Search Rice County Birth Records

Rice County birth records are maintained by the County Recorder office in Faribault. Birth registrations in the county go back to January 1, 1870. You can search for or obtain a certified birth certificate by visiting the office in person or by submitting a mail request. A public viewing station is available at the recorder's office for on-site research. If you need to find or get a Rice County birth record, the Faribault office is the place to start.

Rice County Recorder Office

The Rice County Recorder maintains birth certificates and other vital records for the county. The office is in Faribault at 320 Third Street NW. Staff handle certified and noncertified copy requests and maintain a public viewing station for on-site record review. Walk-in service is available Monday through Friday during regular hours.

Rice County is located in southern Minnesota, southeast of the Twin Cities metro area. Faribault is the county seat and the largest city. The recorder's office holds birth records going back to January 1, 1870, which covers more than 150 years of local registrations. That depth makes this office a useful resource for genealogy research, legal documentation needs, and family history projects tied to the Faribault area and the surrounding county.

The recorder's birth certificates page at ricecountymn.gov/302/Birth-certificates has current information on how to submit a request, what to include, and which forms of payment are accepted.

The Rice County birth certificates page at ricecountymn.gov outlines how to request certified and noncertified copies, what documentation to include, and current fees.

The page also notes the public viewing station available at the Faribault office for in-person record research.

How to Get Rice County Birth Certificates

Walk-in service at the recorder's office in Faribault is the fastest way to get a certified birth certificate. Bring a valid photo ID. The office accepts cash, check, money order, and credit card. Staff can usually process your request the same day if the record is on file. The public viewing station lets you look through records before deciding what copies you need.

Mail requests are also accepted. Write a letter that includes the full name on the record, date of birth, place of birth, your name, your relationship to the subject, and a copy of your ID. Include a check or money order for the correct fee made out to Rice County. Mail to 320 Third Street NW, Faribault, MN 55021. Processing times vary, so give yourself a few extra days if you have a deadline.

Online ordering through VitalChek at vitalchek.com is available for more recent births. VitalChek adds a convenience fee to the standard county rate. The Minnesota Department of Health at health.state.mn.us birth order is another option for births registered after 1935.

Access to certified birth records is limited by Minnesota Statutes section 144.225. The law restricts certified copies to the named person, parents, legal guardians, or those with a court order. Noncertified copies have a broader access range.

Rice County Birth Record Fees

The fee for a certified birth certificate is $26 for the first copy. Additional certified copies ordered at the same time cost $19 each. A noncertified copy is $13. These rates are established by Minnesota Statutes section 144.2255.

Accepted payment methods include cash, personal check, money order, and credit card. Mail-in payments should use a check or money order made out to Rice County. Avoid sending cash through the mail.

Note: Order extra copies at the same time if you need them for multiple agencies. Additional copies are $7 less each than the first copy when ordered together.

Birth Record Research in Rice County

Rice County birth records starting from January 1870 provide a deep archive for anyone researching family history in southern Minnesota. The public viewing station at the Faribault office is useful if you want to browse records before ordering copies. Staff can also help you identify which records are available and how to search them.

For births before 1900, the Minnesota Historical Society has additional resources and research guides at libguides.mnhs.org/vital/birth. Early county registers, township books, and church records can supplement the formal registration system for births in the 1870s and 1880s. The MNHS library in Saint Paul holds many of these older documents.

The Minnesota Department of Health maintains a directory of all county vital records offices at health.state.mn.us county registrars, which includes current contact details for Rice County.

Cities in Rice County

Faribault is the county seat and largest city in Rice County. No cities in Rice County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Birth records for all communities in Rice County, including Faribault, Northfield, and Lonsdale, are handled by the County Recorder office in Faribault.

Nearby Counties

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