Woodbury MN Death Records

Death records for Woodbury, Minnesota are maintained by Washington County, which handles all vital records for the city. Woodbury itself does not issue death certificates or keep vital records files. If you need a certified death certificate for a Woodbury resident or want to search the historical death index, Washington County is the office to contact. Woodbury residents have two county options depending on which records they need: the Cottage Grove Service Center for 1997 and later deaths, or the Washington County Government Center in Stillwater for older records going back to 1870. This page covers both locations, how to make a request, what it costs, and how to search online.

Washington County Handles Woodbury Death Records

Woodbury is located in Washington County, which sits directly east of St. Paul and Ramsey County. All death certificates for Woodbury are issued by Washington County. The city does not have its own vital records office. When a person dies in Woodbury, the funeral director or attending physician files the death certificate with the state, and Washington County receives and maintains a copy for issuing certified and non-certified copies upon request.

Washington County provides two office locations relevant to Woodbury residents. The main county headquarters is the Washington County Government Center at 14949 62nd St N, Stillwater, MN 55082, phone (651) 430-6755. This office holds all death records for the county from 1870 to the present. Stillwater is the county seat and is located about 20 miles northeast of Woodbury.

For deaths from 1997 onward, Woodbury residents have a closer option. The Cottage Grove Service Center -- which is much closer to Woodbury geographically -- can issue certified copies of deaths from 1997 forward. This is a significant convenience for Woodbury residents who don't want to drive to Stillwater for a recent death certificate. For deaths before 1997, you must go to the Stillwater Government Center or contact the Minnesota Department of Health.

The Washington County death records page is at https://www.co.washington.mn.us/737/Death. The county's main site is https://www.co.washington.mn.us/.

Two Ways to Get a Woodbury Death Certificate

Washington County gives Woodbury residents practical choices based on which period the death falls in and how far they want to travel.

For deaths from 1997 onward, the Cottage Grove Service Center is the most convenient option for most Woodbury residents. Cottage Grove is adjacent to Woodbury and much closer than Stillwater. In-person requests at the service center require a valid government-issued photo ID and can usually be completed the same day. Check the Washington County website for current hours at the service center before visiting.

For deaths before 1997, the Washington County Government Center in Stillwater is the only county option. The Government Center is the main office and handles the full historical range of records from 1870 forward. In-person requests work the same way -- bring a valid ID, complete the application at the counter, and pay. Older records may take slightly longer to locate depending on the year and what has been digitized.

Mail requests are accepted at the Stillwater address. Mail requests must be notarized -- your signature on the request must be witnessed and stamped by a notary before you send it. Include the full name of the deceased, date of death, date of birth or age, the city or county where the death occurred, and your relationship to the deceased. Send payment by check or money order payable to Washington County. Allow at least one to two weeks for processing and delivery.

Woodbury Death Certificate Fees

Minnesota law sets the fee for death certificates statewide. At Washington County, a certified death certificate costs $13 for the first copy. Each additional certified copy ordered at the same time costs $6. Non-certified informational copies are $13 each. Veterans requesting records for their own benefit claims receive copies free of charge under state policy.

It's worth ordering all the certified copies you need at once. Estate proceedings, life insurance claims, pension applications, and property transfers each typically require an original certified copy. Getting four or five copies in one request at $13 plus $6 each saves you the full $13 per copy if you return later for additional copies. Most estate proceedings require at least three to five certified copies.

The current Minnesota fee schedule is at https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/birthnc.html. Washington County may have specific payment methods or additional service fees -- check the county website or call (651) 430-6755 to confirm before submitting a request.

Who Can Request Woodbury Death Records

Certified copies of death certificates are available to people with a tangible interest under Minnesota Statute 144.225. Family members -- spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, and sibling -- qualify automatically. Legal representatives of any of those family members qualify as well. People who need the record for a legal proceeding and government agencies acting in an official role also qualify.

Non-certified copies are open to anyone. These copies show the same core facts as a certified copy but are stamped as informational only and cannot be submitted for legal purposes. For genealogy research or basic record verification, a non-certified copy works fine and is easier to obtain since you don't need to prove a family connection.

Data privacy rules for death records fall under Minnesota Statute 13.10. Some details within a certificate -- particularly cause of death for recent records -- may be restricted. As records age, more information becomes accessible. Washington County staff can explain exactly what level of record you qualify for based on your relationship to the deceased and the year of death.

Online Death Record Search for Woodbury

Two state tools let you search Woodbury death records online. The Minnesota Department of Health's Verify a Death tool at https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/deathsearch/dthSearch.html covers deaths statewide from 1997 to the present. Search by name to confirm whether a death is in the state system, what county registered it, and basic identifying information. This doesn't produce a certificate, but it confirms the record exists before you make a formal request.

For historical Woodbury deaths, the Minnesota Historical Society's people records search at https://www.mnhs.org/search/people covers 1904 through 2001. Woodbury has grown dramatically since the 1970s and is now one of the larger cities in the metro, but for most of the MNHS coverage period it was a much smaller community within Washington County. Older records will appear under Washington County rather than specifically under Woodbury. The MNHS guidance page at https://www.mnhs.org/search/people/about/deathrecords explains how to interpret search results and what the database contains.

The MDH's main death records page at https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/death.html covers current ordering options and explains the full statewide system.

The screenshot below shows the Washington County death records page:

The Washington County death records page explains which records are available, which office to contact, and how to make a request for Woodbury death certificates and historical death index searches.

Historical Woodbury Death Records

What is now Woodbury was historically part of the rural Washington County landscape, organized as Woodbury Township before it grew into a city. Death records from the township era -- starting around 1870 when Minnesota began statewide registration -- are held in the Washington County and MNHS systems under the county and township names of the time.

Woodbury incorporated as a city in 1967 and began rapid suburban growth in the 1970s and 1980s. Before incorporation, deaths in the Woodbury area were registered as Washington County events. The MNHS database covers this entire period from 1904 through 2001, so deaths from both the township era and the early city era are searchable.

For deaths before 1904, which fall before the MNHS database begins, the Washington County Government Center in Stillwater is the primary resource. MDH may also hold records from the 1870 to 1904 period. Church records and cemetery records from old Woodbury Township churches may also supplement the official record in some cases.

The City of Woodbury's website at https://www.woodburymn.gov/ is shown below:

Woodbury's city website does not include vital records services. All death certificate requests for Woodbury residents go through Washington County, either at the Cottage Grove Service Center for post-1997 records or the Stillwater Government Center for all records.

More Woodbury and Washington County Death Record Resources

For the full picture of Washington County death records, including historical archive details, all request methods, and contact information for both county offices, see the Washington County Death Index page. That page covers all municipalities in Washington County, not just Woodbury, and provides more detail on the county's records going back to 1870.

Nearby cities in Washington County include Cottage Grove, Stillwater, Oakdale, and Maplewood (which crosses into Ramsey County). Woodbury is the largest city in Washington County by population, but all cities in the county use the same Washington County vital records system.

If Washington County cannot locate a specific record, the Minnesota Department of Health is the statewide backup. MDH Vital Records can be reached at 651-201-5970 or by mail at P.O. Box 64882, St. Paul MN 55164. The MDH holds a master archive of all Minnesota death records from 1870 onward, including all Washington County and Woodbury deaths.

Death registration requirements in Minnesota are set by Minnesota Statute 144.221. This statute requires deaths to be registered within a set time and assigns responsibility for filing to the funeral director or attending physician. The statute applies to all deaths in Minnesota, including those in Woodbury.