Vital Records and Certificates
- Minnesota Vital Records and Certificates
- Available Records and Services
- Who Can Order Records
- Stillbirth Records
- Verify a Death (1997 – present)
- Directory of County Offices
Change a Vital Record
Adoption and Parentage
- Birth Records and Adoption
- Birth Records and Parentage
- Vital Records for Child Support
- Minnesota Fathers’ Adoption Registry
County Vital Records Offices
Birth and Death Registration
- Birth Registration for Hospitals
- Death Registration for Funeral Directors
- Provide Cause of Death
- Birth and Death Registration for Families
Office of Vital Records
Change a Death Record
Accurate death records are a priority for the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Records sometimes need to be changed to correct errors or provide missing information. All changes require a formal request, a supporting document, and time for review. See Supporting Documents for Amendments for more information.
Death records generally show the decedent’s:
- First, middle, last name, and suffix
- Social Security number
- Date and place of birth
- Marital status and spouse
- Sex
- Date and place of death
- Parents’ names
The information is printed in all capital letters. (NOTE: Changing the all-caps format is not a valid reason to request an amendment.) The record will also list the funeral home that handled the disposition, the cause of death, and the medical certifier who provided cause of death.
The method for correcting or amending omissions or mistakes on the death record (except cause of death) depends on timing:
| Time since death | Death certificate issued? | How to change the death record (Except cause and manner of death) | Fee | Supporting document required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than a year | No | Informant listed on the death record may request corrections through the funeral home. | None | No |
| Less than a year | Yes | Informant listed on the death record may request amendment through the funeral home or using the Death Record Amendment Packet (PDF) at any vital records office. | $40 | No |
| More than a year, less than five years | NA | Request amendment using the Death Record Amendment Packet (PDF) at any vital records office. | $40 | Yes |
| More than five years | NA | Request amendment through MDH using the Death Record Amendment Packet (PDF). | $40 | Yes |
The Death Record Amendment Request (PDF) form is also available without the attached instructions.
Find funeral home contact information on the Locate Minnesota's Licensed Funeral Establishments and Morticians webpage. If you want a death certificate that shows the changes you requested, you must purchase it after the amendment is completed. See the Available Records and Services page for ordering information.
Change cause of manner of death
To change the cause or manner of death on a death record, contact the medical certifier named on the death certificate. The coroner or medical examiner in the county of death may also request a change to the cause or manner of death. Look up a medical examiner or coroner at Minnesota Coroners and Medical Examiners by County.
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