Someone died in Minnesota. Start here.
The first 24 hours, in order, then the first week and the first month, with Minnesota's actual rules for death certificates, cremation, and probate. This page is free. No account required.
Sources: official Minnesota statutes and agencies, linked below. Last updated: October 2026.
Start with safety, the required local response, and the people who can help. The exact process depends on where and how the death occurred.
These figures come from the same data as our full Minnesota guide, built from state statutes and official agencies.
Death certificate
Filed within 5 days
The window runs from the death. The funeral provider or another authorized filer usually handles it. Ask each institution whether it needs a certified copy, then order an initial quantity based on those actual needs. Confirm the current fee with the issuing office; the guide's last-reviewed first-copy or search fee starts at $13. Additional-copy, vendor, and expedited fees may differ.
Source: Minn. Stat. §§ 144.221, 144.225, 144.226 · MN Dept. of Health Vital Records (opens in a new tab)Cremation
No fixed statutory wait
Minnesota doesn’t set a fixed minimum wait in the source reviewed. Release, authorization, permit, death-record, or investigation requirements may still delay cremation. The person legally authorized under state law completes any required authorization; the provider handles its filing process.
Source: Minn. Stat. §§ 149A.91 & 149A.95 (preparation of body; crematories and cr… (opens in a new tab)Probate
$75,000 listed amount
The amount alone doesn’t establish eligibility. Confirm which property counts, how it’s valued, the waiting period, ownership, any pending court case, and every other state condition.
Source: Minn. Stat. §§ 524.3-108 & 524.3-1201 (probate time limit; collection by … (opens in a new tab)Estate tax
Yes, this state has one
Minnesota's estate tax has state-specific exemptions, rates, filing rules, and responsible parties. Check the linked state tax authority.
Source 1: Minn. Stat. §§ 291.016, 291.03 & Minnesota Department of Revenue (opens in a new tab)Source 2: IRS: 2026 estate tax basic exclusion amount (opens in a new tab)Days 2 to 7 · 1 to 7 days
These tasks often begin during the first week, but local requirements and the family's circumstances may change the order.
Weeks 2 to 4 · 1 to 4 weeks
The immediate calls may slow down. Estate, account, benefit, property, and tax work often continues for months.
The Long Game · 1 month+
Estate administration may take months or longer. The timing depends on the assets, claims, disputes, tax work, court schedule, and state procedure.
Have the death officially pronounced. For an expected hospice death, call the hospice nurse and follow the hospice instructions. For an unexpected death, call 911 and don’t move the body until you’re told you can. Then notify the closest people and, after the body is released, contact the funeral, cremation, burial, or donation provider the person chose.
In Minnesota, the death certificate must be filed within 5 days of the death. The funeral provider or another authorized filer usually handles it. Ask each institution whether it needs a certified copy, then order an initial quantity based on those actual needs.
Anyone can buy a noncertified informational death record. A certified death certificate goes to a parent named on the record, a child, the spouse named on the record, a grandparent or great-grandparent, a grandchild or great-grandchild, a sibling, the personal representative, successor or trustee handling the estate, someone with a documented personal or property right, an attorney for an eligible requester, a government representative, or a court order. Requesters show ID and sign the form before a notary or county staff. Certified copies come from Minnesota's Office of Vital Records, Minnesota Department of Health; county vital records offices issue copies while you wait, and the state office has no walk-in service.
$13 for a certified copy from the state office, per the fee page linked on this page. Additional copies on the same order are $6 each. The state office takes mail and fax only; any county vital records office charges the same $13 over the counter. A copy for Veterans Affairs purposes is free.
From Minnesota's Office of Vital Records, Minnesota Department of Health; county vital records offices issue copies while you wait, and the state office has no walk-in service, in person at a county vital records office, or by mail or fax to the state office with a notarized application. The official order page is linked on this page. The funeral home usually orders the first copies for you.
Minnesota doesn’t set a fixed minimum wait in the source reviewed. Release, authorization, permit, death-record, or investigation requirements may still delay cremation. The person legally authorized under state law completes any required authorization; the provider handles its filing process.
Minnesota's stated small-estate threshold is $75,000. Value alone doesn’t establish eligibility. Ownership, asset type, timing, beneficiaries, debts, and other state requirements can affect whether a simplified procedure is available.
Yes. Minnesota has a state estate tax. Exemptions, rates, filing rules, and responsible parties vary. Check the linked state tax authority. The federal basic exclusion amount is $15 million for deaths in 2026, and Form 706 may also be relevant for certain elections.
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