Murray County Birth Records

Murray County birth records are kept by the County Treasurer office at the Government Center in Slayton, Minnesota. Murray County was established in 1857, making it one of the older counties in southwest Minnesota. The treasurer office serves as the local registrar for vital records and can issue certified birth certificates to eligible requesters. You can request birth records in person at the Government Center on 28th Street or submit a written request by mail to the Slayton office.

Murray County Treasurer Office

The Murray County Treasurer handles vital records for the county, including birth certificates. The treasurer's office is located at the Government Center, 2500 28th Street, in Slayton. Like some other rural Minnesota counties, Murray assigns vital records responsibilities to the treasurer rather than a separate recorder. The function is the same: the office maintains the birth record archive and issues certified copies to those who qualify.

Murray County is a small, rural county in the far southwest of Minnesota near the South Dakota and Iowa borders. The Government Center in Slayton is where most county services are centralized. The treasurer's office is accessible during regular weekday hours. If you have questions before visiting, call 507-836-6148 to speak with staff and confirm what you need to bring.

Getting a Murray County Birth Certificate

A certified birth certificate with a raised embossed seal costs $26 from the Murray County Treasurer. This is the version needed for passports, name changes, court proceedings, and most government-issued ID applications. A non-embossed certified copy is $19. Both versions carry the authority of an official county vital record.

Payment is accepted by cash, check, money order, and credit card. In-person visits are straightforward: bring a valid photo ID and your payment. For mail-in requests, write to the County Treasurer at 2500 28th Street, Slayton, MN 56172. Include a signed request letter, a copy of your government-issued ID, and payment by check or money order made out to Murray County. The office will process your request and send the certificate by mail once verified.

Under Minn. Stat. Section 144.225, birth certificates in Minnesota are restricted records. Only the registrant, their parents, adult children, legal guardian, spouse, or a person with a court order can get a certified copy. The treasurer confirms your eligibility before issuing any certificate.

Murray County Website

The image below is from murraycountymn.com, the official Murray County website, showing the treasurer office section for vital records and birth certificate requests in Slayton.

The county website lists current contact details and office hours for the treasurer's office and can help you prepare your request before making the trip to Slayton.

State Birth Records and Additional Resources

The Minnesota Department of Health at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/ holds all Minnesota birth records at the state level, including those for Murray County. If the county office is not an option for you, MDH can issue certified copies by mail or online through VitalChek. Both the state and county charge the same base fee for certified copies.

Ordering instructions from the state are at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/birthnc.html. This page covers what documents to send, how to pay, and what to expect after submission. The registrar directory at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/registrars.html lists the Murray County Treasurer and all other local offices in Minnesota.

For genealogy research, the Minnesota Historical Society guide at libguides.mnhs.org/vital/birth covers vital record collections for all counties including Murray. Because Murray County was established in 1857, some older records may be in MNHS collections or in early territorial archives. Checking both the county and MNHS is a smart approach for research going back to the 1800s.

Under Minn. Stat. Section 144.2255, both the Murray County Treasurer and MDH operate under the same statewide framework for vital records access and maintenance.

Note: Homeless youth in Minnesota may qualify for a free birth certificate through the MDH homeless youth program. See health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/homelessyouth.html for details.

Nearby Counties

Murray County is in southwest Minnesota. These bordering counties each have local vital records offices.