How to get a Minnesota death certificate

In Minnesota, order a certified death certificate from the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, and county vital records offices.¹ The first copy costs $13² and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $6². You can order online, by mail, at a local office or by fax. Only the people the state lists below can order a certified copy.

Last checked November 5, 2026 against official sources.

On this page

Ways to order
What a Minnesota death certificate costs
How long it takes
Who can order a Minnesota death certificate
ID you need
What the application asks for
Forms
Years held and older records
Special situations
Warnings from the office
The state office
Questions people ask
Sources

Ways to order

How	Cost per copy	Processing time	Payment
Online through VitalChek	See the details below	–	–
By mail	$13² first, $6² each extra copy + 2 possible extra charges	–	Card, check and money order²
At a local office	$13³ first, $6³ each extra copy (Ramsey County)	Same day⁴	Cash, check, money order and card³
By fax	$13² first, $6² each extra copy + 2 possible extra charges	–	Card²

Not offered: online directly with the vital records office.¹

Online through VitalChek

Vendor: VitalChek (via Olmsted County)⁵

Good to know

Valid identification and tangible interest are required for all requests.⁶
State law allows contracted agents to add fees.⁷

Go to the ordering site⁶

By mail

Run by: Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records¹
Fees: First copy $13²
Each additional copy in the same order $6²
Shipping to optional faster processing $20²
Optional express delivery $21²
Expedited service: $20. Handled ahead of standard requests; does not include express delivery. Express delivery is a separate $21.²
Payment: Card, check and money order²
Make payable to: Minnesota Department of Health²
Mail to: Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, PO Box 64499, St. Paul, MN 55164-0499
⁸
Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except state holidays¹
Appointment: Not required⁹

Good to know

Applications that are incomplete, not notarized or not paid in full are returned.²
Unresolved requests are closed after 12 months and a new fee is then required.²
Vital records offices cannot take emailed applications or send records electronically.⁹
Rolling MDH status, as of November 3, 2026⁴

Open the application or mail instructions⁹

At a local office

Run by: County vital records offices (all 87 counties)¹⁰
Fees: First copy $13³
Each additional copy in the same order $6³
Processing time: Same day⁴
Payment: Cash, check, money order and card³

Good to know

Bring ID and sign in front of county staff instead of using a notary.⁴

Find a local office¹⁰

By fax

Run by: Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records¹
Fees: First copy $13²
Each additional copy in the same order $6²
Shipping to optional faster processing $20²
Optional express delivery $21²
Expedited service: $20. Handled ahead of standard requests; does not include express delivery. Express delivery is a separate $21.²
Payment: Card²
Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except state holidays¹
Appointment: Not required⁹

Good to know

Applications that are incomplete, not notarized or not paid in full are returned.²
Unresolved requests are closed after 12 months and a new fee is then required.²
Vital records offices cannot take emailed applications or send records electronically.⁹
Rolling MDH status, as of November 3, 2026⁴

Open the official page⁹

What a Minnesota death certificate costs

First certified copy: $13²
Each additional copy, same order: $6²
Expedite fee: $20²
If no record is found: The fee is kept as a search fee⁴
Fees in effect since: Form revision 11/2024²

Types of copies

Copy	Accepted for	Fee
Death certificate (certified death record on security paper)⁹	Official legal document; bank accounts and more⁴	$13²
Death certificate without cause of death information (1997 to present)²	–	$13²
Informational noncertified death record⁹	Informational use only¹¹	$13¹¹
Certified Statement of No Record Found²	–	–

No-fee copies

Veterans Affairs death certificate: $0, for VA purposes only; surviving spouse or next of kin, service officers, county veteran service officers, VA representatives.²

How long it takes

These are the office's own published times. Mail and shipping time is extra unless the office says otherwise.

How you order	Processing time
At a local office	Same day⁴

Who can order a Minnesota death certificate

The state names these people and bodies as able to order a certified copy. Each line gives the official wording.

