Blue Earth County Marriage and Divorce
Marriage records in Blue Earth County are not District Court case files. The county License Center/Vital Records office handles marriage licenses and local marriage certificates for marriages applied for in Blue Earth County. The office is at the County Government Center, 410 S. 5th Street, Mankato, Minnesota 56001, phone (507) 304-4340. The mailing address for marriage copy requests is Blue Earth County Vital Records, PO Box 3524, Mankato, MN 56002-3524.
Divorce is different. Minnesota calls divorce a Dissolution of Marriage, and divorce case files are family records of District Court. For Blue Earth County residents, the court venue is Blue Earth County District Court at the Justice Center. MCRO can help locate public family case information, but online family documents are limited to court-prepared orders, appellate opinions, and notices. Certified divorce copies come from Court Administration, not MOMS and not the License Center.
Blue Earth County License Center / Vital Records
410 S. 5th Street
Mankato, MN 56001
(507) 304-4340
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; marriage applications accepted until 4:30 p.m.
Blue Earth County District Court
401 Carver Road
Mankato, MN 56001
(507) 594-3055
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Blue Earth County Marriage Records
Blue Earth County states that marriage records applied for in the county are on file from 1865 to the present. The county says all marriage records before 1997 are public. Marriage records after 1997 contain some confidential information and must be partially restricted before public viewing. To obtain a record, the county asks for the names of the applicants before marriage and the date of marriage.
The Minnesota Official Marriage System is the statewide starting point for marriage searches. MOMS can search statewide or by county, and it also starts the application path for a new marriage license. A MOMS search is not the same as a certified Blue Earth County copy. Certified and non-certified copies requested by mail from Blue Earth County cost the same amount and use the county application form.
Minnesota Official Marriage System is the source for this assigned Blue Earth County marriage records image.
MOMS is useful for finding the marriage entry before ordering a local Blue Earth County certificate copy.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Options or format notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| County | Dropdown | Optional or unspecified | Search statewide or select Blue Earth for local records. |
| Search By | Dropdown | Unspecified | Both Applicants, Applicant 1, or Applicant 2. |
| Last Name | Text | Unspecified | Applicant name search. |
| First Name | Text | Optional | Narrows results. |
| Middle Name | Text | Optional | Narrows results. |
| Date Range From / To | Date | Optional | Limits the marriage date range. |
| Search Option | Dropdown | Unspecified | Name Starts With, Name Sounds Like, or Name Exact Match. |
Apply for a Blue Earth County License
Minnesota law requires a marriage license before the ceremony. The county page states that both applicants must appear in person to process the marriage license application. MOMS can start the application online, but the local in-person processing happens at the Blue Earth County License Center. The county requires identification and Social Security numbers for each party. If either applicant was married before, the most recent marriage termination information is needed, including date, court, and place.
Minnesota Statute 517.10, which describes marriage certificate content and filing, is the source for this assigned image.
The statute source supports why names, birth details, residence, and the date and place of marriage matter in the final certificate record.
- Start the application or search path in MOMS if using the online starting point.
- Have both applicants appear in person at the Blue Earth County License Center for processing.
- Bring identification and Social Security numbers for each applicant.
- Provide prior-marriage termination details if either applicant has been married before.
- Complete processing before the county's application cutoff time and follow the license instructions given by the License Center.
- After the marriage, use the local copy request process if a certified or non-certified Blue Earth County certificate is needed.
Blue Earth County Marriage Fields
The research file captured both the online MOMS search fields and the county's certificate-copy request fields. For a new license, expect identity and prior-marriage information. For a copy request, the county form asks for requester contact information, applicant names on the record, date of marriage, copy count, and signature. Those fields help the License Center distinguish a local Blue Earth County marriage from a statewide index result.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Names of applicants before marriage | Yes for lookup | Needed to obtain the marriage record. |
| Date of marriage | Yes for lookup | Required on the county copy form. |
| Identification | Yes for application processing | Required for each applicant. |
| Social Security number | Yes for application processing | Required for each party by county instructions. |
| Prior-marriage termination details | Conditional | Date, court, and place for the most recent prior marriage. |
| Requester contact and signature | Yes on copy form | Name, address, email, phone, date, and signature appear on the request form. |
Blue Earth County Marriage Divorce Fees
Marriage copy pricing comes from Blue Earth County. Divorce and court-copy pricing comes from the Minnesota Judicial Branch District Court fee schedule. The research did not provide a Blue Earth marriage license fee, so it is not listed here. For a fee that is not shown in the researched sources, contact the License Center or Court Administration before mailing a request or filing a case.
| Item | Amount | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Certified marriage certificate copy | $9 each | Blue Earth County Vital Records |
| Non-certified marriage certificate copy | $9 each | Blue Earth County Vital Records |
| Divorce or dissolution filing | $390 | Blue Earth County District Court |
| Custody, paternity, parenting time, or registration filing | $310 | Blue Earth County District Court |
| Certified copy of a court instrument | $14 | Court Administration |
| Exemplified and certified copy | $28 | Court Administration |
| Uncertified court copy of an instrument | $0 | District Court fee schedule |
Blue Earth County Divorce Records Search
Divorce records are District Court family records. The Minnesota Judicial Branch divorce overview says at least one spouse must have lived in Minnesota for at least 180 days, or kept Minnesota residence while serving in the armed forces, before filing. The forms are filed in the district court county where one spouse lives. For Blue Earth County, that means Blue Earth County District Court.
Minnesota Judicial Branch divorce information is the source for this assigned Blue Earth County divorce image.
The state divorce source explains the residency rule, filing venue, and form paths used by Blue Earth County residents.
Search MCRO Case Search under the Family category and use the Blue Earth county filter. Search by case number when possible. Family online documents are narrower than civil or probate files because MCRO provides only court-prepared orders, appellate opinions, and notices online for family case types. Financial details, minor-child information, confidential forms, and sealed family details may be restricted or redacted.
Certified Copies and Restrictions
Certified marriage copies are requested from Blue Earth County Vital Records by mail using the county's Application for Certified Copy of Marriage Certificate. The form asks for the requester's name, date, address, email, phone, applicant names on the record, date of marriage, number of copies, signature, and office-use payment fields. Mail requests go to PO Box 3524 in Mankato.
Certified divorce decrees and certified court orders come from District Court Administration. MCRO is useful for search, but the MCRO FAQ states that online records are not certified court records. For missing family documents, older case files, certified decrees, or copies that do not appear online, contact Blue Earth County District Court Administration at (507) 594-3055.
Note: Post-1997 Blue Earth County marriage records contain confidential information and must be partially restricted before public viewing.