St. Louis County Birth Records
St. Louis County birth records are held by the County Recorder's Vital Records Division. The county has five office locations spread across its large territory, with the main office in Duluth and additional locations in Hibbing, Virginia, Ely, and Cook. If you need to find or get a birth certificate from St. Louis County, you can visit any of these offices, submit a mail request to the Duluth location, or use online ordering for more recent births.
St. Louis County Overview
St. Louis County Vital Records Division
St. Louis County is the largest county by area in Minnesota and one of the largest in the contiguous United States. To serve its spread-out population, the Recorder's Vital Records Division operates five office locations. The main office is in Duluth. Four branch offices serve the Iron Range and other communities to the north and east. You can use any location to request birth records.
Call the specific location before visiting to confirm hours and current service procedures. Branch office hours may differ from the main Duluth office. All five locations handle certified and noncertified birth certificate requests for St. Louis County births. More details are at stlouiscountymn.gov vital records.
| Main Office - Duluth |
100 North Fifth Avenue West, Room 101 Duluth, MN 55802 Phone: 218-726-2559 Mailing: PO Box 157, Duluth, MN 55801 |
|---|---|
| Hibbing Office |
1810 12th Ave. East, Room 100 Hibbing, MN 55746 Phone: 218-262-0109 |
| Virginia Office |
307 South First Street, Suite 2R Virginia, MN 55792 Phone: 218-749-0673 |
| Ely Office |
320 Miners Drive E Ely, MN 55731 Phone: 218-365-8200 |
| Cook Office |
9558 Ashawa Road Cook, MN 55723 Phone: 218-471-7705 |
| recorder@stlouiscountymn.gov | |
| Fax (Duluth) | 218-726-2560 |
| Website | stlouiscountymn.gov - Vital Records |
The Minnesota Historical Society vital records guide at libguides.mnhs.org/vital/birth includes information on St. Louis County's records holdings and tips for researching births in the Iron Range region and the greater northeastern Minnesota area.
The MNHS guide is especially useful for older St. Louis County birth records tied to mining communities, immigration records, and early settlement in the region.
How to Get St. Louis County Birth Records
Walk-in service is available at any of the five office locations listed above. Choose the location closest to you. Bring a valid photo ID and the fee. The office takes cash, check, money order, and credit card. Staff verify your eligibility under Minnesota Statutes section 144.225 before issuing a certified copy. Certified copies with the raised seal are needed for legal use.
Mail requests should go to the Duluth mailing address: PO Box 157, Duluth, MN 55801. Include the full name on the birth record, date of birth, place of birth, your name, your relationship to the subject, and a copy of your photo ID. Attach a check or money order made out to St. Louis County for the correct fee. Allow extra time for mail turnaround.
Online ordering is available through VitalChek at vitalchek.com for recent births. A convenience fee applies. The Minnesota Department of Health at health.state.mn.us birth order is another state-level option for births from 1900 onward.
Noncertified copies are available with fewer restrictions than certified copies and work for informational purposes. They do not carry the raised seal and are not accepted for most official legal or government uses.
St. Louis County Birth Certificate Fees
Certified birth certificates cost $26 for the first copy and $19 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. Noncertified copies are $13. These fees are set by Minnesota Statutes section 144.2255 and apply uniformly across all Minnesota county vital records offices.
Accepted payment methods include cash, check, money order, and credit card. For mail requests, use a check or money order made out to St. Louis County. Do not send cash. Credit card payments apply at walk-in locations and through VitalChek online.
Researching Older St. Louis County Birth Records
St. Louis County has a rich history tied to iron ore mining, logging, and immigration from Scandinavia, Finland, and southern Europe. Birth records from this era reflect the diverse communities that settled in the region. The county recorder holds local birth registrations, and the Minnesota Historical Society at libguides.mnhs.org/vital/birth has additional resources for genealogy research in northeastern Minnesota.
For births before the state's centralized vital records system, church records, company town registers, and township documents can be valuable. Many mining communities kept their own records independent of county systems. The MNHS library in Saint Paul has significant holdings from the Iron Range and can assist with research requests tied to St. Louis County births from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
The Minnesota Department of Health maintains a current county registrar directory at health.state.mn.us registrars, which lists all five St. Louis County office locations with current contact details.
Cities in St. Louis County
St. Louis County includes Duluth and many other communities across northeastern Minnesota. Duluth is the county seat and largest city in the county.
Other communities in St. Louis County include Hibbing, Virginia, Ely, Cook, Hermantown, and Proctor. All birth records for these communities are held by the St. Louis County Recorder's Vital Records Division.
Nearby Counties
These counties border St. Louis County. Each has its own recorder office for birth certificates and vital records requests.