GN 00308.048 Minnesota Vital Records

A. Process

Divorce records are available from the Clerk of the District Court in the county where the parties filed for divorce for $10.00 a certified copy. Marriage records are available from the Clerk of the District Court in the county where the license was issued for $9.00 a certified copy.

Copies of birth or death records may be obtained from the Clerk of the District Court of the county where the event occurred. For birth or death records in Minneapolis or St. Paul, write to the Vital Records Office of the city where the event occurred. All counties charge $11.00 for a birth certificate and $8.00 for a death certificate.

NOTE:

Minnesota Statutes restrict access to a certified birth or death certificate to a person who has a tangible interest in the requested certificate. A document request, including from a federal or state agency, must be notarized. For more information, use the link in GN 00308.048B.1.

B. Procedure - state sources

1. Address and FO Code

Birth/death:

Minnesota Department of Health Central Cashiering
Vital Records Department
P.O. Box 64499
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0499

Phone: 651-201-5970
Fax: 651-291-0101.

FO Code 677

Marriage/divorce:

Clerk of District Court
(County where filed)

NOTE:

You can find the most up-to-date information from the Certificates and Records site. In addition, you can find EIN information here .

2. Cost of Copy:

Birth $26.00 certified copy, $13.00 uncertified copy; Death $13.00; Marriage $9.00 certified copy, $5.00 uncertified copy; Divorce $10.00 certified copy, $5.00 uncertified copy.

Contact the local registrar in the county where the marriage certificate was issued or the divorce was granted for marriage and divorce fee information. For copies of marriage and divorce decrees, this website provides current information: Marriage Certificates and Divorce Decrees.

3. Type of Payment:

No restrictions. (See remarks)

4. Remarks:

State BVS accepts major credit cards. Cost then is $29.50 for birth and $26.50 for death certificates. State BVS accepts major credit card requests by telephone by call (218) 847-2151.

Requests for birth certificates (BC) for illegitimate children must be accompanied by a consent statement signed by the subject individual (if 18 or over) or by the parent or guardian.

There are no free verifications. Claimants should be encouraged to purchase their documents directly. If SSA is paying for the document, servicing FO should include a check from their imprest funds made payable to State Dept. of Health, Vital Statistics, and forward to the Parallel DO with their request for the document.

IMPORTANT: State-issued BCs prior to 2001 have a state file number (SFN), but local county BCs usually do not. Since 2001, all MN BCs are abstracts issued from the same central database and have the same format, the same type of security paper, and do not have SFNs. The state plans to initiate a new BC process in approximately April 2011 and, at that time, both state and local BCs will have an SFN and there will be no difference in the appearance of state and local MN BCs.

Can FO verify, certify or obtain free copy of birth/death record? No

C. List of counties

A directory of Minnesota county vital records office contacts is available here:

https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/registrars.html

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0200308048

GN 00308.048 - Minnesota Vital Records - 11/13/2020
Batch run: 04/28/2021
Rev:11/13/2020

Social Security

Program Operations Manual System (POMS)