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Minnesota Public Records Resources & Searches

What are public records? The exact definition varies but is generally referred to as government records that hold valuable public information and are available to the public under the notion of open government. Said public records may include birth records, death records, marriage records, military records, court records and so forth.

Many people have some interest in public records. Some people require a certain state record for a specific need, for example, a copy of a death certificate to prove a person has deceased. Others wish to make a search record to find out about an individual, for example a concerned father may want to look into the criminal record of the person dating his daughter. Others simply wish to obtain information regarding their ancestry research.

Most people obviously are interested in free public records, however, certain agencies and online services may charge a small fee to obtain the public record. Some states add some limitations on which public records can be obtained in the even where there is reason to believe the public record's exposure will lead to a violation of privacy of an individual or may lead to actual harm to an individual or the general public.

The Minnesota Judicial Branch has published clear guidelines regarding the accessibility of government public records. According to the rules, judicial records are open for inspection by any member of the public. Vital statistics, on the other hand, are strictly limited and mainly only available the person in question or a direct family member (depending on the record in question).