How to Get a Minnesota Death Certificate (2026)

A Minnesota death certificate is issued by county vital records offices and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). A certified copy costs $13, with each additional copy of the same record $6. Family members, personal representatives, and certain officials may obtain certified copies; anyone may buy a noncertified informational copy.

How Do You Get a Death Certificate in Minnesota?

You get a Minnesota death certificate from any county vital records office or from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Minnesota uses a statewide system, so most counties can issue certified copies for deaths that occurred anywhere in the state.

The fastest method is to apply in person at a county vital records office. In most cases you can receive your certified copy while you wait. Certified copies of deaths from 1997 to the present are available from any Minnesota county.

You can also order by mail or fax through MDH. Mailed and faxed requests take longer because of processing and return-mail time, but they are convenient if you cannot visit an office.

You can also order online through VitalChek, the authorized online ordering service for the Minnesota Department of Health. Online orders are processed on an expedited basis and add a service fee. Be cautious of unaffiliated third-party sites, which are not the issuing office and may charge higher markups than VitalChek or your county office.

Request Methods at a Glance

• In person: Visit a county vital records office; certified copies are often issued same day.
• By mail: Send a completed Death Certificate Request form, payment, and proof of identity or notarization to MDH.
• By fax: Fax your completed request and identity documents to MDH.
• Online: Order through VitalChek, the authorized online ordering service for MDH, on an expedited basis for an added service fee.

Who Is Eligible to Request a Minnesota Death Certificate?

Eligibility depends on whether you want a certified copy or a noncertified copy. All Minnesota death records are public, so anyone may buy a noncertified (informational only) record. Certified copies are restricted to people with a tangible interest in the record.

People eligible for a certified Minnesota death certificate include:

• The spouse named on the record, and the subject's children, siblings, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, grandparents, and great-grandparents.
• The personal representative or successor administering the estate.
• A trustee of a trust that needs the certificate for estate administration.
• An attorney representing the subject or an eligible requester.
• A representative of a local, state, tribal, or federal agency who needs it to perform official duties.
• A person named in a valid U.S. court order directing release of the record.
• An authorized agent acting in writing on behalf of an eligible requester.

All certificate requesters must provide identification and sign the request form in front of a notary public or county vital records staff, attesting that they are eligible to receive the certificate.

Minnesota Death Certificate Cost and Processing Time

A certified Minnesota death certificate costs $13 for the first copy. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $6. A noncertified (informational) copy is also $13, with additional copies at $6. Fees are due when you submit the request and are nonrefundable, even if the office cannot locate the record.

Processing time depends on how you order. In person at a county office, certified copies are usually issued the same day. Mail and fax requests through MDH take longer, generally a few weeks, because of order volume and return mail.

MDH offers expedited handling for an added charge, which moves your request ahead in the processing queue. Even with expedited service, allow time for mail delivery in both directions.

Certified vs Informational Copy in Minnesota

A certified copy is an official legal document printed on security paper. It is what you need for estate settlement, closing financial accounts, claiming life insurance or pension benefits, and most legal matters.

A noncertified copy, which MDH calls an informational copy, is printed on plain paper and is marked for informational purposes only. It is useful for genealogy and personal records but is not accepted for legal or estate use.

Both versions show the same core facts, including the decedent's name, sex, date and place of death, and parent information. The key difference is that the certified copy carries legal weight and has limited eligibility, while the informational copy is available to anyone.

How to Get Additional or Replacement Copies

You can order additional or replacement certified copies the same way you order the first one: in person at a county office, or by mail or fax through MDH. There is no separate replacement process; each copy is simply a new certified copy of the record.

When ordering several copies at once, you pay $13 for the first and $6 for each additional copy of the same record, which is cheaper than placing separate orders later. If you expect to need copies for several accounts or agencies, request extras in the same order.

If you lose a certified copy after the fact, you order a fresh copy under the standard fee and eligibility rules. Keep in mind that mail and fax orders are subject to current MDH processing times.

Disclaimer: This page provides general information, not legal advice. Fees, eligibility rules, and processing times change. Always verify current details with the Minnesota Department of Health or your county vital records office before ordering.

Sources

This page draws on the Minnesota Department of Health vital records office, which administers Minnesota death certificate ordering, fees, and eligibility.

For more on open and closed access to these records, see Minnesota Death Records. For other states, visit our hub on Death Records by State.