Find Death Records in Edina

Death records for Edina, Minnesota are maintained by Hennepin County, which handles vital records for all cities and communities in the county. Edina is a city in the southern part of Hennepin County, and deaths that occur there are registered through the county vital records office and the Minnesota Department of Health. To get a death certificate for an Edina death, you can visit the Hennepin County vital records office in Minneapolis, mail a request to MDH, or order through VitalChek online. This page covers each method in detail, explains the eligibility rules for certified copies, and points you to historical record sources for older deaths in the Edina area.

Hennepin County Vital Records for Edina

Edina death records are filed and maintained by Hennepin County. The county vital records office in Minneapolis handles requests for deaths throughout the county, including Edina. The city of Edina does not issue death certificates.

If you visit the Hennepin County vital records office in person, you can usually get your certificate the same day. Bring a valid photo ID and payment. You need the full name of the person who died, the date of death, and where in Minnesota the death occurred. Check current hours and the office address at hennepin.us/residents/vital-records before you go.

Edina has its own city clerk page at edinamn.gov/city-clerk and a main city website at edinamn.gov. The city clerk handles local government records but not vital records. Death certificates are a county and state function. The screenshot below was taken from the Edina city website, which provides an overview of city services including the clerk's office.

While the Edina city site is useful for general city government information, death certificate requests must go through Hennepin County or MDH directly.

How to Order an Edina Death Certificate

You have three options for getting a death certificate for an Edina death. Each works, but the time involved differs.

In person at the Hennepin County vital records office in Minneapolis is the fastest method. Show your ID, fill out the request form, and pay. The $13 fee covers the first certified copy. Extra copies of the same record ordered at the same time cost $6 each. Noncertified copies are $13 as well. Office details including current hours and address are at hennepin.us/residents/vital-records.

By mail through MDH is the second route. Download the application form at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/docs/dcappia.pdf. Fill it out completely and sign it before a notary public. Mail the notarized form with a check or money order made out to MDH and a photocopy of your photo ID to: Minnesota Department of Health, P.O. Box 64882, St. Paul, MN 55164-0882. This process takes several weeks. Call MDH at 651-201-5970 for questions about your request.

Online through VitalChek at vitalchek.com/v/vital-records/minnesota/hennepin is the third option. Pay by credit card, and VitalChek mails the certificate to you. VitalChek adds $7 for standard delivery or $17.50 for rush service. Allow several business days for processing and shipping before the certificate arrives.

Who Can Get a Certified Copy

Not everyone can request a certified death certificate. Minnesota law sets out who qualifies.

Under Minnesota Statute 144.225, certified copies are available to the spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild of the deceased. Legal representatives, attorneys with a related legal matter, and government agencies with a lawful need can also get certified copies. People outside these groups may request a noncertified copy. Noncertified copies are open to anyone, cost $13, and look like the original. However, they do not carry the official state seal and are not accepted by courts, financial institutions, or insurance companies as legal documents.

When submitting your request, include your photo ID and documentation showing your relationship to the deceased. The MDH eligibility page at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/tangible.html explains what to include for each requestor type. Getting these documents together before you apply avoids delays and rejected requests.

Historical Edina Death Records

For deaths in the Edina area before 1908, the state system does not have records. MDH began collecting death records statewide in 1908. Older deaths require searching historical collections.

The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is the main archive for pre-1908 death records in Minnesota, including those from Hennepin County. The Gale Family Library at MNHS is at 345 W Kellogg Blvd in St. Paul, open Thursday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call 651-259-3300 or see the death records guide at libguides.mnhs.org/vital/death. MNHS holds county death registers, church records, and burial lists that extend research back before the state system.

The Edina Historical Society at edinahistoricalsociety.org is a local resource for Edina-specific historical research. The society maintains collections related to Edina's past, including records and photographs that can help you research deaths in the community over a longer timeframe. If you are researching a death in Edina from a specific period, the historical society can point you toward relevant local collections.

The Hennepin County Library branch in Edina at hclib.org/locations/edina also supports genealogy research. The library provides access to Ancestry Library Edition and other genealogy databases. Historical newspaper archives with Edina obituaries can fill gaps when formal death records are not available for older deaths.

Online Search Options for Edina

You can use online tools to check or order an Edina death record without going to an office in person.

The MDH vital records page at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/death.html has a verification tool for deaths registered in Minnesota from 1997 to the present. It confirms basic details about a record without providing a full copy. This is a good first step to confirm the record is in the system before you submit a formal request.

For ordering online, go to VitalChek at vitalchek.com/v/vital-records/minnesota/hennepin. Enter the name, date, and county of the death, pay by credit card, and receive your certificate by mail. Processing takes several business days. If you need the record quickly, the Hennepin County vital records office in Minneapolis can often fill your request the same day you visit.

Records from before 1997 are not searchable online. You need to contact MDH by mail or visit the county office for those older records.

Nearby Qualifying Cities

These qualifying cities in the Hennepin County area also use Minnesota county vital records offices.