Search St. Louis Genealogy Records

St. Louis genealogy records require a different approach than most Missouri cities because St. Louis City is an independent municipality, separate from St. Louis County since 1876. Birth, death, marriage, land, and court records for city residents are held at city-level offices, not at the St. Louis County courthouse in Clayton.

St. Louis City Records Are Not at St. Louis County

This is the single most important fact for any researcher: St. Louis City and St. Louis County are two entirely separate jurisdictions. In 1876, the city voted to separate from the county, and since then they have operated independently. St. Louis County's courthouse is in Clayton. St. Louis City has its own recorder, circuit court, and vital records offices. If your ancestor lived within the city limits, their records are at city offices. If they lived in the suburbs outside the city, records are at St. Louis County in Clayton.

The St. Louis City Recorder of Deeds handles land records and marriage licenses for city residents. Land records go back to the city's earliest years in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Marriage records are also held here. The St. Louis City Circuit Court handles court, divorce, and probate records for city residents. Court records from the 1800s onward are available at the courthouse. For genealogists, the key is always to first determine whether an address was within the city limits or in the county, since the same street name sometimes existed in both jurisdictions.

The St. Louis City Health Department holds birth certificates from 1910 onward and death certificates from 1910 as well. For older vital records, the Missouri State Archives and the St. Louis Public Library both hold city death records going back to 1850. These earlier records were not part of the statewide registration system, so they require separate research at local institutions.

Note: St. Louis City death records from 1850 to 1909 are available online through the St. Louis Public Library's digital collections at slpl.bibliocommons.com.

Vital Records in St. Louis

For certified copies of birth and death certificates, the Missouri Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City is the statewide source. The Bureau is at 930 Wildwood Dr., Jefferson City, MO, phone (573) 751-6387. Certified copies cost $15.00 each. For St. Louis City residents, birth records are available from 1910 onward and death records from the same year. Before 1910, you need to look at city-level records rather than state records. Death certificates from 1910 through 1969 are free to search online at Missouri Digital Heritage, which covers St. Louis City as well as all other Missouri counties.

The Missouri Digital Heritage database has over 9 million death certificates statewide. St. Louis City has a large share of those records given the city's size. If you know an ancestor died in the city between 1910 and 1969, this is your fastest free search option. For deaths before 1910, the Missouri State Archives holds many St. Louis City death records on microfilm, and the St. Louis Public Library's genealogy department has digitized a significant portion of 19th-century city death records as well.

St. Louis Genealogy Research Resources

St. Louis has an exceptional set of genealogy research resources. The St. Louis Public Library genealogy department is one of the strongest in Missouri. The library holds city directories going back to 1821, a comprehensive local newspaper archive, microfilmed vital records, census records, and a large collection of family histories and county histories. Staff genealogists are available during regular hours. The library's digital collections include St. Louis City death records from 1850 to 1909, which are searchable online at no cost.

The Missouri History Museum at 5700 Lindell Blvd. in Forest Park, phone (314) 746-4599, holds the research library and archives for St. Louis history. This collection includes photographs, manuscripts, business records, organizational files, maps, and personal papers of St. Louis families. For researchers tracing ancestors connected to civic, business, or social institutions in St. Louis, the Museum's research library is essential. The research center is open to the public during library hours and staff can assist with requests.

The St. Louis Genealogical Society is one of the most active genealogical societies in Missouri. The Society maintains its own library at P.O. Box 43296, St. Louis, phone 314-647-8547, and publishes research guides, indexes, and databases specific to St. Louis City and County. They also host regular meetings and workshops for researchers at all experience levels.

National Archives at St. Louis

The National Archives at St. Louis at 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138, phone 314-801-0800, holds federal records of major importance to genealogists. The holdings include military personnel records, civilian federal employee records, naturalization records, and land entry case files. The military records collection at this facility is especially well known. It holds the Official Military Personnel Files for Army and Air Force veterans who served after 1912, plus a large collection of earlier military records going back to the Civil War and earlier. For any St. Louis family with members who served in the U.S. military, this archive should be on the research list.

The National Archives St. Louis also holds federal census records on microfilm for all states. The federal census is the backbone of most genealogy research, and having access to an Archives facility in the city itself makes it easier to do this work in person. Naturalization records held here document immigrants who became U.S. citizens through federal courts, which is especially relevant for the large waves of German, Irish, Italian, and Eastern European immigrants who settled in St. Louis in the 1800s and early 1900s.

The National Archives at St. Louis holds military personnel records and federal records covering St. Louis residents and Missouri broadly.

Visiting in person or submitting a records request online are both options at this facility.

Online Records for St. Louis Residents

Free online tools cover a lot of St. Louis genealogy ground. Missouri Digital Heritage is the starting point for death certificates from 1910 to 1969. The Missouri State Archives website has finding aids and some digitized records. FamilySearch at familysearch.org has indexed much of the St. Louis area including census records from 1850 through 1940, some church records, and select court records from the 1800s. All free. Missouri Case.net at courts.mo.gov/casenet covers court cases from 2003 onward.

The Missouri History Museum research library is a top resource for St. Louis City genealogy, especially for 19th and early 20th century family records.

The museum's collections cover photographs, city directories, newspapers, and personal papers for thousands of St. Louis families.