Vital Records Research
Birth Records
- The Minnesota Department of Health holds records from 1900 - 3 months ago. You may visit any local registrar office to obtain these records. You may also order by mail or fax using this form for a certified copy or this form for a non-certified copy of the record. The cost is $13.
To obtain a certified certificate, you must demonstrate tangible interest by checking the approprate box on the order form and have the form notarized. (More information about tangible interest can be found here.) Applications that are not notarized will not be processed. A notarized application will also be required when requesting a non-certified copy of a confidential record. (More information about confidential birth records can be found here.)
The original birth record of a child who has been adopted is generally restricted. More information can be found at the Department of Health web site.
Minnesota Department of Health
Attention: Office of the State Registrar
717 Delaware Street, SE
P.O. Box 9441
Minneapolis, MN 55440
(612) 676-5120 recording
Fax: (612) 331-5776
- The County Recorder may hold records from before 1900. More information can be obtained by contacting the recorder's office.
Pine County Recorder
635 Northridge Drive NW Suite 250
Pine City MN 55063
320-591-1642 or 1-800-450-7463 ext. 1642
Fax: 320-591-1640
- The Minnesota Historical Society has an index of birth certificates, 1900-1934 (with about 2700 records pre-1900). This index was made from state level records. The Historical Society also holds records which have been deposited there by several Pine Co. towns, including Park, Keene, Nickerson, Dell Grove, Bremen, Sturgeon Lake, and Barry. More information can be found by searching the Historical Society catalog.
- Ancestry.com has an index of Minnesota births, 1935-2002.
Marriage Records
- Marriage and divorce records can be obtained from the County Recorder. Marriage certificates are $9. To order by mail, fill out this form and mail to the address on the form.
Pine County Recorder
635 Northridge Drive NW Suite 250
Pine City MN 55063
320-591-1642 or 1-800-450-7463 ext. 1642
Fax: 320-591-1640
- Ancestry.com has an index of Minnesota marriages, 1997-2001, and an index of Minnesota divorce records, 1970-1995.
Death Records
- The Minnesota Department of Health holds records from 1908. You may visit any local registrar office to obtain records of deaths from 1997 and later. For records before 1997, you must contact the recorder in the county where the death took place. You may also order by mail or fax using for a certified copy or this form for a non-certified copy of the record. The cost is $13.
To obtain a certified certificate, you must demonstrate tangible interest by checking the approprate box on the order form and have the form notarized. (More information about tangible interest can be found here.) Applications that are not notarized will not be processed. Please see the Department of Health website for more information.
Minnesota Department of Health
Attention: Office of the State Registrar
717 Delaware Street, SE
P.O. Box 9441
Minneapolis, MN 55440
(612) 676-5120 recording
Fax: (612) 331-5776
- The County Recorder may hold records from before 1908. More information can be obtained by contacting the recorder's office.
Pine County Recorder
635 Northridge Drive NW Suite 250
Pine City MN 55063
320-591-1642 or 1-800-450-7463 ext. 1642
Fax: 320-591-1640
- The Minnesota Historical Society has an index of death certificates, 1908-2001, as well as death cards 1904-1907. This index was made from state level records, which are on microfilm at the Historical Society. The Historical Society also holds records which have been deposited there by several Pine Co. towns, including Park, Keene, Nickerson, Dell Grove, Bremen, Sturgeon Lake and Barry. More information can be found by searching the Historical Society catalog.
- Many people find the Social Security Death Index helpful for finding a date of death.
- A transcription of Willow River death records
- A list of those who died in the Hinckley Fire (click on the first letter of the surname):
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T & W
Unknown
Copyright 2008 by Melissa Warner
mmwarner@gmail.com