ST. PAUL — Officials say thousands of Minnesota health care providers aren’t following new state rules that require making records electronic.

There’s no penalty for being out of compliance, so there’s not much officials can do. The state Health Department says all hospitals and nearly all primary care clinics are in compliance, but that’s not the case for many dentists, mental health professionals and chiropractors.

State legislation passed eight years ago called for making records digital by 2015. The Health Department says using sharable electronic records allows for more safety and efficiency in health care. But some providers worry about costs and patient privacy.

The department doesn’t plan to seek more enforcement power.