The Certified birth certificate application, printed on the form as Birth Certificate Request, is how you order a certified copy of a Minnesota birth certificate from the Hennepin County Vital Records Office. It is the form to use for a Hennepin County birth certificate, and it asks you to identify the person on the record, the parents and yourself, and to check how you are related to the subject. On FillingPDF you can fill out the form online and download or print the completed PDF; the county publishes the original form at hennepincounty.gov and receives the application only through the channels described under How to submit.
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What is Certified birth certificate application – Hennepin County, MN?
The Certified birth certificate application, titled Birth Certificate Request on the printed form, is the Hennepin County Vital Records form used to order a certified copy of a Minnesota birth certificate and to show the legal basis on which you may receive it.
The two-page form works in this order. Page 1 collects the information needed to find the birth record: the child's or subject's name, date of birth, sex, Minnesota city and county of birth, and the parents' names. It then identifies the requester and asks you to check the box that describes your relationship to the subject. That choice is mandatory because Minnesota treats records differently depending on the parents' marital status: records of children born to married parents are "public", while records of children born to single mothers are "confidential" unless the mother chose to make the record public at birth. The form cites Minnesota Rules, part 4601.2600, and Minnesota Statutes, section 144.225, subdivisions 2 and 7. Page 1 ends with the requester's signature and a notary public block.
Page 2 sets out the quantity and cost section, where you choose the number of copies and standard or faster processing, and gives the Vital Records Office address for sending the application and payment. Fees are set under Minnesota Statutes, section 144.226.
If the office cannot find the birth record you asked for, it sends a certified "Statement of No Birth Record Found". The last lines of page 2, headed "Office use only", are for county staff.
Who needs to file Certified birth certificate application – Hennepin County, MN?
Anyone who wants a certified copy of a Minnesota birth certificate from the Hennepin County Vital Records Office and is legally entitled to it uses this application. Who is entitled depends on whether the record is public or confidential.
Public records (parents married, or a single mother who made the record public) are available to anyone who meets one of items 1–18 on the form. These include:
- a parent named on the record, a grandparent, a great-grandparent, a child, a grandchild or a great-grandchild of the subject;
- the subject's current spouse, or the subject requesting their own record;
- a legal custodian, guardian or conservator, or a health care agent;
- a personal representative or a successor of a deceased subject, for administration of the estate;
- a person who proves they need the certificate to determine or protect a personal or property right;
- an adoption agency, a governmental agency, an attorney, a person holding a certified U.S. court order (not a subpoena), or a person holding a signed statement from an eligible person.
Confidential records (children born to single mothers, unless the mother made the record public) are available only under items 19–23: a parent named on the record, a legal custodian, guardian or conservator, the subject when 16 years old or older, representatives of certain Minnesota child support, medical assistance and MinnesotaCare programs, or a person holding a certified U.S. court order (not a subpoena).
If you do not fit any listed item, you cannot use this form to obtain the certificate.
When to file Certified birth certificate application – Hennepin County, MN
Submit the application when you need a certified copy of a Minnesota birth certificate; the form prints no deadline and no validity period. Fees are due at the time of application and are non-refundable, so send your payment with the form.
Processing order depends on the option you choose in the quantity and cost section. Standard requests are processed in the order received. The faster option puts your request ahead of standard requests for an additional fee, and the form states that it does not include return overnight mail delivery. The form gives no processing time in days or weeks; for status or timing questions, contact the Vital Records Office at [email protected] or 612-348-8919.
Documents you need
- Certified copy of the court order that names you, if you check item 9 or item 20 as legal custodian, guardian or conservator of the subject.
- A valid health care power of attorney document, if you check item 10 as the subject's health care agent.
- Proof that you need the birth certificate to determine or protect a personal or property right, if you check item 13.
- A copy of your Employee ID, if you check item 14 (adoption agency), item 15 (governmental agency) or item 22 (Minnesota program representative).
- A copy of your attorney license, if you check item 16 and you are a non-Minnesota attorney; Minnesota attorneys write their license number on the form instead.
- A valid, certified copy of a U.S. court order (not a subpoena) releasing the certificate, if you check item 17 or item 23.
- A signed statement from an eligible person, if you check item 18; it must give the subject's full name, date of birth, parents' names, the signer's relationship to the subject and authorize you to obtain the certificate.
- Payment by check payable to Hennepin County Treasurer for the full amount of the copies and processing option you select.
How to fill out Certified birth certificate application – Hennepin County, MN
Enter the child or subject's name
In the Child/Subject section, enter the first, middle and last name and any name suffix of the person on the birth record.
Add birth details
Enter the date of birth as MM/DD/YYYY, check Female or Male, and give the Minnesota city of birth and Minnesota county of birth. The state of birth is preprinted as MN.
List the parents
For Parent one and Parent two, enter first, middle and last name, last name before first marriage and any suffix. The office uses this information to find the correct record.
Complete the requester section
Enter your full name, your date of birth (MM/DD/YYYY), a 10-digit daytime phone number, your mailing address with apartment or unit number, city, state and ZIP Code, and your email.
