Kansas Public Records

Although Kansas is an open records state, there are restrictions placed on vital records.  Subsequently, only authorized individuals may receive copies of official Kansas birth records, death, marriage and divorce records from the Department of Health and Environment. Kansas public records also include access to court records, both civil and criminal, which are available through the District Court that handled the case. Divorce and marriage court records are not restricted and can also be obtained. Some District Courts offer online court records search tools. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation offers public online access to search Kansas criminal records. To access Kansas public records of an historic nature, visit the Kansas Historical Society State Archives facility in Topeka for genealogical records like Kansas military records, cemetery and vital records and obituaries. Many of these records can be searched and viewed online.

About Kansas Public Records

Although Kansas is an open records state, there are strict restrictions on vital records, since these can be used to establish identity. The Department of Health and Environment does make exceptions for genealogical requests for records prior to 1940. Otherwise, Kansas birth records, death, marriage and divorce records are restricted to the person of record, an immediate family member or someone with a legal interest.

An exception applies to marriage and divorce records. These Kansas public records may be obtained through the District Court where the event occurred. These court records are not official copies of marriage certificates or divorce decrees, making them open to the public. This is helpful to anyone performing genealogy research, as there are fewer restrictions on records held by the court system.

Accessing Online Public Records in Kansas

The Kansas Judicial Branch website offers an online access portal available to the public that searches all District Courts for limited years. These Kansas court records include civil, criminal, marriage and divorce records. However, this particular search portal charges a search fee and a case retrieval fee. Many of the individual District Courts offer their own public access portals for free. However, these online public records in Kansas will be limited to that particular county. For example, visit the Johnson County District Court website, and you may access the divorce, marriage, civil and criminal records housed by that court.

Another resource for online public records in Kansas is the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Here, anyone may perform a criminal records search on a third party online. These records are limited to conviction information, and searches are name-based. There is also a fee to use this service.

Performing a Kansas Public Records Search

The Kansas Historical Society maintains the State Archives, which is a large collection of records that began at the end of the Civil War. The research room is housed in the State Archives in Topeka, which is open to the public and visits are welcome. There is a wide variety of genealogical resource available, including Kansas military records, cemetery and vital records and obituaries. A Kansas public records search can include military records from the Civil War, Spanish American War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War and others.

A Kansas public records search will also yield valuable access to birth, death and marriage records indexes, as well as multiple Kansas cemetery records throughout the state. Many of these records can be searched online, especially military records. This is helpful if an in-person visit is not possible. There is no fee to visit the Archives, but any copies made will require a small fee. The staff is available to help find specific records and make sure you find the records you need.