Minnesota Death Certificate

Qualifications

The following people may request death certificates from the state of Minnesota:

• Children
• Parents
• Siblings
• Spouse
• Grandparent
• Grandchild
• The party responsible for filing the death record
• A personal representative (you must submit a sworn affidavit of the fact that the certified copy is required for administration of the estate)
• A successor of the subject (you must include a sworn affidavit of the fact that the certified copy is required for administration of the estate)
• A trustee of a trust (you must submit a sworn affidavit of the fact that the certified copy is needed for the proper administration of the trust)
• One with documentation that the record is necessary for the determination or protection of personal or property rights (you must submit documentation showing this relationship)
• Representative of an adoption agency (submit a copy of your employee ID)
• An attorney (attach proof of licensure)
• One with a court order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction (this must be a certified copy)
• Representative of a local, state or federal governmental agency (submit a copy of your employee ID)
• Representative authorized by a person listed above (you must submit a notarized statement from a person listed above)

Cost

The fee to search for a death certificate is $13.00, which includes one certified copy of the death certificate. For each additional copy of the certificate ordered at the same time, the fee is $6.00. FedEx delivery is available for an additional $16.00. Expedited service is available for an additional $20.00. Checks or money orders should be made payable to "Minnesota Department of Health." If ordering by fax or mail, you may pay with a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover). Cash is not accepted. Fees are not refundable.

Required Information

• Name of the deceased
• Date of death
• Date of birth
• City and county of death
• Mother's name
• Father's name
• Spouse on the record
• Whether you are requesting a death certificate with or without cause of death information
• Your name
• Your date of birth
• Your mailing address
• Phone number
• Email address
• Purpose for your request (optional)
• Notarized signature

Submitting Your Request

By Mail:
Send the completed application and the appropriate fee to:
Minnesota Department of Health
Central Cashiering—Vital Records
P.O. Box 64499
St. Paul, MN 55164-0499

By Fax:
You may fax your completed application and credit card information to 651-201-5740.

In Person:
You may order a certified death certificate in person from any local issuance office in the state (for a death record from 1997-present). For a list of local issuance offices by county, click here. If you submit your application to a local issuance office, FedEx delivery and expedited service may not be an option and all payment types may not be accepted. Call the local issuance office before sending your application to confirm payment types and services available.

Download the Application

Click here to download the application for a certified Minnesota death certificate.

See our complete list of resources for Minnesota.