Benton County Birth Records Search

Minnesota birth records are managed by the Minnesota Department of Health. In Minnesota, certified and non-certified birth records for children born to unmarried parents are confidential, unless the mother designates that the record should be made public. The confidential birth record can be accessed by the registrant if they are 16 years or older, parents, legal guardians, the Commissioner of Human Services, an individual with a court order, or an individual with notarized authorization from one of the above.Other certified birth records are also restricted to those with a 'tangible interest', including the registrant, immediate family, spouse, a successor, a representative of the estate, an adoption agency, or an attorney. Similar restrictions apply to certified death records. However, for death records, siblings and trustees are also included in the list of those with a tangible interest.Non-certified copies of birth records are public records, and therefore available to the general public. Non-certified copies are purely informational, and cannot be used for legal purposes.Birth records can be obtained by mail, fax, or online.