Minnesota Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records

See Also Researching in Vital Records - Vital records, as their name suggests, are connected with central life events: birth, marriage, and death. Maintained by civil authorities, they are prime sources of genealogical information; but, unfortunately, official vital records are available only for relatively recent periods. These records, despite their recent creation in the United States, are critically important in genealogical research, often supplying details on family members well back into the nineteenth century.......

Legislation ordering the recording of county vital records was passed in 1870. In some counties marriage registrations began before that date, but all of these early records are somewhat incomplete. Researchers may request birth, death, or marriage records from the office of the court administrator or clerk of district court in the respective county courthouse. Some counties have recently begun to transfer their birth, death and marriage records to the office of the county recorder. St. Paul births and deaths recorded for this period are available at the Bureau of Health, 555 Cedar Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101. Charges for birth and death records are consistent with the state rates, listed below.

In 1907 the Minnesota Vital Records law was enacted, giving the state the responsibility of keeping birth and death records. Their records for births start in 1900 and deaths in 1908. Both are indexed to the present but not available for research in person. There is no state-wide marriage index until 1958. The fee ($11 for a birth record and $8 for a death record) will include a search and a copy of the requested record or a statement that the record is not on file. Send to: Minnesota Department of Health, Section of Vital Statistics, P.O. Box 9441, 717 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55440.

Some limited county vitals records registers have been transferred to the Minnesota Historical Society Research Center (see Archives, Libraries, and Societies), although access is restricted. The center holds justice of the peace (marriage) records from some counties and coroner's inquest (death) registers. Other alternate sources for vital records may include local genealogical societies that have transcribed and indexed vitals records and obituaries from their respective counties. Alfred J. Dahlquist's Minnesota Genealogical Journal (Brooklyn Park, Minn.: Park Genealogical Book Co., 1984–87) has transcriptions of marriages from several Minnesota counties. This publication has also printed extractions of marriage records, which include Minnesota people in Pierce and St. Croix counties, Wisconsin.

The WPA Historical Records Survey of township vital records was published in Guide to Public Vital Statistics Records in Minnesota. Many of these records have since been transferred to the Minnesota Historical Society (see Archives, Libraries, and Societies).

Township records may include some vital statistics. Deaths and births may have been reported to townships or cities from 1870 through 1953. If these records are extant (and many are not), they frequently will contain more information than the county or state record. Many of these locally created vital records are at the Minnesota Historical Society Research Center. Township records may also include the clerk's minute books and township road records, indicating names of residents. If they exist, justice of the peace records are likely to be in these materials as well.

School records, although not vital registrations, may help determine the age of an individual. Many of these are at the Minnesota Historical Society Research Center.

Minnesota Department of Health, Attention: Office of the State Registrar, P.O. Box 64882, St. Paul, MN 55164. It is no longer necessary to go to the registrar's office of the county where the birth or death took place. You may go to a registrar's office in any county in Minnesota for births that took place during of after 1900 and for deaths that took place during or after 1997. They have the following records:

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• Birth Certificates: Avalible since 1900 to 3 months ago.
  • Cost: $16.00 for Certified and $13.00 for Non-Certified Certificates. For births that took place before 1900, go to the local registrar office in the county where the birth took place.
  • Processing Time: Filled requests take 4-6 weeks when ordered by mail (Application for Certified and Non-certified) or 2-5 Days when you order online.
• Death Certificates: Avalible since Jan 1908.
  • Cost: $13.00 for Certified and Non-Certified Certificates. For deaths that took place before 1900, go to the local registrar office in the county where the death took place.
  • Processing Time: Filled requests take 4-6 weeks when ordered by mail (Application for Certified and Non-certified) or 2-5 Days when you order online.
• Marriage Certificates: Certified copies may be available from the Local Registrar in the county where the license was issued or you can order them online.
• Divorces: Certified copies may be available from the Local Registrar in the county where the divorce was granted.
• Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.
• Order In Person: The Dept of Health no longer accepts walk-in or phone orders because of a change in Minnesota law. However, you may complete your requests by mail or online.

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Links For Birth Records

• Minnesota Birth Record Books at Amazon.com
• Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2002: This database is an index created by the Minnesota Department of Health to approximately 5.2 million births occurring in the State of Minnesota, USA, between 1935 and 2002. Information contained in this index includes child's full name, father's full name, mother's maiden name, birth date, birth county, and state file number.
• Search All U.S and Foriegn Birth, Marriage and Death Records
• Search County Birth Records
• Order Birth Certificates Online

Links For Marriage Records

• Minnesota Marriage Record Books at Amazon.com
• Order Marriage Certificates or Divorce Records Online
• Minnesota Marriage Collection, 1958-2001: This database is an index to individuals who were married in the state of Minnesota (U.S.A.) from 1958-2001. Information that may be found in this database for each entry includes bride and groom's full names, their ages, birth dates, and marriage date and place.
• Minnesota Divorce Index, 1970-1995: This database contains a statewide index of divorces filed in Minnesota between 1970 and 1995. Information that may be found in this database includes: husband's name and age, wife's name and age, divorce date, and divorce county.
• Search U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
• Search County Marriage Records
• Search County Divorce Records

Links For Death Records

• Minnesota Death Record Books at Amazon.com
• Minnesota Death Index, 1908-2002: This database is an index of deaths recorded by the State of Minnesota, USA, from 1908 to 2002. The index includes: name of the deceased, city and county of death, date of death, birth date, birthplace, mother's maiden name, and state file number.
• Social Security Death Index
• Obituary Collection
• Search County Death Records
• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Minnesota obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Minnesota newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Minnesota.
• Search America's Obituaries (1977 to current) at Genealogybank.com - Obituaries contain helpful information such as names, dates, places of birth, death, marriage and family information. Over 28 million obituaries make this the most complete collection from the 20th and 21st centuries - includes over 1,100 U.S. newspapers. New content added daily!