Find Death Records in Mower County

Mower County death records can be obtained from the county recorder in Austin, from the Minnesota Department of Health, or for deaths going back further, from historical collections at the Minnesota Historical Society. This guide covers each option so you can find the right source for the date and type of record you need and get a certified copy without extra steps or confusion.

Mower County Vital Records Office

The Mower County Recorder's Office in Austin handles death certificates for the county. Austin is the county seat, and the recorder is located at the county courthouse there. The office accepts in-person requests and mail requests for certified copies. Visit the county website to find the current address, phone number, and hours at co.mower.mn.us/departments/recorder/. The vital records section at co.mower.mn.us/departments/recorder/vital-records.php covers death certificates specifically.

The county holds death records from 1997 forward. These cover deaths that occurred anywhere in Minnesota, not just in Mower County. For deaths in the county that happened before 1997, the recorder also keeps older records going back to 1908. Deaths before 1908 fall outside the statewide registry, since Minnesota did not require death registration until that year. The Minnesota Department of Health holds the statewide archive from 1908 onward at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/death.html.

The recorder's office in Austin is the only in-person vital records location in Mower County. There is no satellite office elsewhere in the county.

The Mower County website has a dedicated vital records section covering death certificates and how to request them. The screenshot below shows the county site.

The recorder's vital records page includes the mailing address, phone number, and instructions for submitting a death certificate request to the Austin office.

Austin is the county seat of Mower County and home to the courthouse. The city of Austin's website can help you find your way to county offices and plan your visit. The screenshot below was taken from the Austin city site.

The city site can help you locate parking near the courthouse and find other local services in Austin while you are there to handle record requests.

How to Get a Death Certificate in Mower County

There are three ways to get a Mower County death certificate: in person at the county recorder in Austin, by mail to MDH, or online through VitalChek. In person is the fastest option.

If you visit the Mower County Recorder's Office in person, bring a valid photo ID and payment. Staff can process your request the same day in most cases. You need the full name of the person who died, the date of death, and the place where the death occurred. If you need a certified copy, you must show you qualify under Minnesota law. Under Minnesota Statute 144.225, certified copies go to the spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or legal representative of the person named on the record. Others may need to show a documented legal need.

To order by mail, download and complete the MDH death certificate application at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/docs/dcappia.pdf. Sign it in front of a notary before mailing. Send the notarized form with payment by 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. MDH handles Mower County deaths from 1908 forward. Call MDH at 651-201-5970 with questions.

Online orders go through VitalChek. VitalChek adds a $7 service fee for standard delivery or $17.50 for rush processing. The certificate is mailed to you, so online orders take longer than visiting in person.

Certified and Noncertified Death Records in Mower County

Minnesota issues two types of death record copies: certified and noncertified. Knowing which one you need saves time and extra steps.

A certified death certificate carries the official state seal and is accepted by courts, insurance companies, banks, and government agencies. It is the copy you need to settle an estate, claim life insurance, or transfer property. Certified copies cost $13 for the first copy and $6 for each additional copy of the same record in the same order. Under Minn. Stat. 144.225, access to certified copies is limited to the spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or legal representative of the deceased. Attorneys on a legal matter and government agencies with a documented need may also qualify. If you do not fall into one of those categories, you will need to explain your legal interest.

A noncertified copy shows the same information but does not carry the state seal. It is open to anyone and also costs $13. Noncertified copies are used for genealogy or personal records and are not accepted by most legal or financial institutions in place of a certified copy.

Check the MDH eligibility page at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/tangible.html for detail on who qualifies and what documentation to include with your request.

Historical Death Records for Mower County

For deaths that occurred before 1908, the Minnesota Department of Health does not hold records. That is the year Minnesota began requiring statewide death registration. For older records, look at county sources or historical collections.

The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) holds historical death records for many Minnesota counties. The Gale Family Library at MNHS is at 345 W Kellogg Blvd in St. Paul, open Thursday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call 651-259-3300 before visiting to confirm what Mower County materials are available. MNHS holds county death registers, microfilm, and other sources that predate the state registry. Their death records guide at libguides.mnhs.org/vital/death explains what they hold and how to search it.

The Mower County recorder may also retain older local registers going back before 1908. It is worth contacting the office directly if you are doing genealogy research in the Austin area. Church records and local cemetery registers in southeastern Minnesota are also valuable sources for this period, since official registration was often incomplete in the earliest decades of settlement.

Online Death Record Access for Mower County

Several online tools let you search or order Mower County death records without visiting an office in person.

MDH provides a verification tool that confirms whether a death record exists for a specific person. It covers deaths registered in Minnesota from 1997 to the present. It does not give you the full record, but it can confirm basic facts and dates. Visit health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/death.html to learn more about what MDH offers online.

For full certified or noncertified copies ordered online, VitalChek is the state-authorized vendor. You submit your request, pay by credit card, and the certificate is mailed to you. The extra service fee applies on top of the $13 base cost. Online orders are not instant. Most requests take several business days to process and mail. If you need the record quickly, going in person to the Mower County Recorder's Office in Austin is the faster route.

Cities in Mower County

All death records for cities and towns in Mower County are filed through the Mower County Recorder's Office in Austin.

No cities in Mower County meet the 100,000 population threshold for a dedicated city page. The county includes smaller communities such as Austin, Adams, Brownsdale, and LeRoy. Death records for all of these communities are handled at the county level through the recorder's office.

Nearby Counties

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