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State Hospital Records Research Request

State Hospital Records Research Request


At this time, only an index search is available. Staff are currently working on a more extensive research service that will be available sometime in the future.

Records from the Faribault School for the Deaf / Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf or from the Faribault School for the Blind / Minnesota State Academy for the Blind need to be ordered via the request form for that institution (click here to go to that form).

*** Important: Please read! ***

Ordering an extended search requires information from the index(es), including the patient ID number. 

If you do not have the index information, please select Index Search under the State Hospital Service Options menu above. When you have results from the Index Search, then you will be able to order the Extended Search.

The records available for extended searches vary greatly by institution and date. They may include:

  • Statistical Records (short version of case record)
  • Admission/Discharge records
  • Cemetery/Death records
  • Case Books
  • Commitment Papers 
  • Other record types

These records may or may not include a formal diagnosis or doctor’s notes.  Modern case files and modern medical records are typically not available. 


If you do not know the exact dates of birth, death, admission or discharge, please submit your best guesses. The date fields accept numbers or text, so please include any information that you have including broad estimates. The Additional Information box at the very bottom of this form can also be used to add information that you think may be relevant.

If any of the date fields are left blank, we may cancel and refund your order. Library researchers need as much information as possible in searching for your individual.

Restrictions on access: MN State Hospital records contain private information about individuals and access to many of them is restricted.

Patient records contain private information and are restricted for 75 years from the date of the last entry in the record or file. Under specific circumstances, information in the files may be subject to longer and more strict restrictions. Please note: Information in files can stretch well beyond the term of hospitalization and privacy rules apply to any 3rd parties as well as the main subject.

You have indicated that you are requesting your own state hospital record. Because protecting individual privacy is extremely important to us, records for living individuals are virtually always closed to public research. Please complete your order and staff will contact you for information about proving your identity.

Due to staffing and resource changes, this research service will be unavailable during the Summer of 2025.  We expect the service to return in the Fall--please check back with us then.

Older records (before 1900) may be available in person at the Library. If you have a legal need for a record–a court date, benefits claim, etc.,-please email reference@mnhs.org and we will do our best to help.

For this research service, Library Staff will search for one patient in the records of one Minnesota state institution.

State Hospital Records Requests may take 60 business days or more to complete.

Price:
Index Search: $5
Extended Search: $20

MNHS Members receive 10% discount at checkout


Turnaround: Research is usually completed and sent via email within 60 business days.


About this Research Service:

Index Search:

Staff will search in the card, ledger/register, and digital indexes for one patient in one specified hospital, and send a digital copy or transcription of the materials found. 

We will send the best possible copy, but some items may be illegible due to writing or condition. Some information in indexes was recorded using institutional codes and/or abbreviations.

Index materials of this nature include varying types of information. Most include:
  • Full Name
  • Admission Date
  • Discharge Date
  • Patient Number
Some may include information about:
  • County of admission
  • Health (vaccines, diagnosis, etc.)
  • Death (if the patient died while at the institution)
  • Parole or escape
  • Payment or finances
  • Family contacts
  • Other hospital admissions or transfers
There is an Index Range listed with each hospital's name in the drop-down options. Do not order index searches outside of a hospital’s date range, as there will be no substantive information available and your order will be cancelled upon submission.

Extended search:

Staff will pull the extended patient records for one patient in one specified hospital, and send a digital copy or transcription of the materials found. For this search, you will need to have the patient's name, their patient ID number, and their admission date.

If you do not have the patient ID number or admission date, please order the Index Search first.  

The records available for extended searches vary greatly by institution and date. They may include:
  • Statistical Records (short version of case record)
  • Admission/Discharge records
  • Cemetery/Death records
  • Case Books
  • Commitment Papers
  • Other record types

These records may or may not include a formal diagnosis or doctor’s notes.  Modern case files and modern medical records are typically not available. 

Cambridge State Hospital records are not available as part of either the Index or Extended Search services. Please contact the library for more information

Restrictions on access: Patient records contain private information and are restricted for 75 years from the date of the last entry in the record or file. Under specific circumstances, information in the files may be subject to longer and more strict restrictions. Please note: Information in files can stretch well beyond the term of hospitalization and privacy rules apply to any 3rd parties as well as the main subject. 

Questions? Email: reference@mnhs.org

Mail: MNHS Library, attn: State Hospital Record Request, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55102

For More Information:


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