To get a Minnesota birth certificate, you can walk into any of the state’s 87 county vital records offices with ID, or mail a notarized application to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). A certified copy costs $26. In-person requests are often filled the same day; mail requests to MDH have recently taken about four to five weeks.1Minnesota Department of Health. Minnesota Vital Records and Certificates Minnesota limits who can order a certified copy, and all fees are nonrefundable, so check that you qualify before you apply.
Who Can Order a Certified Copy
You do not need to live in Minnesota, but you do need a qualifying relationship to the person on the record.2Minnesota Department of Health. Who Can Order Records Eligible requesters include:
- The person named on the record (age 16 or older for confidential records)
- A parent listed on the record
- A spouse, child, grandchild, grandparent, great-grandchild, or great-grandparent
- A legal guardian or conservator, with a copy of the court order
- An attorney (Minnesota-licensed attorneys provide a license number; out-of-state attorneys provide a copy of their license)
- A personal representative of an estate, if the certificate is needed for estate administration
- Anyone else who can document that the certificate is needed to determine or protect a personal or property right
Access also depends on whether the record is public or confidential. Births to married parents are public. Births to unmarried parents are confidential unless the mother chose to make the record public at the time of birth, and confidential records have a shorter list of eligible requesters. If you are not sure which category applies, the county office or MDH can tell you when you apply.
Information and ID You Will Need
Have this ready before you fill out the application:
- Full name at birth (first, middle, last)
- Date of birth
- Minnesota city and county of birth
- Both parents’ full names, including each parent’s last name before their first marriage
Every applicant signs either in front of a notary public or in front of county vital records staff.3Minnesota Department of Health. Birth Certificate Application A government-issued photo ID like a driver’s license or passport is standard. If you don’t have photo ID, a witness who has known you at least two years can complete a Statement to Identify form to vouch for you.4Minnesota Department of Health. Statement to Identify
If you are not the person on the certificate, bring proof of your relationship: a marriage certificate, a court order naming you as guardian or conservator, an attorney license, or similar documentation matching your eligibility category.
Applying in Person at a County Office
Any of Minnesota’s 87 county vital records offices can pull any Minnesota birth record, regardless of where you live or where the birth occurred, because the counties share a statewide system.5Minnesota Department of Health. Directory of County Offices This is the fastest route. You present your ID, sign the application in front of staff (no notary needed), pay, and in many cases leave with the certificate the same day. Accepted payment methods vary by county but generally include credit cards, checks, money orders, and cash.
Note that MDH itself does not offer walk-in service at its St. Paul office.6Minnesota Department of Health. Vital Records and Certificates – Available Records and Services If you want counter service, go to a county office.
Applying by Mail Through MDH
Download the birth certificate application from the MDH website, complete it, and sign it in front of a notary. MDH returns applications that aren’t notarized, aren’t complete, or aren’t paid in full.3Minnesota Department of Health. Birth Certificate Application Mail the notarized form and payment to:
Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records
PO Box 64499
St. Paul, MN 55164-0499
For courier or express delivery, use 625 Robert St. N, St. Paul, MN 55155. There is no counter service at that address. Many counties also accept mailed applications, and some accept emailed applications with a notarized signature; contact the county directly to confirm.
Minnesota does not currently offer a state-run online ordering portal. Third-party services will submit an order for you, but they charge a markup and the request still runs through MDH or a county office.
Fees
A certified birth certificate is $26 for the first copy. Additional copies of the same record ordered at the same time are $19 each.7Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 144.226 – Fees All fees are nonrefundable, including when no record is found. Credit card payments carry a small convenience fee. Make checks or money orders payable to the county or to the Minnesota Department of Health, depending on where you send the application.
Fees are waived for homeless youth (age 24 or younger and experiencing homelessness).7Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 144.226 – Fees Veterans and their families can also get free certificates when the record is needed to file a claim with the U.S. Veterans Administration.8Minnesota Department of Health. Resources for County Vital Records Offices
How Long It Takes
Speed depends entirely on how you order. In person at a county office, expect same-day service in most cases. By mail through MDH, standard orders were running roughly four to five weeks as of early 2026, and expedited orders about one week.1Minnesota Department of Health. Minnesota Vital Records and Certificates These times shift with volume, so check the MDH website before deciding. Standard orders ship by First Class Mail; expedited processing and express shipping cost extra. If you have a passport deadline or similar time pressure, a county office is the reliable choice.
If the Record Has an Error
County offices cannot correct birth records. Amendments go through MDH using the Birth Record Amendment Packet, which must be notarized and submitted with supporting documents and a $40 nonrefundable fee.9Minnesota Department of Health. Change a Birth Record Add $26 if you want a certified copy of the amended record.10Minnesota Department of Health. Birth Record Amendment Packet
Most corrections require at least two supporting documents, each showing the corrected information and matching at least two other items already on the record. Documents must be legible, unmodified originals in English, and either certified or authenticated. Changing a name on the record, whether the subject’s or a parent’s, requires a certified court order. If the subject is 18 or older, they must submit the amendment themselves; a parent submits for a minor. The amended certificate will note what was changed, when, and which document supported the change.
Non-Certified Copies for Family History
If you want a birth record for genealogy rather than legal identification, ask for a non-certified copy. It costs $13 for the first copy and $6 for each additional copy, and public records (births to married parents) are available to anyone.11Minnesota Department of Health. Noncertified Birth Record Request Confidential records keep the same restricted eligibility as certified copies. Non-certified requests go through the same mail and county office channels.