Minnesota City Criminal Court Records

Minnesota cities do not maintain their own criminal court records. All criminal cases, from misdemeanors to felonies, are filed and maintained at the District Court in the county where the case originated. Cities may have local police departments that hold arrest reports and incident records, but the official court record lives at the county level. Knowing which county your city belongs to is the first step when you need to search for criminal court records. Select a city below to find out which county court handles criminal case records for that area, along with courthouse contact info, local search tools, and resources to help with your search.

Minneapolis St. Paul Rochester Bloomington Duluth Brooklyn Park Woodbury Plymouth Lakeville Blaine Maple Grove St. Cloud Eagan Burnsville Eden Prairie Coon Rapids Apple Valley Minnetonka Edina

Which County Court Handles Your City

Every city in Minnesota falls under a county, and that county's District Court is where all criminal cases for that city get filed and kept. When police in Minneapolis make an arrest, the case goes to Hennepin County District Court. When police in St. Paul file charges, the case is in Ramsey County. Rochester cases go to Olmsted County. Duluth cases go to St. Louis County. No matter how large the city, the county courthouse handles the records.

This matters when you are searching for criminal court records. If you search in the wrong county, you will not find the case. Each city page on this site identifies the county court that serves it, gives you the courthouse address and phone number, and links directly to the county page so you can get full contact details and local search instructions.

Some larger cities have multiple courthouses or branch locations. Hennepin County, for example, has a main courthouse in downtown Minneapolis plus a suburban location. Cases are divided between these locations based on the charge type and the city of incident. The specific city pages on this site note these local details where they apply.

Searching Minnesota City Criminal Court Records Online

The best starting point for any city is the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) portal at mncourts.gov. You can search by full name, case number, or citation number. The system covers all counties, so you do not need to know the exact county ahead of time. Just enter the name and the results will show which county courthouse holds the case.

MCRO provides free basic case lookups. If you want to view documents filed in the case, you can register for a free MCRO account and access documents filed on or after July 1, 2015. For older records, you will need to contact the county Court Administrator directly. Most county offices accept mail requests and can provide certified copies for a fee set by state rule.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) runs a separate Public Criminal History Search at $8.00 per search. This tool checks for convictions statewide over the past 15 years and is often used for background checks. It is different from a court record search because it only shows conviction data, not pending cases or dismissed charges.

Note: MCRO is offline every Sunday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM for maintenance.

Local Police Records vs. Court Records

Cities have their own police departments that hold arrest reports, incident reports, and booking records. These are separate from court records. A police report is created when someone is arrested or when an incident is reported. A court record is created when charges are filed in District Court.

Not every arrest leads to a court case. If charges are never filed, there may be a police report but no court record. If charges are filed and then dismissed before trial, there will be a court record but no conviction. The type of record you need depends on what you are trying to find out.

To get police records, you contact the city's police department directly and submit a data request under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA). To get court records, you use MCRO or contact the county Court Administrator. Both types of records can be useful depending on your purpose.

Each city page on this site focuses on criminal court records and points you to the right county courthouse. For police department contacts, the city pages include links to local law enforcement where available.

Major Minnesota Cities and Their County Courts

Here is a quick reference for the largest cities and which county court handles their criminal cases. Minneapolis cases are in Hennepin County. St. Paul cases are in Ramsey County. Rochester cases go to Olmsted County. Duluth cases go to St. Louis County. Bloomington, Eden Prairie, and Edina cases are all in Hennepin County.

Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, and Plymouth are also in Hennepin County. Blaine, Coon Rapids, and Anoka are in Anoka County. Woodbury cases go to Washington County. Lakeville, Burnsville, Apple Valley, and Eagan are all in Dakota County. Minnetonka is in Hennepin County. St. Cloud is in Stearns County.

Knowing the right county saves time. Select a city below to get the full details for that location, including courthouse address, local search tools, and how to request copies of criminal court records.