Rice County Genealogy Records
Rice County genealogy records go back to the 1850s and are held at the County Recorder in Faribault, the Rice County Genealogical Society in Northfield, and the Minnesota Historical Society, covering birth, death, marriage, land, probate, and court records with some collections starting as early as 1853 for land and 1856 for marriages. The county has unusually deep local genealogy resources for a rural Minnesota county.
Rice County Overview
Rice County Recorder
The Rice County Recorder in Faribault holds vital records and land documents for the county. Birth records date to 1870 and death records also start in 1870. Marriage records go back even further, to 1856, which is among the earliest coverage for any Minnesota county. Land records start in 1853. This depth of records makes Rice County one of the better-documented counties in the state for pre-Civil War genealogy research.
A public viewing station is available at the Recorder's office for genealogy researchers who visit in person. You can browse indexes and review available records before ordering copies. For mail requests, contact the office directly to ask about procedures and any required forms. Call 507-332-6114 or visit ricecountymn.gov for contact details and hours.
Vital records access follows Minnesota Statutes section 144.225. Births over 100 years old and deaths over 50 years old are available for genealogy use without restrictions on who can request them.
| Office | Rice County Recorder |
|---|---|
| Address | 320 Third Street NW, Faribault, MN 55021 |
| Phone | 507-332-6114 |
| Website | ricecountymn.gov |
The Rice County government website connects you to the Recorder's Office and other county departments that hold genealogy-relevant records in Faribault.
The county site provides access to department contacts, office hours, and information on requesting records from the Recorder in Faribault.
Rice County Genealogical Society
The Rice County Genealogical Society is based in Northfield and maintains a research library in the Marston Headley Research Room at the Northfield Historical Society Museum. This society has been collecting and indexing local genealogy materials for many years. Their library holds published family histories, cemetery records, newspaper clippings, and other research aids that are not available through any online tool.
The society can be reached through the Northfield Historical Society at 408 Division St S, Northfield, MN 55057. Call 507-645-9268 for research assistance. For Rice County families, this local genealogical society can be just as valuable as the county Recorder's office, particularly for records from the late 1800s and early 1900s when the county was heavily settled by Norwegian and other Scandinavian immigrants.
The Northfield Historical Society hosts the Rice County Genealogical Society's research room and can assist with inquiries about family history in the Northfield area and Rice County more broadly.
The Northfield Historical Society and the Rice County Genealogical Society together form a strong local resource for family history research in this part of southeastern Minnesota.
| Organization | Rice County Genealogical Society |
|---|---|
| Address | c/o Northfield Historical Society, 408 Division St S, Northfield, MN 55057 |
| Phone | 507-645-9268 |
Special Collections on FamilySearch
FamilySearch has digitized several notable Rice County collections. Will records from 1857 to 1980 are available online. Probate records from 1857 to 1941 have also been digitized. Perhaps most unusual is a digitized collection of court records from the Northfield Bank Robbery proceedings of 1876. These are historically significant documents and also contain names of witnesses, defendants, and other individuals who were part of the community at that time.
The FamilySearch Wiki for Rice County at familysearch.org lists all available records and their location. Reviewing the wiki before you start searching can save considerable time by showing you which records are online versus which require a trip to Faribault or Northfield.
The RAOGK project for Rice County at raogk.org provides volunteer lookup services for local records. This is useful if you cannot visit Rice County in person and need someone on the ground to check a source for you.
Vital Records Search
The Minnesota Department of Health holds statewide vital records starting with births from 1900 and deaths from 1908. Noncertified genealogy copies cost $13 each. Requests go to P.O. Box 64882, St. Paul, MN 55164. Call 651-201-5970 or visit health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords for details.
For Rice County records before 1900, the county Recorder holds births from 1870 and deaths from 1870. Marriage records starting in 1856 are among the earliest in the state. These pre-1900 records from the county office can fill decades that the MDH state system does not cover.
Marriage records from 1958 to 2001 are searchable for free through MOMS at moms.mn.gov. The MHS People Records Search at mnhs.org/search/people also covers many Rice County names across multiple databases.
Nearby Counties
Rice County borders Dakota, Goodhue, Le Sueur, Olmsted, Scott, Steele, and Waseca counties. Researchers tracing Rice County families often need to check records in these neighboring areas as well.