In Missouri, death certificates are kept by the MO Department of Health for 50 years, then they are transferred to the Missouri State Archives for long-term preservation and access. On January 2nd, 2026, the Archives will receive the 1975 death certificates. Processing and transcribing the tens of thousands of death certificates is one of our largest efforts each year, and could not be accomplished quickly without the aid of our in-person and online volunteers.
Join us at the Kirkpatrick State Information Center in Jefferson City from 9am – 1pm to volunteer with processing. Volunteers will receive a stack of records, and must confirm the numerical order, and note if records are missing, or in need of immediate conservation.
Pizza will be provided for lunch, bring-your-own desserts welcome.
For those not in JC and still want to help:
The best way to volunteer virtually with the Archives is through our transcription projects. Transcription for the 1975 death certificates will be available later in January once all the records have been scanned. Watch our Facebook page for the call to transcribe the certificates in a few weeks. This will take place on our website, a basic, free account is required to transcribe -
https://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/about/volunteers
We also transcribe other records through FromThePage, this also requires a free account. We are currently transcribing county tax lists -
https://fromthepage.com/missouristatearchives
For more information on either of these projects, contact
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