Renville County Genealogy Records Lookup
Renville County genealogy records are available through the County Recorder's Office in Olivia, covering vital records, extensive land records, and court files including will records from as early as 1873 that are now accessible through FamilySearch. The county offers both in-person access and mail-in request options for certified and noncertified copies of key genealogy documents.
Renville County Overview
Renville County Recorder
The Renville County Recorder in Olivia handles vital records, land records, and real estate documents for the county. Vital records available through the Recorder include birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates. You can request records in person, by mail, or by fax. The office is in the courthouse at 500 E DePue Avenue, Suite 203, Olivia, MN 56277.
Land records at the Renville County Recorder are extensive and cover real estate document recording going back to the earliest days of the county. Deeds, mortgages, and property transfers are part of this collection. For genealogy, land records are often the first place to confirm a family's presence in the county and can show property changes across generations.
Fee schedule for vital records: birth certificates cost $26 for the first certified copy and $19 for each additional copy. Death certificates cost $13 for the first and $6 for each additional. Marriage certificates cost $9 for the first copy and $2 for each additional. Noncertified genealogy copies may be available at a lower cost. Call 320-523-3669 or fax 320-523-3650 to ask about your specific request. Vital records access follows Minnesota Statutes section 144.225.
| Office | Renville County Recorder |
|---|---|
| Address | 500 E DePue Avenue, Suite 203, Olivia, MN 56277 |
| Phone | 320-523-3669 |
| Fax | 320-523-3650 |
| Website | renvillecountymn.gov/recorder |
FamilySearch and Digitized Records
One of the most useful online resources for Renville County research is FamilySearch. Will records from 1873 to 1976 have been digitized and are available on FamilySearch at no charge. This is a significant collection for a county that was settled in the mid-1800s. Probate records from 1873 through 1941 are also available online through FamilySearch.
The FamilySearch Wiki for Renville County at familysearch.org lists all known record types for the county and where they are held. Before contacting any county office, reviewing the FamilySearch Wiki can save time by showing you which records are already available online versus what you need to request in person or by mail.
The RAOGK project for Renville County at raogk.org connects researchers with volunteers who can look up local records on your behalf. This is helpful if you cannot travel to Olivia and need someone to check a local source that is not digitized.
Vital Records Through State Resources
The Minnesota Department of Health holds statewide birth records from 1900 and death records from 1908. Noncertified genealogy copies cost $13 each. Requests go to P.O. Box 64882, St. Paul, MN 55164 by mail or fax. Call 651-201-5970 or check health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords for forms and instructions.
For Renville County births and deaths before 1900, you need to go directly to the county Recorder. County records from that era can fill in gaps that the state system does not cover. Marriage records for 1958 to 2001 are searchable through MOMS at moms.mn.gov at no charge. This free search is a good first step before calling the Recorder.
The MHS People Records Search at mnhs.org/search/people can pull results for Renville County names from several MHS databases including state census records, newspaper collections, and naturalization records.
Land Records and Probate Research
Federal land patents for Renville County can be searched at no charge through the BLM General Land Office Records at glorecords.blm.gov. This site holds the original homestead and pre-emption patents for the county going back to the earliest settlement period. Searching by surname can show when a family first acquired land in Renville County and often includes birthplace data.
As noted above, will records from 1873 to 1976 and probate records from 1873 to 1941 are digitized on FamilySearch. For probate files outside that range, the District Court in Olivia holds case files. Older probate files from the county may also be at the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul. Probate records are valuable because estate inventories and will documents often name children, spouses, and siblings that do not appear in any other record type.
The MHS Gale Family Library at 345 Kellogg Blvd W, St. Paul, is open Tuesday through Saturday. Their phone number is 651-259-3300. For Renville County research that goes deeper than what you can find online, the MHS is the key statewide archive.
Nearby Counties
Renville County borders Chippewa, Kandiyohi, McLeod, Redwood, Sibley, Swift, and Yellow Medicine counties. Family research often crosses county lines in this part of south-central Minnesota.