record cost $21 for the first copy, $16 for any additional document, and $16 for computer-generated printouts. Send requests for Idaho death records to:
Vital Records Unit
Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0036
Death certificate search requests should include:
- A completed Vital Statistics Certificate Request form.
- A check or money order (money orders should be payable to Idaho Vital Records).
- A copy of an approved photo ID.
A written request is also acceptable if it provides enough information to conduct a record search.
How Do I Obtain Sealed Vital Records?
Vital records in Idaho are confidential for a specified period, after which they become public records and can be accessed by anyone who provides enough information about the document to conduct a search. Therefore, they are not typically sealed records. However, if a vital record has been sealed, anyone who requires a copy of the record will need to contact the court which had the record sealed
What are Vital Statistics in Idaho?
Idaho vital statistics are data compiled using the state's vital record information, including marriage, birth, death, stillbirth, and divorce statistics. The statistics are essential for public health planning, disease control, policy development, and resource allocation. The Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, a division of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, collects and maintains vital statistics.
