Minnesota Vital Records

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= Minnesota Birth, Marriage and Death Records  =

Minnesota Vital Records Online Links
Minnesota Historical Society www.mnhs.org/genealogy for indexes to birth records 1900 to 1934, some pre 1900, and records from death cards 1904 to1907 and death certificates 1908 to 1891.

There is a large collection of Minnesota births, marriages, divorces, and deaths online at Ancestry.com which is a subscription website.

Miscellaneous Death Records and Obituaries:


 * Online Searchable Death Indexes for the USA.

= Introduction to Vital Records =

= Birth Records =

Early - 1908

1908 - Present

State Records of Births and Deaths
In Minnesota, the state registration of births began in 1900 and was generally complied with by 1915. Death records have been registered by the state since 1908.

For copies of state records, write to:

Minnesota Department of Health Minnesota Department of Health Attention: Office of the State Registrar P.O. Box 64882 St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0882 Telephone: 612-623-5121 Fax: 651-291-0101 Internet: Minnesota Department of Health

For an idea of fees for obtaining copies of the state’s records, check:

VitalRecords.com. The vitalrec.com site also shows state and county records office addresses, fees, and years covered and has some links to other internet resources.

Minnesota Birth Certificate Index 1900-1934. There are approximately 2700 records indicated as "Pre 1900". Delayed and supplemental filings have been added. These include Pre 1900 records.

Minnesota Death Certificate Index 1904-2001. This database indexes the death cards from 1904 to 1907 and the death certificates from 1908 to 2001.

County Records of Births and Deaths
Some counties began recording births as early as 1864 (Redwood County), but most counties began in 1870. Benton County death records were kept from 1867, but 1870 was the general starting date for most counties. Compliance was not good in the early years. The Family History Library has been acquiring microfilms of these county records from the earliest dates to about 1925. For examples, see the following:


 * Minnesota. District Court (Hennepin County). Birth Records, 1870–1915.
 * Minnesota. Division of Vital Statistics. Delayed Birth Records, ca. 1942–1981. Contains delayed birth records for Ramsey County and the city of St. Paul.
 * Mower County (Minnesota). County Recorder. Death Records, 1870–1993; Index, 1870–1993.

For information about early county birth and death records, write to the court administrator of the district court or county recorder in the county.

Adoption Records
= Marriage Records =

County Records of Marriages
There is no centralized registration for Minnesota marriage records. The state has kept a statewide index to marriages from 1958 to present. Each county generally began keeping marriage records soon after the creation of the county. Some county marriage records begin in the late 1840s. The Family History Library has been acquiring microfilms of these records. For example, marriage records of Ramsey County (including St. Paul) are in:


 * Minnesota. District Court (Ramsey County).Marriage Indexes, 1850–1917; Marriage Records, 1850–1916.

There is an index to many pre-1850 Minnesota marriage records on compact disc:


 * Marriage Records Early–1850. Although incomplete, this disc has many marriage records for various states west of the Mississippi.

There are also some Bureau of Indian Affairs marriage records on microfilm. An example is:


 * Marriage Licenses, 1902–1922.

For copies of marriage records, write to the district court administrator’s office in the county in which the license was recorded. This office also has files for divorces. For information about Hennepin County marriages, write to:

Vital Records Office Public Service Level Government Center 300 South 6th Street Minneapolis, MN 55487 Hennepin County, Minnesota Vital Records

For other birth, death, and marriage records, check the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:


 * MINNESOTA, [COUNTY] – VITAL RECORDS

Divorce Records
Divorce and annulment records for each county are found with the civil cases of the district courts. The district courts have handled these cases since 1849. You can write to the court administrator of the district court at the county courthouse for copies or information. For a summary of the types of courts, see the “Minnesota Court Records” article.

The Minnesota Department of Health has a divorce index from 1970 to the present.

= Death Records =

Early - 1908

1908 - Present

= Substitute Records =

Minnesota Church Records

Minnesota Cemetery Records

Minnesota Census

Minnesota Newspapers

Minnesota Periodicals

Minnesota Military Records

Minnesota History

= Tips =

= Lost or Missing Records =

= Analyzing Records =

= Archives, Libraries and Societies =

Minnesota Archives and Libraries

Minnesota Societies