Minnesota Vital Records

What are Minnesota Vital Records?

Vital records in Minnesota are the official records of all births, deaths, adoptions, and marriages in the state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records maintains birth records in the state since 1900 and death records in the state since 1908. For copies of births or death that occurred prior to these dates, you should contact the Minnesota county recorder's office in the county where the birth or death occurred.

The Minnesota Office of Vital Records does not maintain marriage or divorce certificates. Anyone may search the Minnesota Official Marriage System (MOMS) database to view a marriage certificate for a marriage that occurred in Minnesota. However, to obtain a copy of a marriage or divorce certificate, you will need to contact the county that issued the marriage license or where the divorce judgment was granted.

How Can I Get a Copy of a Birth Certificate in Minnesota?

Access to all Minnesota birth certificates is restricted to specific persons who have a tangible interest in the record. The birth record of a child born to unmarried parents is confidential; however, the mother may choose to make the record public at the time of birth. Minnesota law also limits access to records of stillbirth.

For most Minnesota certified birth certificates, the following persons may obtain a copy:

• The person listed as the registrant on the certificate.
• A child, grandchild, or great-grandchild of the registrant.
• The current spouse of the registrant.
• A parent named on the registrant's record, or a grandparent or great-grandparent.
• A legal custodian, guardian, or conservator of the registrant.
• A health care agent of the registrant, with a valid health care power of attorney document.
• A personal representative of the registrant's estate.
• An heir of the registrant.
• An adoption agency for post-adoption searches required by law.
• A person demonstrating that the certificate is needed to determine or protect a personal or property right, with supporting documentation.
• Anyone with a court order.
• A representative of a local, state, tribal, or federal government agency (with proper employee ID), when necessary for the agency to perform its authorized duties.
• An attorney representing the registrant or any other person entitled to receive a copy.
• An authorized representative of any person eligible to receive a copy, with a signed statement from that person granting the representative permission to obtain the certificate and with proof of the person's eligibility.

In Minnesota, the birth record of a child born to unmarried persons is confidential. However, the mother does have the option at the time of birth of making the birth record public. If she has not chosen that option, then only the following persons may obtain a copy of the confidential birth certificate:

• The registrant, if they are at least 16 years old.
• A parent named on the birth record.
• A legal guardian with valid documentation.
• Any person with a court order.
• Representatives of Minnesota state programs that administer child support, medical assistance, and other support services.

If eligible, you may obtain a copy of a Minnesota birth certificate by mail or fax. Unfortunately, there is currently no option for in-person service at the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics. To obtain your copy by mail, you should complete a copy of the Minnesota birth certificate application, and mail or fax it along with proper identification, such as a valid driver's license, and correct fees to:

Minnesota Department of Health
Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 64499
St. Paul, MN 55164-0499

For FedEx, UPS, or Courier Service, you should mail your completed application and fees to:

Minnesota Department of Health
Office of Vital Records
100 E 7th Street
St. Paul, MN 55101

If you choose to fax your application, you may fax it to 866-416-1357, with credit card information included. If you have questions, you should contact the Office of Vital Records at 651-201-5970 or health.vitalrecords@state.mn.us.

You may also choose to obtain a copy of a Minnesota birth certificate from your local Minnesota county vital records office. You should contact the individual vital records office to determine the types of services it offers.

Access to stillbirth records is much more restricted. Under Minnesota law, only the parents named on the fetal death report may obtain a copy of a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth for fetal deaths of 20 weeks or more of gestation. The parent must complete the Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth application, show valid identification, and sign and date the application before a notary public and mail their application, along with correct fees to:

Minnesota Department of Health
Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 64499
St. Paul, MN 55164-0499

For FedEx, UPS, or Courier Service, you should mail your completed application and fees to:

Minnesota Department of Health
Office of Vital Records
100 E 7th Street
St. Paul, MN 55101

The cost of the first certified copy of a Minnesota birth certificate is $26, and for each additional copy, the fee is $19. The expedited service fee is an additional $20. The documents will be mailed to you via United States Postal Service at no additional charge. If you choose to have the documents delivered to you via UPS, there will be an additional fee of $16.

Fees may be paid by check or money order made payable to the Minnesota Department of Health or by major credit card, including Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.

How Can I Get a Copy of a Death Certificate in Minnesota?

Access to Minnesota death certificates is restricted to the following persons:

• A child, grandchild, or great-grandchild of the decedent.
• The surviving spouse of the decedent.
• A parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent of the decedent.
• A sibling of the decedent.
• A health care agent of the decedent, with a valid health care power of attorney document.
• A personal representative of the decedent's estate.
• An heir of the decedent.
• A trustee of a trust created by or on behalf of the decedent.
• A person demonstrating that the death certificate is needed to determine or protect a personal or property right, with supporting documentation.
• Anyone with a court order.
• A representative of a local, state, tribal, or federal government agency (with proper employee ID), when necessary for the agency to perform its authorized duties.
• An authorized representative of any person eligible to receive a copy, with a signed statement from that person granting the representative permission to obtain the certificate and with proof of the person's eligibility.

If eligible, you may obtain a copy of a Minnesota death certificate by mail or fax. Unfortunately, there is currently no option for in-person service at the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records. To obtain your copy by mail, you should complete a copy of the Minnesota death certificate application, and mail or fax it along with proper identification and correct fees to:

Minnesota Dept. of Health
Office of Vital Records
P.O. Box 64499
St. Paul, MN 55164-0499

For FedEx, UPS, or Courier Service, you should mail your completed application and fees to:

Minnesota Department of Health
Office of Vital Records
100 E 7th Street
St. Paul, MN 55101

If you choose to fax your application, you may fax it to 866-416-1357, with credit card information included. If you have questions, you should contact the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records at 651-201-5970 or health.vitalrecords@state.mn.us.

You may also choose to obtain a copy of a Minnesota death certificate from your local Minnesota county vital records office. You should contact the individual vital records office to determine the types of services it offers.

The cost of the first certified copy of a Minnesota death certificate is $13, and for each additional copy, the fee is $6. The expedited service fee is an additional $20. The documents will be mailed to you via United States Postal Service at no additional charge. If you choose to have the documents delivered to you via UPS, there will be an additional fee of $16.

Fees may be paid by check or money order made payable to the Minnesota Department of Health or by major credit card, including Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.

How Can I Get a Copy of a Minnesota Marriage Certificate?

Minnesota marriage records are available and accessible by anyone. You may view Minnesota marriage records online in the MOMS database. To obtain a copy of a marriage certificate, you should contact the local registrar's office that issued the marriage license. The fees for obtaining a copy of the marriage certificate may vary by county; however, most counties charge a cost of $9 for each copy.

How Can I Get a Copy of a Divorce Record in Minnesota?

The Minnesota Office of Vital Records does not maintain divorce decrees or records. Anyone may view divorce records online through the Minnesota judiciary database if the divorce case number is known. However, to obtain a copy of a Minnesota divorce decree, you should contact the Minnesota county clerk of court's office where the divorce decree was granted.

Helpful State Resources

• Minnesota Driving Records
• Minnesota Plate Lookup
• Minnesota Arrest Records
• Minnesota Inmate Search
• Minnesota Court Records
• Minnesota Property Records