Minnesota Probate Records

Online Resources

 * 1801 - 1999 Minnesota Wills and Probate Records 1801-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * Minnesota, Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925, ($), index and images, incomplete.
 * 1849-1985 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index only

Record Synopsis
Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.” Various records may be found in probate files. These may include wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. These documents are extremely valuable to genealogists and should not be neglected. In many instances, they are the only known source of relevant information such as the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence. They may also include information about adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. For further information about the probate process, types of probate records, analyzing probate records, and to access a glossary of probate terms, see United States Probate Records.

Explore more about the probate process, limitations of probate records, analyzing probate records, a glossary of probate terms, wills, and United States Probate Records.

Searching Probate Records
It is usually best to start a probate search at the county level. Links to county pages appear below. Additional resources for Minnesota probates may be found in the Minnesota-Probate topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog. Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at FamilySearch Centers. Also find Minnesota Probate resources available at many libraries (WorldCat). Explore how to search WorldCat and the FamilySearch Catalog.

A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:

Minnesota Wills - FamilySearch Historical Records

History
Variations existed within counties as probate jurisdictions and county boundaries changed over the years.

The court administrator of the district court in each county keeps the probate records.

Regional
Many Minnesota counties have sent their older records to the State Archives Collection at the Minnesota Historical Society.

National
The Family History Library is acquiring microfilm copies of these records on a county-by-county basis. For more probate records, check the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:

MINNESOTA, [COUNTY] – PROBATE RECORDS

Statewide Record Collections
Minnesota Will Records, 1849-1985 at FamilySearch. Index to wills from Probate Courts throughout Minnesota and located at the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul, Minnesota.

State Statutes
Understanding the Minnesota probate laws and how they changed over time can help us learn how the estate was administered, taxed, and distributed and might help to solve difficult genealogical problems. Online digital versions of state statutes can be found at the Minnesota Legislature Office of the Revisor of Statutes.