Minnesota ranks 43rd out of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) for how easy, fast and affordable it is to get certified birth, marriage, divorce and death records.
Cost#32of 51
Speed#12of 51
Ease of ordering#51of 51
Birth certificates #39 of 51
Cost
$26 first copy, $19 each extra copy
Processing time
Mail: about 6 business days; in person: same day at any county vital records office
Time until the copy is in hand
About 1–2 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State office or a local county office
Order online
No
Records available
State records from January 1900
Marriage records #36 (tie) of 51
Cost
Varies by county
Processing time
Varies by county
Time until the copy is in hand
Varies by county
Where to order
County only: the local registrar in the county where the license was issued (searchable statewide in the Minnesota Official Marriage System)
Order online
No statewide online ordering
Divorce records #27 (tie) of 51
Cost
$14 per certified copy from the court
Processing time
Varies by county
Time until the copy is in hand
Varies by county
Where to order
County only: the district court administrator in the county where the divorce was granted
Order online
No statewide online ordering
Death certificates #23 of 51
Cost
$13 first copy, $6 each extra copy
Processing time
Mail: about 6 business days; in person: same day at a county vital records office (any county for deaths from 1997 on)
Time until the copy is in hand
About 1–2 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State office or a county vital records office (any county for deaths from 1997 on)
Order online
No
Records available
State records from 1908
Note: These rankings were done on . Prices, processing times and ordering rules may have changed since then, so check with the issuing office before you order. Times marked “estimate” add typical mail delivery to the office’s posted processing time. “Not published” means the office does not post that detail.
How to order Minnesota birth, death, marriage and divorce records
How do I get a Minnesota birth certificate?
A certified Minnesota birth certificate costs $26 for the first copy and $19 for each extra copy. The fastest way is in person at any county vital records office, where most orders are ready while you wait. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) takes orders by mail or fax only, and mail and fax requests must be signed in front of a notary.
Minnesota birth records: ordering details
Who can order
Records of children born to married parents are public. Certified copies of those go to the person named, a parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, child, grandchild, great-grandchild, current spouse, legal guardian or custodian, health care agent, personal representative or successor for an estate, an attorney, and others listed on the form. Records of children born to single mothers are confidential unless made public at birth, and only a parent, legal guardian, the subject at 16 or older, certain state programs, or a court order can get them. Anyone can buy a noncertified copy of a public record.
Fee
$26 for the first certified copy, $19 for each extra copy (non-refundable, even if no record is found). Noncertified (informational) copy: $13. Birth certificates for Veterans Affairs purposes: no charge. Extras (MDH orders): “Faster” handling ahead of standard requests $20; express delivery $21 (no P.O. boxes).
How to order
In person: any county vital records office. All 87 counties use the same statewide system, so you can go to any county. By mail: the notarized Birth Certificate Request with a check or money order payable to “Minnesota Department of Health” to MDH Office of Vital Records, PO Box 64499, St. Paul, MN 55164-0499. By fax: 866-416-1357 (credit card only). MDH has no in-person counter and no online ordering.
ID needed
In person: show ID and sign the form in front of county staff. Mail or fax: sign the form in front of a notary public, who checks your government-issued photo ID. If you don’t have acceptable ID, a witness can complete the Statement to Identify.
Processing time
County office: most orders while you wait. MDH: it posts the date of the latest orders it has mailed; on October 27, 2026, it had mailed orders received through October 22. Estimate: about 1–2 weeks for a mail order to arrive, including mail time both ways.
Older and local records
MDH has birth records from 1900 on. Some county offices hold older local births (Ramsey County’s start in 1850, for example). For genealogy searches, MDH points to the Minnesota Historical Society.
Tip: Skip the notary: walk in to any county vital records office, show your ID, and you’ll usually leave with the certificate.
A certified Minnesota death certificate costs $13 for the first copy and $6 for each extra copy. For deaths from 1997 on, any county vital records office can issue it, usually while you wait. For 1908–1996 deaths, go to the county where the death happened or order from the Minnesota Department of Health by mail or fax.
Minnesota death records: ordering details
Who can order
Certified copies: the person’s child, parent, sibling, spouse on the record, grandparent or grandchild; a personal representative, successor or trustee who needs it for an estate or trust; someone who needs it to protect a personal or property right; an attorney; a government agency; or someone with a court order or signed statement from an eligible person. All Minnesota death records are public, so anyone can buy a noncertified copy.
