Search Ramsey County Genealogy Records

Ramsey County genealogy records are available through the Ramsey County Vital Statistics Office in St. Paul, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the District Court, covering birth, death, marriage, land, and probate records that extend back to 1850 for some collections. As the county containing St. Paul, Ramsey County holds some of the most extensive local genealogy resources in the state.

Ramsey County Vital Statistics

Ramsey County Vital Statistics in St. Paul handles birth, death, marriage, and divorce records for the county. The office is located at 90 Plato Blvd. West. Call 651-266-1333 for birth, death, and marriage records. For divorce records, the number is 651-266-2842. County-level birth and death records go back to 1850, making Ramsey one of the few Minnesota counties with records predating the Civil War.

Vital records access is governed by Minnesota Statutes section 144.225. Births over 100 years old and deaths over 50 years old are available as noncertified genealogy copies. For more recent records, you will need to show a qualifying relationship to the person named on the record. The county office can tell you what documentation is needed for a specific request.

You can also request noncertified vital record copies through the Minnesota Department of Health at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords. The MDH fee for a noncertified genealogy copy is $13. If you are not sure whether the county or state holds the record you need, starting with the MDH website gives a good overview of what is available and from which years.

The county's Ramsey County government website provides access to county services, office contacts, and directions to the Vital Statistics Office in downtown St. Paul near the riverfront.

The Ramsey County government site includes links to vital statistics, property records, and court information that researchers working on St. Paul and Ramsey County family history will find useful.

Minnesota Historical Society

The MHS is located in Ramsey County at 345 Kellogg Blvd W, St. Paul, MN 55102. For Ramsey County researchers, this is both the county historical resource and the statewide archive. Their Gale Family Library holds an enormous amount of material: state census records, naturalization records, military records, newspapers going back to the 1800s, and church records from congregations across Minnesota.

The MHS holds many Ramsey County records that have been transferred from county offices, including older probate files and court documents. Their People Records Search at mnhs.org/search/people is a free tool that covers multiple MHS databases. You can search by name and see what materials exist at the MHS for a specific person or family. The library is open Tuesday through Saturday. Call 651-259-3300 for hours and to ask about specific collections.

For Ramsey County specifically, the MHS holds state census records and naturalization records that cover the large immigrant communities who came to St. Paul in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Irish, German, and Eastern European families are well represented in these collections.

Marriage and Divorce Records

Marriage records for Ramsey County from 1958 to 2001 are searchable through MOMS at moms.mn.gov at no charge. For marriages outside that range, contact Ramsey County Vital Statistics directly. The MHS marriage index also covers many Ramsey County marriages and can help you find records for earlier decades.

Divorce records are available through the Ramsey County court system. Call 651-266-2842 for divorce record requests. These are District Court records and may include petitions, decrees, and supporting documents that list children, property, and other family details. Older divorce files held at the county courthouse can be rich sources of genealogy information.

Note: The MOMS online system covers a specific range of years. Always check both MOMS and the county office if a marriage record does not appear in the online search.

Land and Probate Records in Ramsey County

Property records for Ramsey County are available through county offices and reflect land transactions going back to the earliest settlement of St. Paul in the 1840s and 1850s. Federal land patents from that era are searchable at the BLM General Land Office Records site at glorecords.blm.gov. These can show original homestead entries and who first claimed land in what became Ramsey County.

Probate records go through the Ramsey County District Court. Wills, estate inventories, and probate case files can name heirs and describe family relationships in detail. The MHS holds older probate files for the county. If a relative died in St. Paul or elsewhere in Ramsey County before the mid-1900s, it is worth checking whether a probate file exists even if you do not know they had a will. Estate files sometimes turn up marriage dates, birthplaces, and children's names that do not appear anywhere else.

The FamilySearch Wiki for Ramsey County at familysearch.org provides a summary of what records exist for the county and where they are held, which is a good orientation for new researchers.

Nearby Counties

Ramsey County is surrounded by Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, and Washington counties. Families often lived across county lines in the Twin Cities metro area, so these neighboring county records are worth checking.

Cities in Ramsey County

St. Paul is the county seat and the primary city in Ramsey County. City-level records for St. Paul may be accessed through county and state offices listed on this page.