Birth Records in Renville County

Renville County birth records are kept by the County Recorder office at the courthouse in Olivia. The office issues certified and noncertified copies of birth certificates for births registered in the county. You can request records in person during regular business hours or by mail. If you are searching for a birth certificate or need to obtain an official copy tied to Renville County, the recorder's office is the right contact to start with.

Renville County Recorder Office

The Renville County Recorder keeps vital records for the county, including birth certificates. The office is inside the courthouse at 500 East DePue Avenue in Olivia. Staff handle walk-in requests, mail-in requests, and questions about what records are available. They can issue certified copies with the raised seal needed for legal use and noncertified copies for informational purposes.

Renville County sits in south-central Minnesota. The county seat, Olivia, is a small farming community. The recorder's office serves all of the towns and townships in the county. If you need to verify a birth that happened in Renville County, the courthouse in Olivia is where the record should be.

For more recent births, the Minnesota Department of Health can also issue certified copies. Visit health.state.mn.us vital records for state-level options and information on ordering online.

The Minnesota Department of Health birth records order page at health.state.mn.us birth order provides instructions for ordering certified birth certificates, including records for Renville County births registered after 1935.

The state order page outlines who qualifies to request a birth certificate and what documentation to include with your request.

Requesting Birth Records from Renville County

To get a birth certificate from Renville County, visit the recorder's office at the courthouse in Olivia. Bring a valid photo ID and the fee. The office accepts cash, check, money order, and credit card. Staff can issue certified copies directly during your visit if the record is on file and your request meets the requirements under state law.

Mail-in requests work as well. Prepare a written request that includes the full name on the birth record, the date and place of birth, your relationship to the subject, and a copy of your photo ID. Include a check or money order for the correct fee made out to Renville County. Send to 500 East DePue Avenue, Olivia, MN 56277. Processing times by mail vary depending on workload at the office.

Under Minnesota Statutes section 144.225, certified birth records are restricted to the person named, parents listed on the record, legal guardians, and those with a court order. Others may receive noncertified copies for research purposes in some cases.

VitalChek at vitalchek.com is available for online ordering for more recent records. A convenience fee applies through that service in addition to the county fee.

Renville County Birth Certificate Fees

Certified birth certificates from Renville County cost $26 for the first copy and $19 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. Noncertified copies run $13 each. The fee schedule is established by Minnesota Statutes section 144.2255 and is consistent across all Minnesota county vital records offices.

Cash, check, money order, and credit card are all accepted. For mail requests, use a check or money order made out to Renville County. Do not mail cash.

State and Research Resources for Renville County Birth Records

The Minnesota Department of Health Office of Vital Records can issue certified birth certificates for Renville County births registered from 1900 onward. Their main page is at health.state.mn.us vital records. The state office sometimes processes requests faster than individual county offices, depending on the time of year.

For genealogy and older records, the Minnesota Historical Society has a birth records research guide at libguides.mnhs.org/vital/birth. Renville County was established in 1855, and local registration of births began well before the state's centralized vital records system was set up. Early records may exist in county registers, church books, or family documents. The MNHS library staff can help you figure out where to look for records from different time periods.

The statewide county registrar directory is at health.state.mn.us registrars, which lists Renville County and all other county offices with current contact information.

Note: If you need a birth certificate for a passport application, a certified copy with raised seal is required. Noncertified copies will not be accepted by federal agencies.

Cities in Renville County

Olivia is the county seat and main community in Renville County. No cities in Renville County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Birth records for all communities in Renville County are handled by the County Recorder in Olivia.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Renville County. Each has its own recorder office for birth certificates and vital records.