Resources for County Vital Records Offices

Minnesota’s statewide vital records network includes offices in all 87 Minnesota counties that issue birth, death, and other vital record documents to eligible requesters. The Office of Vital Records (OVR) at the Minnesota Department of Health assists county vital records offices with training, resources, and more. 

Using MR&C

Vital records program staff use Minnesota Registration and Certification (MR&C), the statewide, registration and issuance system, to issue birth and death records and certificates. County vital records staff must be authorized users of MR&C to access the system. Submit the MR&C County Vital Records Office User Agreement (PDF) to add at new user or to change or disable a user’s account.

MR&C user guides

The MR&C user guides list the steps for performing a variety of tasks in MR&C.

• Amend a death record (PDF)
• Correct a birth or death record (PDF)
• Correct a customer service request (PDF)
• Fulfill electronic death certificate requests (PDF)
• Invoice customer service requests (PDF)
• Invoice electronic funeral home requests (PDF)
• Issue birth certificates and documents (PDF)
• Issue death certificates and documents (PDF)
• Issuing historical birth and death records (PDF)
• Manage security paper inventory (PDF)
• Manage work queues and requests (PDF)
• Print parent notices (PDF)
• Use fee and payment reports (PDF)
• Use security paper reports (PDF)
• Using administrative reports (PDF)
• Using customer service request reports (PDF)

Quick reference guide

Amendments — To change a vital record after a certificate has been purchased, or after a year since the birth or death (whichever comes first), customers must request an amendment. Most amendments are handled by OVR; see the corrections and amendments sections below for the situations handled by counties. Learn more on the Change a Birth Record and Change a Death Record pages. 

Adoption — See the Birth Records and Adoption page for information about how birth records are changed after adoption and how to access original birth records. 

Death registration by family — A family that chooses not to use the services of a funeral home must register the death with OVR. Please ask families to contact OVR directly.

Delayed registration — A birth, death, or fetal death not registered with OVR within a year is considered a delayed registration. Customers seeking delayed registration must provide supporting documentation and pay a fee. Ask them to contact OVR directly.

Eligible requesters — Use the Eligibility and Authorized Requesters (PDF) table to review who may buy certified vital records and any additional requirements. See also the Who Can Order Records page. For more information, check out the training sessions Eligibility/tangible interest (YouTube) and Non-family eligible relationships (YouTube).

Fees — See the OVR Fee Table (PDF) or the Available Records and Services page for current fees for vital records and certificates.

Historical records — Issuing birth and death records that were originally registered on paper is a different process than issuing records electronically through MR&C. However, all transactions for historical records must be entered as a customer request in MR&C, even when they are not printed on security paper. Learn more: Issuing historical birth and death records (PDF)

Home birth registration — A birth occurring outside a birth facility or hospital must be registered with OVR. Please ask the midwife or parent to contact OVR directly. 

Homeless youth birth certificates — Minnesota provides free birth certificates to people who are 24 and younger and are homeless. The Checklist for Homeless Youth Birth Certificate Applications (PDF) lists requirements to help process requests for the homeless youth birth certificates. Use the Homeless Youth Birth Certificate Fact Sheet (PDF) to share information about the no-cost Homeless Youth Birth Certificate. Refer to the Policy on Affidavits of Homeless Status (PDF) for guidance on accepting a signed Affidavit of Homeless Status form. Select “Certified birth certificate (Homeless Youth)” in MR&C; do not waive fees to issue regular certificates.

Parent notices — County vital record offices mail out parent notices for births in their county that show the information that will appear on the child’s birth certificate. Parents use the forms to check for accuracy, request corrections, and order certificates. Learn more: Parental Notices (YouTube)

Paternity — Visit the Birth Records and Parentage page to learn how a father is added to the birth record by adjudication or voluntary recognition. 

Public and confidential records — The legal and demographic information on most birth and fetal death records is public. Information on records for children born to unmarried parents is confidential unless the mother indicated at the time of birth that the record should be public. All health information and social security numbers are private. All data on a death record is public, including the medical data and decedent’s social security number. Learn about who can receive confidential birth records on the Who Can Order Records page.

VA certificates — Minnesota offers free VA birth certificates and VA death certificates to veterans and their families to help them present claims to the U.S. Veterans Administration and more. See the Available Records and Services page for details. Select “Certified birth certificate (VA)” or “Certified death certificate (VA)” in MR&C; do not waive fees to issue regular certificates.

Corrections

A correction is a change made to a birth or death record before issuance of a certificate and within one year of the date of the event. County vital records offices may:

• Correct a birth record upon receipt of a parent notice
• Submit a Data Entry Error Correction (for birth record filed before 2001) (PDF) to correct a pre-2001 birth record
• Direct people who want changes to the cause or manner of death to the medical certifier listed on the death record or a coroner/medical examiner from the county where the death occurred

Changes to health or medical information on birth or death records, including the cause or manner of death, are also corrections. These corrections can be made at any time. Only birth registrars, medical certifiers who provided cause and manner of death, or OVR may make these corrections.

Death record amendments

Changes or additions to demographic and legal information on death records after issuance of certificates, or a year or more after the death, are amendments. County vital records offices may amend records within five years after the death. Requests may come from funeral homes or others.

Funeral homes use the Funeral Home Application to Amend a Minnesota Death Record (PDF) form, particularly for amendment requests within a year of death. A funeral home may request an amendment from any vital records office a year or more after the death but must complete the Death Record Amendment Packet (PDF). Supporting documentation is required. See the Change a Death Record page for more details. Amendment requests made five years or more after the death must be handled by OVR.

Forms

Requests to MDH

• Request to Add Pre-2001 Birth Record to MR&C (PDF)
• Data Entry Error Correction (for birth record filed before 2001) (PDF)

Customer forms

• Birth Certificate Request (PDF)
• Homeless Youth Birth Certificate Packet (PDF)
• Noncertified Birth Record Request (PDF)
• Verify a Minnesota Birth Record (PDF)
• Death Certificate Request (PDF)
• Noncertified Death Record Request (PDF)
• Statement to Identify (PDF)
• Long form birth certificates policy memo (PDF)

Amendment forms

• Birth Record Amendment Packet (PDF)
• Death Record Amendment Packet (PDF)
• Funeral Home Request to Amend a Death Record (PDF)

Please provide feedback: Office of Vital Records Customer Satisfaction Survey