Hennepin County Death Records

Hennepin County is the most populous county in Minnesota, with over 1.3 million residents spread across Minneapolis, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Edina, and dozens of other communities. The county operates a large vital records program that handles more death certificate requests each year than any other county in the state. This page explains where to get death records in Hennepin County, how to request them in person or by mail, what certified and noncertified copies cost, where to find historical death data going back to the 1800s, and how the Hennepin County Medical Examiner fits into the process.

Hennepin County Vital Records Office

Hennepin County handles vital records through its county service centers. Unlike many smaller Minnesota counties that have a single recorder's office, Hennepin County operates multiple service center locations across the county to serve its large population. The main vital records page is at hennepin.us/residents/vital-records. This page lists current service center addresses, hours, and what to bring for each type of request.

Hennepin County service centers can be found at several locations throughout the Twin Cities metro area. To find the service center closest to you and confirm current hours, visit hennepin.us/assessor/service-centers. Hours and availability may vary by location, and some locations offer same-day service for in-person requests. Because Hennepin County processes a high volume of death certificates each year, visiting a service center in person remains one of the fastest ways to get a record. Staff at any service center location can take your request and process it on the spot in most cases.

The county holds death records from 1997 to the present for deaths that occurred anywhere in Minnesota. For deaths in Hennepin County specifically, the county may also hold older records going back to 1908. The Minnesota Department of Health holds the statewide set of records from 1908 forward at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/death.html.

Visit the Hennepin County vital records page for current office hours and ordering information.

The Hennepin County website shows service center locations, ordering options, and fee information for death certificates and other vital records.

How to Get a Death Certificate in Hennepin County

Hennepin County death certificates can be requested in person, by mail, or online. Each method is valid, but they differ in speed and convenience.

In-person is the fastest option. Visit any Hennepin County service center location. Bring a valid photo ID and payment. Same-day service is available at most locations for standard requests. You need to know the full name of the person who died, the date of death, and where the death occurred. If you are requesting a certified copy, you must also show that you qualify under Minnesota law. Under Minnesota Statute 144.225, certified copies are available to the spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or legal representative of the deceased. Attorneys working on a legal matter and government agencies with a legal purpose can also request certified copies. Anyone who does not meet those criteria can still request a noncertified copy without showing a family relationship.

Mail requests go through the Minnesota Department of Health. Download the application at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/docs/dcappia.pdf. Sign it before a notary public, then mail it with a check or money order payable to MDH and a copy of your photo ID to: Minnesota Department of Health, P.O. Box 64882, St. Paul, MN 55164-0882. The MDH phone number is 651-201-5970. Mail requests typically take longer than in-person visits, often several weeks depending on volume.

Online orders go through VitalChek, the state-authorized online vendor. You can also use the Hennepin-specific VitalChek link at vitalchek.com/v/vital-records/minnesota/hennepin. VitalChek charges a $7 service fee for standard delivery or $17.50 for rush processing, on top of the $13 base fee. Online orders are mailed to you, so they take longer than going in person. Given Hennepin County's multiple service center locations across the metro area, in-person service is usually the most convenient choice for most residents.

Certified and Noncertified Death Records

Minnesota issues two types of death record copies. Knowing which one you need will save time and extra steps.

A certified death certificate carries the official state seal. Banks, courts, insurance companies, and government agencies accept it. You need a certified copy to settle an estate, claim life insurance, transfer real property or a vehicle title, and handle most legal and financial matters after a death. In Hennepin County, this type of request is very common given the volume of deaths in a county of over 1.3 million people. The fee for a certified copy is $13 for the first copy and $6 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. Minnesota law limits who can request certified copies. Under Minn. Stat. 144.225, the eligible list includes the spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or legal representative of the deceased. Others with a documented legal need may also qualify, but they need to explain their reason.

A noncertified copy is open to any member of the public and does not require you to show a family relationship. Noncertified copies cost $13 and look like the original record, but they do not carry the state seal. They are useful for genealogy research or personal recordkeeping. They are not accepted by courts or financial institutions in place of a certified copy.

The MDH eligibility page at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/tangible.html gives full detail on who qualifies and what documentation to include. Review this before submitting a certified copy request if you are unsure whether you qualify.

Hennepin County Medical Examiner

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office plays a specific role in the death records process. Not all deaths go through the medical examiner. But when a death is sudden, unexpected, violent, or the cause is unknown, the medical examiner gets involved before a death certificate can be issued.

The medical examiner determines the cause and manner of death in these cases. Their findings become part of the official death certificate. This can affect when a certificate is available, since the certificate cannot be issued until the medical examiner has made their determination. In cases involving an autopsy or extended investigation, that process can take weeks or months. If you are waiting on a death certificate for a death that was investigated by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, the county or MDH can give you a status update on when the certificate is expected to be ready.

You can find information about the medical examiner's office at hennepin.us/residents/medical-examiner. The medical examiner does not issue death certificates directly. Certified copies still come from the county vital records office or MDH.

Historical Death Records for Hennepin County

For deaths before 1908, the Minnesota Department of Health holds no records. The state did not start collecting vital statistics until that year. Historical research requires different sources.

The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) holds historical death records from across the state, including Hennepin County. The Gale Family Library at MNHS is at 345 W Kellogg Blvd in St. Paul. Hours are Thursday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The phone number is 651-259-3300. Their collection includes county death registers, church records, cemetery records, and newspaper death notices that go back to the mid-1800s. Hennepin County is one of the most heavily documented counties in the state given its size, and the MNHS collection includes substantial material specific to Minneapolis and the surrounding area. The MNHS death records guide at libguides.mnhs.org/vital/death explains what they hold and how to search it.

The Hennepin County Library also maintains a strong genealogy collection. The library's genealogy resources at hclib.org/genealogy include access to databases, digital archives, and research guides that can help with both recent and historical death record searches. Several Hennepin County Library branch locations offer genealogy research assistance, and some materials are available online through the library's digital collections.

Visit the Hennepin County Library genealogy page to explore digital records, research guides, and database access for family history research.

The library's genealogy collection includes historical death indexes, cemetery records, and newspaper archives that are useful for researching deaths in Hennepin County going back well before 1908.

For very early Hennepin County deaths, county death registers held by the county recorder may also contain relevant information. Contacting the vital records office directly is worth trying if you are researching a death in this county before the state registry began.

Online Death Record Access for Hennepin County

Hennepin County residents have several online tools available for searching and ordering death records without visiting an office.

The MDH online verification tool lets you confirm whether a death record exists for a specific person. This covers deaths registered in Minnesota from 1997 to the present. You do not get a full copy of the record, but you can confirm basic facts. This is useful before placing a formal request. More details are at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/death.html.

For full certified or noncertified copies, VitalChek is the state-authorized online vendor. Enter the details of the record you need and pay by credit card. VitalChek mails the certificate to you. The service fee is $7 for standard delivery or $17.50 for rush processing, on top of the $13 base fee. Online orders are convenient but slower than going in person. Given that Hennepin County has multiple service center locations across the metro, in-person service is often just as convenient as ordering online for most residents and is much faster.

Historical records before 1997 are not available online. Those need a direct request to the county service center or to MDH by mail. Call MDH at 651-201-5970 if you need help with older or hard-to-locate records.

Cities in Hennepin County

Hennepin County includes many of the largest cities in Minnesota. Death records for all of these cities are filed through Hennepin County. The cities below each have a dedicated page with more detail on local courthouse access and resources.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Hennepin County. If you are not sure which county holds the death record you need, check where the death occurred.