Birth Record Amendments

The Office of Vital Records amends Minnesota birth records.

If you need to change a birth certificate after you buy one, you must request an amendment. And you must request an amendment if you need to change the certificate after the child’s first birthday. To request an amendment, fill in the application, pay the fee, and supply documents to support the changes.

What does it mean to amend a birth record?

Amending means correcting or completing information that prints on a birth certificate. If there is incorrect or missing information on your or your child’s birth record, you may request an amendment.

The ‘subject’ of the birth record is the person whose birth was registered.

Items that print on a birth certificate include:

• First, middle, last name and suffix of the subject (the person whose birth was registered)
• Subject's date of birth
• Subject’s time of birth
• Plurality (single, twin, triplet, etc.)
• Sex of subject
• Subject's place of birth (name of hospital or facility, city, county, state)
• Full names of up to two parents
• Parent’s names at birth (names before first marriage)
• Parent’s dates of birth
• Parent’s places of birth

Information appears in all capital letters. 

Add or change a parent

If you want to add or change a parent on a birth record, see Birth Records and Paternity.

Name changes

See Court-ordered name change for information about name changes to your birth record, or your child's birth record.

Replace a birth record after adoption

Amending a birth record is not the same as replacing a birth record after adoption. According to Minnesota law, “Changes related to adoptions... are made by creating a replacement record.”

Who can request an amendment to a birth record?

• The subject of the record. A subject must be 18 or older to request an amendment. If you (the subject) have a court order and are 18 or older, you  must be the requester, not your parent.
• A parent. Your name must be on the subject’s current birth record.
• A legal guardian or legal representative of the subject. You must include a certified copy of a U.S. court order with the application. The court order must name you as the legal guardian or list you as the legal representative.

NOTE: Only a parent of the subject may request an amendment to the deceased subject’s birth record.

How do I request an amendment to a birth record?

1. Read the Birth Record Amendment Packet (PDF). The packet includes the application form, explains how to fill out the application form, and gives information about supporting documents.
2. Gather the documents that support the changes you want to request. You must send Documents to Amend a Birth Record to the Office of Vital Records for review. One of two specific documents is required for changing gender on a birth record. See Requirements to amend gender.
3. Fill out the Birth Record Amendment Application form; do not sign the form.
4. Take the application form to a notary public; sign it in front of the notary public.
5. Send the Birth Record Amendment Application, supporting documents and fees to the address on the application. The Office of Vital Records does not have walk-in service; county vital records offices cannot amend birth records.
6. The Office of Vital Records returns applications that do not have a notary signature and stamp or seal. We also return incomplete applications and applications without full payment.

NOTE: The Office of Vital Records will not amend birth records without payment or supporting documentation.

Does the birth certificate look different after an amendment?

If any part of a subject’s name or date of birth changes, the certificate will show a sentence. This is an example of that sentence: “Registrant's middle name amended by clinic record, baptism certificate 03/07/2019.”

If items other than the subject’s name or date of birth change a different sentence will print on the certificate. That sentence reads: “Data items other than the registrant’s name or date of birth was amended 03/07/2019.”

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