A parent named on the record¹²
Child¹²
Spouse¹²
Grandparent¹²
Grandchild¹²
Brother or sister¹²
Executor or estate administrator¹²
Proof: Sworn affidavit that the copy is required for estate administration¹³
Funeral director¹³
Attorney or legal representative¹²
Proof: MN license number, or copy of out-of-state license¹²
Government agency¹²
Proof: Employee ID¹²
Person named in a court order¹²
Proof: Copy of court order, not a subpoena¹²
Person or entity that requires the certificate for determining or protecting a personal or property right¹²
Proof: Documentation of the claim; application goes to the state registrar¹²
Authorized representative of any eligible requester¹²
Proof: Signed statement from the eligible requester¹²

Other kinds of copies

Informational copy Anyone: All Minnesota death records are public, so anyone may buy a noncertified (informational only) death record.¹²

Cause of death: Not restricted²
Social Security number on the copy: MDH says death records generally show the Social Security number; it does not state whether every certified copy prints it.¹⁴

ID you need

Photo ID: Required¹²
Accepted ID: Unexpired picture driver's license (MN, another state or U.S. territory; temporary license or learner's permit not acceptable)
Unexpired state picture identification card
Unexpired federal, state, or local government employee picture identification card
Unexpired aircraft pilot's license (FAA)
Unexpired United States military picture identification card
Unexpired United States passport
For an applicant who is not a registrant: unexpired Canadian passport
For an applicant who is not a registrant: unexpired passport from another jurisdiction with form I-94 or an unexpired I-551 stamp
For an applicant who is not a registrant: listed USCIS documents (naturalization certificate, certificate of citizenship, permanent resident card, employment authorization document and others)¹⁵
Without that ID: Witness who has known the applicant at least two years completes a Statement to Identify; the witness signs in front of a registrar with ID, or has the signature notarized.¹⁶
Notarization: Required for an application not made in person (mail or fax); not needed when signing in front of county staff.¹⁵

What the application asks for

Have these details ready before you fill in the form or start an online order.¹⁵

First, middle and last name
County of death
Date of death
Applicant name, address, phone, date of birth, signature, date signed and relationship

Forms

Death Certificate Request revision 11/2024²
Noncertified Death Record Request revision 01/2024¹¹
Statement to Identify revision 9/2021¹⁶

Years held and older records

Years held: 1908 to present at MDH; pre-1908 from the county of death⁴
Older records: County where the death occurred⁹

Special situations

Delayed registration: Registration more than a year after death goes through MDH for $40.⁹
If no record is found: A certified statement is sent if the record cannot be located.²
Military and veterans: Free VA death certificates carry a statement limiting their use to VA and veterans' organization claims.⁹

Warnings from the office

False information is a crime.⁴
A free online index verifies deaths from 1997 on; it is not a certificate, and no match does not prove the death is unregistered.¹⁷

The state office

Office: Office of Vital Records¹
Phone: 651-201-5970¹
Email: [email protected]¹
Mailing address: Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, PO Box 64499, St. Paul, MN 55164-0499
⁸
Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except state holidays¹
Website: Official website⁴

Questions people ask

How much is a certified Minnesota death certificate?

The first copy costs $13 and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $6.²

How long does it take to get a Minnesota death certificate?

At a local office: same day.⁴

Can I order a Minnesota death certificate online?

Yes. Online through VitalChek.⁵

Who do I make the check or money order payable to?

Write it exactly as the office prints it: Minnesota Department of Health.²

What ID do I need?

The state accepts: unexpired picture driver's license (MN, another state or U.S. territory; temporary license or learner's permit not acceptable); unexpired state picture identification card; unexpired federal, state, or local government employee picture identification card; unexpired aircraft pilot's license (FAA); unexpired United States military picture identification card; unexpired United States passport; and the other documents listed above.¹⁵

Where are older Minnesota death certificates kept?

County where the death occurred.⁹

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these official sources, checked on November 5, 2026. Tap a source number next to a fact to read the exact words.

Minnesota Department of Health: AboutMinnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated March 24, 2026
Minnesota Department of Health form (PDF)health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/docs/dcappia.pdfMinnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated November 1, 2024
Death recordsRamsey County, Minnesota
Vital recordsMinnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated November 3, 2026
Death certificatesOlmsted County, Minnesota
Birth certificatesOlmsted County, Minnesota
Section 144revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/144.226Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes
Minnesota Department of Health form (PDF)health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/docs/bcappia.pdfMinnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated October 1, 2026
Minnesota Department of Health pagehealth.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/birthnc.htmlMinnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated August 31, 2026
Minnesota Department of Health: RegistrarsMinnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated October 23, 2026
Minnesota Department of Health form (PDF)health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/docs/nondia.pdfMinnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated January 1, 2024
Minnesota Department of Health pagehealth.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/tangible.htmlMinnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated October 27, 2026
Section 144revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/144.225Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes
Amend deathMinnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated July 7, 2026
Section 4601Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutesdated October 3, 2013
Minnesota Department of Health form (PDF)health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/localreg/docs/statementid.pdfMinnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated September 1, 2021
Dth SearchMinnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated February 27, 2025