Minnesota Public Records

Minnesota is an open records state and offers public access to most records. The exception is birth and death records, which have restrictions in place, with certified copies only released to authorized recipients. Minnesota birth records and death records are maintained by the Department of Health. To obtain Minnesota marriage records, contact the county where it occurred or look it up online through the Minnesota Official Marriage System. Other Minnesota  free public records include online access to divorce records and court records through the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Minnesota court records can also be accessed at the court that heard the case. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension operates a free online search tool for public access to Minnesota criminal records. Also, historic Minnesota public records can be researched at the State Archives and History Center Library, which offer obituaries, military, cemetery and vital records.

About Minnesota Public Records

Although Minnesota is an open records state, there are restrictions for ordering copies of Minnesota death record and birth records. These are only released to the person of record, a family member, or legal representative because these Minnesota online public records can be used to establish identity. However, informational copies of Minnesota birth and death records, which cannot be used for identification purposes, may be requested by anyone from the Department of Health.

Minnesota marriage records are not restricted and can be researched online through the Minnesota Official Marriage System, which provides the marriage certificate number and date of marriage, along with the option of ordering a copy by filling out an online form. Also part of Minnesota public records are divorce records, which are available through the court system and a matter of open record.

Searching Minnesota Online Public Records Free

Minnesota not only provides easy access to multiple types of records, but offers easy and free online access to many of them. This includes access to Minnesota court records, which are available for online search through the Minnesota Judiciary Branch website. Also there is an overview of the Minnesota court system and the function of its courts. The court record search tool provides access to family court records, which includes divorce records, as well as civil and criminal court records, which can be narrowed down by county.

Other Minnesota online public records free to the public are criminal records. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension operates a free public access criminal conviction records search tool that anyone may use. You must enter a first and last name and date of birth in order to perform a search of these Minnesota free online public records, however. Since only convictions are a matter of public record in this search forum, you can easily search criminal court records statewide and learn if there are any open or pending criminal actions not reported by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Historic Minnesota Public Records Search

The State Archives and Minnesota Historical Society’s History Center are both housed in the same facility in St. Paul. Both the State Archives and History Center offer public access to the library, which houses these massive records collections. A Minnesota public records search here will turn up historic vital records along with cemetery records, obituaries and Minnesota military records. Topics covered include the Civil War, Revolutionary War, World Wars I and II, U.S. Dakota Conflict of 1862, and the State Militia.

Anyone may visit, and there is no charge to perform research here. There is a fee for making copies, however. Also, if you are unable to visit, the History Center accepts online requests for certain records, including military, vital and obituaries. Also, many records collections are available to search online.