Minnesota Vital Records and Certificates

Order Minnesota vital records, certificates, and related services through the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) by mail or fax. This includes:

• Birth and death records
• Certified records (birth and death certificates)
• Vital record amendments
• Fetal death (stillbirth) records 

You can also order compiled vital records data, learn how to obtain marriage certificates and divorce decrees, and more. 

If the birth or death did not occur in Minnesota, see Where to Write for Vital Records on the CDC website.

For fastest service, request your records in person at a county vital records office. Most of the time, you can receive your order while you wait. (In contrast, MDH orders can take days or weeks for processing and mailing — see current processing times at right.) You can show identification and sign forms in front of county staff rather seeking out notarization services. MDH does not offer in-person service. 

Some records and services are available through all (county and state) vital records offices, but some are only available through MDH. See the Available Records and Services page for more details.

Certified and noncertified records

Birth and death records can be either certified or noncertified. 

• Birth and death certificates (certified records) are official legal documents issued on security paper.  
• Noncertified records are issued on plain paper and meant for informational purposes only. 

Both types of records show the subject’s name, sex, date and place of birth or death, and parent information printed in all capital letters. MDH has records for births since 1900 and deaths since 1908. 

Birth and death certificates can be used to access bank accounts, apply for credit cards, obtain drivers’ licenses, and more. Keep them in a safe place to protect yourself.

Requester eligibility

Minnesota law specifies who is eligible to request birth and death records. Only eligible people are authorized to get certified records (birth and death certificates). 

Public vs. confidential records: If a birth record is public, anyone may buy a noncertified (informational only) birth record. Some birth records are confidential and have more restricted availability. All Minnesota death records are public, so anyone may buy a noncertified (informational only) death record. 

See the Who Can Order Records page for more information about confidential documents and who may request vital records documents and services. It’s illegal to give false information to obtain a vital record, and it may subject you to fines, jail time, or both.

Notarization and identification

If you order vital records in person at a county office, for most requests you must present identification and sign forms in front of county staff. 

If ordering products by mail or fax, for most requests you must sign forms in front of a notary public attesting to your eligibility to receive the record. A notary public is a person commissioned by a state government to verify your identity (review your government-issued photo ID) and witness your signature on important documents. The notary’s stamp and seal on a form confirms that your signature matches your photo ID. A person seeking a certificate who doesn’t have acceptable ID may ask a witness to complete the Statement to Identify (PDF) form to swear to the requester’s identity.

You can often find notary services for a fee at banks, some libraries, and mailbox and copy shops, such as The UPS Store and FedEx Office. See the Find a Notary page on the Minnesota Secretary or State website to find a notary near you. 

Apostille services

An Apostille is a certificate that authenticates the signature of a public official or a notary public on a document for use in another country. For instance, people applying for dual citizenship may require Apostille services. Request an Apostille from the Minnesota Secretary of State. MDH does not provide this service. 

Fees and payment

Fees for vital record services and products are due when you submit the request. The fees are nonrefundable, even if we can’t locate the requested records or otherwise fulfill your order. MDH accepts payments by credit card, check, or money order, and deposits fees the day it receives them, before we review and process your request. MDH will notify you if we can’t fulfill your order. See the Available Records and Services page for the fees charged for each record or service.

Searching birth and death records

You have several options for doing informational searches of Minnesota birth and death records: 

• Visitors to the Minnesota Historical Society library in St. Paul can request a search of Minnesota’s vital record system by library staff. 
• The Minnesota Historical Society maintains an online Minnesota People Records Search that includes birth records from 1900 to 1934 and death records from 1904 to 2001. 
• Some county offices have computer stations the public can use to look up births and deaths in Minnesota’s vital records system. Check if a county office near you provides this service. 
• Use our search index to verify a death in Minnesota that occurred in 1997 or later.

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