Minnesota Statute, Section 144.225, Subdivision 7 restricts access to a certified birth or death certificate to a person who has a tangible interest in a requested certificate.

Who Has Tangible Interest

 
1. Persons or entities qualified to request certificates: 
• Subject of the record
• Child, grandchild, or great-grandchild of the subject
• Current spouse of the subject
• Parent named on the subject’s record, or a grandparent or great-grandparent of the subject
• If the requested record is a death record, a sibling of the subject
• Party responsible for filing the record (generally a health professional or mortician)
• Legal custodian, guardian, or conservator of the subject
• Health care agent of the subject (health care power of attorney is required)
• Personal representative of the subject’s estate
• Successor of the subject, if the subject is deceased
• If the requested record is a death record, a trustee of a trust
• Person/entity demonstrating that the certificate is needed for the determination or protection of a personal or property right (supporting documentation required)
• Adoption agency – for post-adoption searches required by law (Employee ID required)
 2.  Representative of a local, state, tribal or federal governmental agency, if the certified vital record is necessary for the governmental agency to perform its authorized duties (Employee ID required)

3. Attorney (Minnesota Attorney License Number or copy of non-Minnesota attorney license required)

4. Person with a court order directing release of the certificate (not a subpoena)


5. Authorized representative of anyone listed in numbers one to four above. The representative must have a signed statement from that person which: 

 
• provides information to identify the vital record
• identifies the representative by name, and
• grants the representative permission to obtain the certificate
• specifies the signer's relationship to the subject of the record

 


Acceptable Documents of Identity


Acceptable Documents of Identity include:
 

1. An unexpired picture driver's license issued according to Minnesota Statutes, Section 171.07, or according to the laws of another state or territory of the United States. A temporary driver's license or learner's permit is not acceptable;
2. An unexpired state picture identification card issued according to Minnesota Statutes, Section 171.07 or according to the laws of another state or territory of the United States;
3. An unexpired federal, state, or local government employee picture identification card issued by a government entity located in the United States; ID must have a signature;
4. An unexpired Aircraft Pilot's License issued by the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration;
5. An unexpired United States Military Identification Card;
6. An unexpired United States Passport;
7. For an applicant who is not the registrant, an unexpired passport from another jurisdiction with:
   1. A United States Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Arrival and Departure Form I-94 attached, bearing the same name as that on the passport and containing an unexpired endorsement of the alien's nonimmigrant status, or
   2. An unexpired I-551 stamp; or
8. For an applicant who is not a registrant, one of the following documents issued by the United States Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service, or a subsequent form or version of a document specified in this item;
   1. A Naturalization Certificate (Form N-550 or N-570);
   2. A Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561);
   3. A United States Citizen Identification Card (Form I-179 or I-197);
   4. A valid Permanent Resident or Resident Alien Card (Form I-551 or I-151);
   5. A Northern Mariana Card (Form I-873 with "Northern Mariana" imprinted instead of Resident Alien);
   6. An American Indian Card (Form I-872 with "American Indian" imprinted instead of Resident Alien);
   7. An unexpired employment authorization document with a photograph (Form I-688, I-688A, I-688B, or I-766); or
   8. An unexpired reentry permit/refugee travel document (Form I-571).