In a message dated 5/14/2004 9:37:02 AM Central Standard Time, [email protected] writes: copies of birth records. At that time they were an "open record state". Now you have to fill out an application for anything you want searched out. I do not know if there is a search fee, but it was almost as time consuming as the drive. I know in Illinois, so many people walked out with the original records when they found them. It is sad that they are gone forever in someone's private collection:( Juanita Jones Johnson