Fee
$13 for the first certified copy, with or without cause of death (the version without cause of death is available for 1997 to present). $6 for each extra copy. VA death certificates for VA purposes: no charge, if eligible. Fees aren’t refunded if no record is found. Extras (MDH orders): “Faster” handling $20; express delivery $21.
How to order
In person: any county vital records office for deaths from 1997 on; the county of death for earlier deaths. By mail: the notarized Death Certificate Request with a check or money order payable to “Minnesota Department of Health” to PO Box 64499, St. Paul, MN 55164-0499. By fax: 866-416-1357 (credit card only).
ID needed
In person: show ID and sign in front of county staff. Mail or fax: sign the request in front of a notary public.
Processing time
County office: usually while you wait. MDH: on October 27, 2026, it had mailed orders received through October 22. Estimate: about 1–2 weeks for a mail order to arrive.
Older and local records
MDH has death records from 1908 on. Records of 1908–1996 deaths are only available from the county of death or MDH, and pre-1908 deaths only from the county where the death happened. MDH also offers an online death verification search for 1997 to present.
Tip: For deaths in 1997 or later, you can choose a certificate without the cause of death for the same $13.
Minnesota marriage certificates come only from the county that issued the marriage license. The Minnesota Department of Health doesn’t record marriages. You can look up most Minnesota marriages in the statewide Minnesota Official Marriage System (MOMS) to find the right county.
Minnesota marriage records: ordering details
Who can order
Contact the county office that issued the license.
Fee
Varies by county.
How to order
Search MOMS to find the record and the issuing county, then contact that county’s vital records or recorder office. Contacts are in MDH’s Directory of County Offices.
ID needed
Varies by county; contact the county office.
Processing time
Varies by county.
Older records
Check MOMS first; it covers most Minnesota marriage records. For older records, contact the county that issued the license.
Tip: Search MOMS first. It shows which county holds the record, so you contact the right office the first time.
Minnesota divorce decrees come only from the district court in the county that granted the divorce. The Minnesota Department of Health doesn’t record divorces. A certified copy of a court document costs $14 under the statewide district court fee schedule.
Minnesota divorce records: ordering details
Who can order
Contact the district court administrator in the county where the divorce was granted.
Fee
Certified copy: $14 (statewide base fee, Minn. Stat. § 357.021). Exemplified and certified copy: $28. Make checks payable to “District Court Administrator.”
How to order
Contact the court administrator’s office in the county where the divorce was granted. Some county listings in MDH’s Directory of County Offices include a divorce records phone number.
ID needed
Contact the court.
Processing time
Varies by county.
Older records
Contact the district court in the county where the divorce was granted.
Tip: Have the names, the county and the approximate year of the divorce ready when you call the court.
Note: Fees, processing times and rules are set by the issuing offices and can change. Times are estimates. Check with the office before you order. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
Other records
Other Minnesota records people search for
Official Minnesota sites for other common lookups. Some records are kept by counties or carry fees; the note on each line says so.
Note: Links go to official state sites or services the state designates. Access rules, fees and coverage are set by each office and can change. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
About Minnesota public records
Certificate Information
Birth and death certificate are available from either the Office of the State Registrar or from any local issuance office throughout
the state. Unlike most states, the local offices are able to issue certificates from their county and any other county in the state
if the record from 1997 or later. Each local office can provide same day service for walk in appointments while the state office
only deals with mail and fax orders.
• Birth Certificates
• Death Certificates
• Birth Record Amendments
The Minnesota Department of Health does not issue any sort of verification or certificate regarding marriage, civil unions or divorce.
All record searches must be done through the local county office in which the event was initially filed. Below is a complete list
of local issuance offices throughout the state.
Original birth records for adoptive parents are available from the district court in the county the adoption was filed. At age 19 the
adoptee is able to get a non certified copy of the original birth certificate but must request for an affidavit of disclosure to
get a certified copy. Birth parents maintain the right to receive the original birth certificate at any time and also have the right
to allow or refuse issuance of the birth certificate to the adoptee.
Property records which show information regarding tax payments, property ownership, sales history and tax valuations are available
from most major counties in a easy to search online application or website.
