Find Pine County Death Records
Pine County death records are held at the county courthouse in Pine City and at the Minnesota Department of Health in St. Paul. The county covers a large area of east-central Minnesota, stretching from the St. Croix River Valley north toward Mille Lacs Lake. Death records here go back to the 1870s and include both early rural registers and modern certified death certificates. This page explains how to search the death index, order copies, and find historical records tied to Pine County.
Pine County Overview
Pine County Court Administrator
The Pine County Court Administrator in Pine City is the local custodian for death records in the county. The office is located at the Pine County Courthouse on Northridge Drive. Staff can search the local death index by name and date of death. For deaths before 1997, you need to request records directly from the county where the death occurred, which means Pine County for deaths that happened here.
The courthouse is north of downtown Pine City, just off I-35. Office hours are standard weekday business hours. Call ahead at (320) 591-1680 to confirm availability and ask whether your specific record is on file before making the trip. If you are searching for a death that happened after 1997, any county court administrator in Minnesota can help you, but the Pine County office can search its own historical records further back than 1997.
| Office | Pine County Court Administrator |
|---|---|
| Address | Pine County Courthouse 635 Northridge Dr NW Pine City, MN 55063 |
| Phone | (320) 591-1680 |
| Website | co.pine.mn.us |
Pine County Online Resources
The Pine County website provides contact information and links to county departments including the court administrator's office.
Use the county site to confirm office hours and find the direct contact for death records requests before submitting your application.
The MDH death records page covers the full statewide process for requesting a certified death certificate in Minnesota.
The MDH page lists all three request methods and links to the current application form and fee schedule for death certificates.
Minnesota Department of Health Records
The Minnesota Department of Health is the statewide authority for death certificates. MDH holds records for all Minnesota counties from about 1908 forward, with statewide electronic records beginning in 1997. For Pine County deaths, you can order certified copies from MDH by mail, in person at their St. Paul office, or online through VitalChek.
The fee for a certified death certificate is $13 for the first copy. Each additional certified copy ordered at the same time costs $6. Non-certified informational copies cost $13 and can be obtained by anyone, but they cannot be used for legal purposes. Certified copies require you to show a tangible interest in the record. That means being a family member of the deceased, having a legal interest in the estate, or having written authorization from someone who qualifies.
MDH accepts mail applications sent to P.O. Box 64882, St. Paul, MN 55164. Mail requests must be notarized. In-person visits to MDH require a valid photo ID. The MDH phone number is 651-201-5970. Veterans receive certified copies at no charge with proof of service. For a full list of fees, see the MDH fee schedule.
Search the Pine County Death Index Online
MDH offers a free tool called Verify a Death for deaths from 1997 to the present. It shows whether a death certificate is on file in the state system and provides the name, date, and county. It does not give you a full copy of the certificate, but it is a quick way to confirm a record exists before ordering.
The Minnesota Historical Society People Search covers death certificates from 1904 through 2001. This database is free to use and includes Pine County deaths across nearly a century of records. Results include the name, date of death, place of death, and certificate number. The MNHS death records about page gives more detail on what the index covers and its limitations.
Pine County has a number of small townships and unincorporated communities spread across a large geographic area. Deaths in places like Hinckley, Sandstone, Willow River, and Askov are all filed under Pine County and appear in both the MDH and MNHS indexes. If a name search does not find what you need, try searching with just the last name and narrowing by date range.
How to Get a Pine County Death Certificate
There are three ways to request a death certificate tied to Pine County. The method you choose depends on your timeline and whether you need a certified or non-certified copy.
In Person: Visit the Pine County Courthouse at 635 Northridge Dr NW in Pine City. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. Court staff can search by name and process same-day requests. If you are not an immediate family member, have a brief explanation of your interest ready. In-person is the fastest method and avoids the mail processing delay.
By Mail: Send a completed application with notarization to the Pine County Court Administrator or to MDH at P.O. Box 64882, St. Paul, MN 55164. Include payment by check or money order. Processing by mail runs about one to three weeks. If you need the record quickly, include a note with your contact information so staff can reach you if there are questions.
Online: The VitalChek portal, linked from the MDH website, handles online orders for certified copies. There is a convenience fee beyond the state fee. Use this option if you need a certified copy mailed to you and want to avoid the paperwork of a mail-in request. For quick verification without ordering a copy, use the free Verify a Death tool.
Minnesota Statutes Governing Death Records
Death record registration and access in Minnesota are governed by Minnesota Statute 144.221. This law requires that all deaths be registered with the state and sets out the process for filing death certificates. Minnesota Statute 144.225 controls who can get certified copies and on what basis. Certified copies require a tangible interest; non-certified copies are available to the general public.
Data practices rules under Minnesota Statute 13.10 classify vital records and restrict certain fields on non-certified copies. The cause of death, for example, may not appear on a public informational copy. These restrictions protect the privacy of the deceased while keeping basic death information accessible for public use and research.
Genealogy Research in Pine County
Pine County's history includes early logging camps, farming settlements, and Native American communities. The Hinckley fire of 1894, one of the deadliest disasters in Minnesota history, killed hundreds of people in and near Pine County. Death records from that period can be found in both the state index and in historical archives at MNHS. Researchers tracing ancestors lost in that fire often find the MNHS collections especially useful.
The Pine County Historical Society in Askov and the Pine City Public Library both hold local history materials. Church records, cemetery registers, and local newspaper archives supplement the official death index for earlier deaths. The Pine Knot News, a local paper, has published obituaries for many decades. Some of these archives have been digitized and are searchable online.
Ancestry and FamilySearch both include Minnesota death records for Pine County. Many of these are linked to digitized images of the original death certificates. Public library access to these databases is available free at the Pine City and Hinckley public libraries, as well as most other county libraries throughout Minnesota.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Pine County. Each has its own court administrator and death records office.