Section 641.97.15. Delayed death registration—one year or more after event.

Iowa deaths registered one year or more after the date of death shall be prepared on a Delayed Certificate of Death form developed by the state registrar. The state registrar shall require documentary evidence to prove the facts of the death pursuant to Iowa Code section 144.16. The delayed certificate of death shall be registered and maintained solely at the state registrar’s office.

       97.15(1) Application. Registration of a delayed certificate of death may be requested by the surviving next of kin of the deceased, or the surviving next of kin’s legal representative, in the following descending order:

        a.           Executor of the decedent’s estate;

        b.           Spouse, if not legally separated from the decedent;

        c.           Child or legal guardian of the child if the child is under the age of majority;

        d.           Parent;

        e.           Grandchild or legal guardian of the grandchild if the grandchild is under the age of majority;

        f.            Sibling;

        g.           Grandparent; or

        h.           Funeral director responsible for the disposition of the decedent.

       97.15(2) Facts to be established.

        a.           The applicant shall submit a notification of record search certified by the state registrar, which shall indicate that no prior certificate of death is on file for the person whose delayed death record is to be filed. The notification of record search shall be returned to the applicant and shall not be exchanged for a certified copy of the delayed certificate of death.

        b.           The applicant shall substantiate the following with documentary evidence:

       (1)             The full legal name and gender of the deceased at the time of the death;

       (2)             The date and place of birth;

       (3)             The date and time of death;

       (4)             The place of death, including the type of place and location where the death occurred;

       (5)             The method and location of the final disposition;

       (6)             The full name and address of the person responsible for the final disposition;

       (7)             Cause and manner of death; and

       (8)             The full name, address, and relationship to the decedent of the person applying to register the delayed certificate of death.

       97.15(3) Documentary evidence.

        a.           The application to register the delayed certificate of death shall be supported by a minimum of the following:

       (1)             An affidavit of the person filing the certificate attesting to the accuracy of the information on the certificate; and

       (2)             Three dated documents from independent sources that consistently support the information required pursuant to subrule 97.15(2). The documents shall be in the form of the original record, a certified copy thereof, or a notarized statement from the custodian of the record or document on the custodian’s letterhead. Personal affidavits are not acceptable.

        b.           The state registrar may require additional documentary evidence to prove the facts of the death event.

       97.15(4) Abstraction and certification by the state registrar. The state registrar shall abstract on the Delayed Certificate of Death form a description of each document submitted to support the facts of death. This description shall include:

        a.           The title or description of the document;

        b.           The name and address of the custodian who attested to the facts on the original documents in the custodian’s custody;

        c.           The date of the original filing of the document being abstracted; and

        d.           The information regarding the death for delayed registration.

       97.15(5) Acceptance of documentary evidence for registration. All documents submitted in support of the delayed registration shall be returned to the applicant after review, abstraction, and registration. The state registrar shall by signature certify that:

        a.           No prior certificate of death is on file for the decedent;

        b.           The evidence has been reviewed and substantiates the facts of death; and

        c.           The abstract of the evidence appearing on the delayed certificate of death accurately reflects the nature and content of the documents.

       97.15(6) Denial of registration. In the absence of adequate substantiating evidence or if the state registrar finds reason to question the validity or adequacy of the evidence required to establish a delayed certificate of death, the state registrar shall not register the delayed record.

        a.           The written notice of rejection from the state registrar shall include:

       (1)             The Delayed Certificate of Death form stamped “rejected”; and

       (2)             The Delayed Evidence Refusal form.

        b.           Applications for delayed certificates which have not been completed within one year from the date of application may be dismissed at the discretion of the state registrar. Upon dismissal, the state registrar shall advise the applicant, and all documents submitted in support of such registration shall be returned to the applicant.

       97.15(7) Duties of county registrar. The county registrar may assist the applicant in the completion and notarization of the delayed form, excluding the portion restricted for state use only. The county registrar may forward the partially completed delayed form, documents and fees to the state registrar for final review and possible acceptance.

       97.15(8) Fees. Administrative and certified copy fees shall be charged as provided in rule 641—95.6(144).

[ARC 0483C, IAB 12/12/12, effective 1/16/13; see Delay note at end of chapter]