Dakota County Service & License Centers
1 Mendota Road W, West St Paul, Minnesota, 55118-2372
Contact & location
- Address
- 1 Mendota Road W, West St Paul, Minnesota, 55118-2372
- Mail-in address
- Northern Service Center Service Desk1 Mendota Road W., West St Paul, Minnesota, 55118-2372
- Records for
- Dakota County, Minnesota
- Phone
- 651-554-6531
- Official site
- Government website ↗
Last verified July 14, 2026
This office issues Minnesota state records
Dakota County follows Minnesota’s fees, eligibility rules and processing times. Compare the statewide baseline below before choosing where to go.
- $26.00
- Minnesota birth certificate fee
- 4–5 weeks
- Statewide processing
- 5,793,151
- Minnesota population
Office hours
via Google| Monday | 8:00am - 4:30pm |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 8:00am - 4:30pm |
| Wednesday | 8:00am - 4:30pm |
| Thursday | 8:00am - 4:30pm |
| Friday | 8:00am - 4:30pm |
| Saturday | closed |
| Sunday | closed |
Certificates, fees & processing
| Record | Fee | Processing |
|---|---|---|
| Birth Certificate | $26.00 | 4–5 weeksMinnesota estimate |
| Death Certificate | $13.00 | 4–5 weeksMinnesota estimate |
Processing times are set at state level — county offices do not publish their own — and are estimates that vary with demand.
The Dakota County Service & License Centers’s office or registry of vital records, offers a wide range of crucial services. These offices play a vital role in the protection and provision of essential documents such as birth certificates, death certificates . In addition to maintaining these primary records, they are responsible for managing and issuing copies of birth, marriage, and death records that occurred within the Township of West St Paul. Alongside record maintenance, this office provides valuable services like issuing certified copies of documents, overseeing the registration of domestic partnerships, and offering assistance to rectify any errors detected in vital records. Through these comprehensive services, the vital records office ensures the accuracy, accessibility, and integrity of vital records for the benefit of the community.
Reviews
★★★★★3.6 (67)- ★★★★★Alli SullivanGoogle
Absolutely terrible customer service. For years prior, my family and I have not had THIS BAD of service with the county. If I could give them zero stars, I would. We have been calling since February of 2025 to renew our benefits and nothing. I have been emailing them constantly, as well. We have no clue who our worker is after all of these months and they are constantly giving us the run around about a "phone interview" which they provide no actual time and date. I honestly think they completely forgot about our case. I will be attempting to speak with a supervisor today. We will see how that goes if I can even get a decent human on the line. This is atrocious. Our system is VERY flawed.
- ★★★★★Terri J SmithGoogle
Needed a certified Certificate of Death from the Vital Records Department. I was there about 11am. Only 1 person ahead of me. The clerk was quick and helpful. When asked how many certified copies I wanted, I asked what do most people request? She was kind, and knee I was stressed and she gave an answer which was helpful because I really didn't know who would need a certified or copy record. I was in and out in about 15 minutes.
- ★★★★★Mark EsslingerGoogle
I dont give one star reviews easily but I was very tempted. This building is a shinning example of government waste. Can you get what you need here quickly with a friendly person? Unfortunately, NO is the answer that I would give. There are countless empty rooms and hallways and an entryway that rivals the highest end hotels. When you do get to the department that you need its the same attitude and treatment as the DMV.
- ★★★★★DreGoogle
Absolute joke. I make about 3,440 a month and support my special needs brother all on one income. They said it's "make too much money" to qualify for snap or any assistance. The maximum income you can make is 3525$ so why am I being denied if I make about 80$ LESS?? We struggle to pay for food, I cant afford my phone bill and we are barely surviving and I "make too much money"???? If I made "too much money" I wouldn't be struggling so damn hard and crying myself to sleep scared wondering how am I gonna take care of the both of us?! This county does NOTHING to help disabled and low income individuals. If you need real help, you better hope you have someone in your life to help you because Dakota county does NOT care about its people!!!
- ★★★★★Ashley LayneGoogle
Michael at the service desk helped us get squared away with our marriage license. He was kind, funny and very thorough. Thank you! The place was clean, easy to get to and had good parking.