Check your relationship boxes
Check the boxes that describe your relationship to the subject: items 1–18 for public records, items 19–23 for confidential records. This section is mandatory, so first confirm whether the parents were married.
Add attorney or document details
If you check item 16, enter your Minnesota Attorney License Number, or attach your license if you are a non-Minnesota attorney. Gather any court order, power of attorney, Employee ID copy or signed statement your item requires.
Sign and complete the notary block
The requester named above signs in the certification block. The notary public section asks for the date of signing or attestation, the notary's printed name, commission expiration, signature and stamp or seal.
Choose copies and processing
On page 2, enter the quantity for one birth certificate and any extra copies, note whether you want a Veteran's Affairs (VA) certificate for VA purposes only, and mark Standard or Faster processing.
Calculate the total due
Add the lines in the quantity and cost section using the fee amounts printed on the form and enter the result as Total due. Make your check payable to Hennepin County Treasurer.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check the names, dates and checked boxes against the record you are requesting, leaving the Office use only area blank. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF, then sign it and assemble the package described under How to submit.
How to submit Certified birth certificate application – Hennepin County, MN
The form tells you to send the application and payment to the Hennepin County Vital Records Office. It lists a mailing address and a fax number, and gives an email address and phone number for questions.
- By mail: Vital Records Office, Hennepin County Government Center, 300 South 6th St, MC- 678B, Minneapolis MN 55487-0678.
- Fax: the form prints FAX # 612-348-2010 under the office address.
- Questions: [email protected] or 612-348-8919.
Include with the form: the signed application with the notary block completed, any document your relationship box requires (see the list on this page), and payment. Make checks payable to Hennepin County Treasurer. You must pay the full amount for the records and services you request, and the fee amounts are printed on page 2 of the form. The form names no in-person or online submission channel; ask the office if you need one.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving the relationship section blank; the form marks it MANDATORY and you must check a box that describes your relationship to the subject.
- Checking a public-record item (1–18) for a record that is confidential because the child was born to a single mother who did not make it public; only items 19–23 apply to those records.
- Checking item 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 22 or 23 without enclosing the court order, health care power of attorney, Employee ID copy or attorney license the form asks for.
- Having someone other than the requester named on the form sign; the form says the requester named above must sign.
- Skipping the notary block on page 1 (stamp or seal, printed name, commission expiration and signature) when the form includes it for your signature.
- Sending a check made out to someone other than Hennepin County Treasurer, or paying less than the full amount; fees are non-refundable and due at the time of application.
- Choosing faster processing and expecting overnight return delivery; the form says the faster option does not include return overnight mail delivery.
- Checking item 7 when you are no longer married to the subject; the form requires you to be the current spouse.
- Writing the requester's date of birth or the subject's date of birth in a format other than MM/DD/YYYY.
Frequently asked questions
Who can order a Hennepin County birth certificate?
It depends on whether the record is public or confidential. Public records (married parents) go to those in items 1–18, such as parents, grandparents, children, the current spouse or the subject. Confidential records go only to those in items 19–23, such as a named parent or the subject when 16 or older.
What is the difference between a public and a confidential birth record?
A record of a child born to married parents is public and available to the people in items 1–18. A record of a child born to a single mother is confidential unless the mother chose to make it public at birth, and only items 19–23 may obtain it.
What happens if the office cannot find the birth record?
If the Vital Records Office cannot find the record you asked for, it sends you a certified "Statement of No Birth Record Found". Complete the subject, parent and birth-place fields as fully as you can, because the office uses them to find the correct record.
Do I need a notary for the Hennepin County birth certificate application?
The form includes a notary public block next to the requester's signature, with spaces for the notary's stamp or seal, printed name, commission expiration and signature. The requester named on the form must sign. For questions, contact the office at [email protected] or 612-348-8919.
How do I pay for a certified birth certificate in Hennepin County?
Make your check payable to Hennepin County Treasurer and send it with the application. The form says you must pay the full amount for the records and services requested, and that fees are due at the time of application and are non-refundable. Fee amounts are printed on page 2.
Where do I send the birth certificate request?
Send the application and payment to Vital Records Office, Hennepin County Government Center, 300 South 6th St, MC- 678B, Minneapolis MN 55487-0678. The form also prints a fax number, 612-348-2010, and lists [email protected] and 612-348-8919 for questions.
Is there a faster way to get the certificate?
Yes. The form offers a faster option that puts your request ahead of standard requests, for an additional fee. Standard requests are processed in the order received. The faster option does not include return overnight mail delivery.
Can I fill out the Hennepin County birth certificate form online?
You can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF. FillingPDF is an independent service: it does not submit the application, collect payment or provide the certificate, which you obtain from the Hennepin County Vital Records Office.
Can an attorney request a birth certificate for a client?
Yes, under item 16 an attorney who represents the subject, or a person listed in items 1–14, may apply. Minnesota attorneys enter their license number; a non-Minnesota attorney must attach a copy of the attorney license.
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