Search Saint Paul Obituary Records

Saint Paul obituary records and death certificates are available through Ramsey County and the Minnesota Department of Health, with additional historical sources at the St. Paul Public Library and the Minnesota Historical Society. Whether you need a certified death certificate or want to find a published obituary from decades past, this guide covers the main resources available to Saint Paul researchers.

Ramsey County Vital Records

Deaths that occur in Saint Paul are filed with Ramsey County. The Ramsey County vital records office is at 90 Plato Blvd. West, St. Paul, MN 55107. You can call them at 651-266-1333. Office hours run from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Thursdays are special: the office stays open until 7 p.m. for those who cannot make it during regular daytime hours.

Ramsey County issues certified death certificates for deaths filed within the county. A certified copy costs $13. Additional copies of the same record, ordered at the same time, cost $6 each. You will need to show valid photo ID. For more details on what to bring and how to request records by mail, visit Ramsey County Death Records. The county office can answer questions about eligibility and processing times.

For deaths before county records begin, check with the Minnesota Historical Society or the St. Paul Public Library.

Minnesota Death Search Index

The Minnesota Department of Health runs a free online death index. It covers deaths registered in Minnesota from 1908 through 2001. You can search by name and view basic data like date and county of death. The index does not provide a certified copy, but it confirms that a record exists and gives the details needed to place an order.

Start your search at the MDH Death Search Index. Once you find the entry, you can order a certified copy from MDH directly or from Ramsey County. MDH charges $13 for a certified death certificate. Detailed ordering instructions are on the MDH Vital Records death page. A full list of county registrars is also available at the MDH County Registrar Directory.

St. Paul Public Library Resources

The St. Paul Public Library has put together two dedicated guides that are genuinely useful for death record searches. The obituary guide at SPPL Obituaries and Death Notices explains where to find published obituaries in local newspapers and what databases the library provides. The vital records guide at SPPL Vital Records walks through the steps for ordering birth, death, and marriage certificates in Minnesota.

Library cardholders can access genealogy databases at no cost from any branch. Those databases include Ancestry Library Edition and others that carry published obituaries and death index records. Library staff can help you figure out which sources are most likely to have the record you need. If you are not sure where to start, the library guides are a good first read.

The St. Paul Public Library vital records guide is a practical starting point for anyone researching Saint Paul death records and obituaries.

Pioneer Press Newspaper Obituaries

The Pioneer Press is Saint Paul's main daily newspaper and a key source for obituaries going back well over a century. Recent obituaries from the Pioneer Press are published online at Twin Cities Obituaries. For historical notices, the Minnesota Historical Society has digitized the Pioneer Press going back to 1861. That archive is available free at the MNHS Digital Newspaper Hub.

For very early Saint Paul history, the St. Paul Globe (1880-1905) is available free through the Library of Congress Chronicling America project. That paper ran during a key period of Saint Paul's growth and carried death notices and obituaries for many residents. Newspaper obituaries often contain details not found in official records, including names of relatives, church affiliations, and cause of death.

Minnesota Historical Society Records

The Minnesota Historical Society holds statewide collections that cover Saint Paul in depth. Their People Search at MNHS People Search searches multiple databases at once. MNHS holds church records, cemetery registers, and newspaper archives that go back to the mid-1800s. For Saint Paul researchers looking at deaths before 1908, when statewide death registration began, MNHS is usually the best option.

The digitized Pioneer Press archive at MNHS runs from 1861 through 1961. That is a remarkable span that covers more than a century of Saint Paul obituary notices. MNHS microfilm collections fill in years and papers not yet digitized. Staff at the MNHS library can help you navigate older collections that are not searchable online.

How to Get a Saint Paul Death Certificate

Here are the steps to get a certified death certificate for a Saint Paul resident.

• Search the online index first: Use the free MDH Death Search to confirm the record (covers 1908-2001).
• Visit Ramsey County in person: Go to 90 Plato Blvd. West with valid photo ID. Cost is $13 for one copy, $6 each for additional copies. Thursday hours extend to 7 p.m.
• Request by mail: Download the form from MDH Vital Records and mail it with payment and a copy of your ID.
• Call ahead: Reach Ramsey County at 651-266-1333 to ask about current processing times and required documentation.

Under Minnesota Statute 144.225, certified copies are restricted to immediate family members, authorized representatives, and others with a direct need. Informational copies may be available after a waiting period. The county office can clarify eligibility when you call.

In-person requests at Ramsey County are often handled the same day. Mail requests can take one to three weeks depending on volume.

Nearby Cities

These qualifying cities near Saint Paul also have obituary record pages.

Ramsey County Records

Saint Paul is the county seat of Ramsey County. Death records for Saint Paul are filed with Ramsey County Vital Records. Visit the county page for more information on countywide records.