Amending a Death Record - Pursuant to MDH Rule 4601.2100

Amending through a Registrar within 45 days of the filing date and before to issuance of a certified death certificate, may be done on the basis of written notice by the informant who provided the original information or by the person who filed the death record. Amendments are limited to correcting information originally recorded in error and providing missing information.

Amending through a Registrar after 45 days of the filing date or after issuance of a certified death certificate.

Requires one document to add or change information to the items below when amending with a registrar.

1. Decedent's name
2. Decedent's date of death
3. Decedent's date of birth
4. Decedent's parentage
5. Decedent's spouse's name
6. Decedent's maiden name
7. Decedent's marital status
8. Decedent's social security number
9. Decedent's sex

Acceptable Documents

1. Certified birth certificate
2. Certified marriage certificate
3. Certified divorce decree
4. A legal description of the place of death that has been properly recorded with the county recorder
5. For date or place of death, a notarized statement from a person who was present at the death
6. A court order that instructs the registrar to make the requested change.

Time Requirements

There is no requirement for how long ago the documents were established.

Amending through a funeral establishment or an informant within one year of the death

A person may request an amendment by contacting the funeral home establishment that filed the death record or the informant who provided information to the funeral home staff. Upon receipt of a notarized statement from the funeral home or informant, the registrar may amend the death record without collecting any other documentation.

Limitations

There are four instances when a death record must be amended by the state registrar's office only. Those instances are:

1. amending causes of death,
2. amending death records after five years of death,
3. amending previously amended items,
4. when the requester cannot provide acceptable documentation.

Who can initiate and amendment?

Funeral home or the informant

FEES

$40.00