Search Lincoln County Birth Records

Lincoln County birth records are kept by the County Recorder in Ivanhoe, Minnesota. The office has held birth records since 1879 and issues certified copies to eligible requesters. If you need to search for a birth record or get a certified birth certificate from Lincoln County, the recorder on North Rebecca Street is your local source. Requests can be made in person or by mail. The office also makes a Birth Certificate Application PDF available for downloading and mailing in your request.

Lincoln County Recorder

The Lincoln County Recorder office is at 319 North Rebecca Street in Ivanhoe. This is a small, rural county office in far southwestern Minnesota near the South Dakota border. The recorder maintains all birth records for Lincoln County and handles requests for certified copies. Records go back to 1879, making the local archive a solid resource for both recent and older birth records.

A Birth Certificate Application PDF is available through the county. You can download this form, fill it out at home, and mail it with your payment and ID. This is a convenient option if you live outside the area or cannot travel to Ivanhoe during business hours. The office can also guide you over the phone if you call 507-694-1019 before submitting your request.

Lincoln County Birth Certificate Fees

A certified birth certificate with an embossed seal costs $26 from the Lincoln County Recorder. This copy carries the official raised seal and is accepted by government agencies for passport applications, legal name changes, and court matters. A non-embossed certified copy is available for $19 and may work for personal record-keeping or less formal uses.

The office takes cash, check, money order, and credit card. If you are mailing in your request, use a check or money order made out to Lincoln County. Enclose a signed request letter, a copy of your government-issued photo ID, and the completed Birth Certificate Application PDF if you have downloaded it from the county website. Send everything to 319 North Rebecca Street, Ivanhoe, MN 56142.

Under Minn. Stat. Section 144.225, only certain people can get a certified copy of a birth certificate. You must be the person named on the record, a parent, legal guardian, adult child, spouse, or hold a court order. The recorder verifies your eligibility before issuing the certificate. This is consistent with how all Minnesota county offices handle birth record access.

Lincoln County Recorder Website

The image below is from co.lincoln.mn.us, showing the county recorder office section where birth certificate requests are handled for Ivanhoe and Lincoln County.

The county website provides contact details and may have the downloadable Birth Certificate Application PDF for mail-in requests.

State and Historical Birth Record Resources

The Minnesota Department of Health at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/ holds statewide birth records and can issue certified copies for Lincoln County births. If you cannot visit Ivanhoe or prefer to order from the state, MDH accepts requests by mail and online through VitalChek. State processing times can vary, so plan accordingly if you need the certificate by a certain date.

For births outside the county's local record range or for genealogy research, the Minnesota Historical Society guide at libguides.mnhs.org/vital/birth is a helpful resource. MNHS collections can fill in gaps for older records from southwest Minnesota, including Lincoln County.

MDH birth certificate ordering instructions are at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/birthnc.html. This page covers what documents to include and how the process works. The state registrar directory at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/registrars.html lists the Lincoln County office and all others statewide.

Note: Homeless youth may be eligible for a free birth certificate through an MDH program described at the state vital records website.

Nearby Counties

Lincoln County is in far southwestern Minnesota. These bordering counties each have their own local vital records offices.