Find Obituary Records in Carver County

Carver County obituary records and death certificates are held at the county's Land Records and Vitals Department in Chaska. The county serves the southwest metro area of the Twin Cities, and vital records are kept here for all deaths registered within county boundaries. You can search death records online through state tools, visit the office in person, or use the Carver County Historical Society's newspaper index to find local obituaries published in area papers.

Carver County Death Records Office

Vital records in Carver County, including death certificates and death notices, are managed through the Land Records and Vitals Department. The office is located in Chaska on East Fourth Street. This is where you go to request a copy of a death certificate filed in Carver County. Staff can search records by name and provide both certified and non-certified copies depending on what you need.

Under Minnesota Statutes section 144.226, the standard fee for a certified copy of a death record is $13 for the first copy and $6 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. Non-certified copies are available to the public. Death records are not restricted under Minnesota Statutes section 144.225, so anyone can request a non-certified copy without showing a relationship to the deceased.

The department handles more than just death records. It also keeps birth registrations, marriage records, and real property documents. When you call or visit, ask specifically for the Vitals section to make sure you reach the right staff member. Mail requests are also accepted. Include the full name of the deceased, date of death, and your contact information when sending a written request.

Carver County Land Records Resource

The Carver County Land Records website provides contact details, office hours, and information about requesting vital records including death certificates from the Chaska office.

The site is a useful first stop before visiting in person, as it lists what documents you need to bring and how requests are processed.

Search Carver County Death Records Online

The Minnesota Department of Health offers a free online index for deaths registered statewide from 1997 to the present. The MDH Death Search Index lets you look up a name and check whether a death record exists in Carver County or elsewhere in Minnesota. The index shows basic details like the full name, date of death, and registration number. You use that number to request the actual record from the county office or from the MDH Vital Records Office.

For older records, the Minnesota Historical Society maintains an index of Minnesota deaths from 1908 through 2001. The MNHS People Search is free and searchable by name. It covers deaths registered across all Minnesota counties including Carver. For deaths between 1904 and 1907, a separate set of death cards is held by the MNHS. The MNHS death records page explains the full scope of what they hold and how to use the index.

Note: Records before 1908 may only exist at the county level. Contact the Carver County Land Records office for deaths registered before the state began collecting copies.

Carver County Historical Society Newspaper Index

The Carver County Historical Society has a newspaper index search tool that makes finding local obituaries much easier. The index lets you search for a name and see which Carver County newspaper published an obituary notice, along with the date. This is one of the most useful local tools for obituary research in this county because many older death records lack the personal detail found in published notices.

Local Carver County papers like the Chaska Herald have published obituaries for county residents for well over a century. These notices routinely include the names of surviving family members, the cause of death, where the person was born, and where burial took place. That information does not appear in the official death certificate. The newspaper obituary and the death record together give you a far more complete picture.

The MNHS Newspaper Hub also has digitized Minnesota newspapers that may include Carver County papers. Search both the Historical Society index and the Newspaper Hub for the best coverage of obituaries across different time periods.

Carver County Genealogy and Death Research

The Carver County MNGenWeb page brings together transcribed records, cemetery lists, and other materials for genealogy research in the county. Volunteer contributors have added significant data over the years, including death-related records that are not easily found through official channels. The site is free and open to all.

FamilySearch also covers Minnesota death records and has a Minnesota Vital Records guide that explains the history of death registration in the state. FamilySearch volunteers have indexed many older Minnesota records, and some Carver County deaths may appear in their collection. The MDH County Registrar Directory is useful if you need to confirm current contact details for the Carver County office before sending a request.

Cities in Carver County

Carver County has several communities in the southwest Twin Cities metro. None currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Major communities in Carver County include Chaska, Chanhassen, Waconia, Victoria, Watertown, and Cologne. All death records for these communities are filed with the Carver County Land Records and Vitals Department.

Nearby Counties

These counties share borders with Carver County. If you are unsure which county holds a death record, check where the death occurred.