St. Louis County Criminal Court Records

St. Louis County criminal court records are filed across three separate courthouse locations in Duluth, Hibbing, and Virginia. This is the only Minnesota county with chambered judges in three distinct courthouses. The 6th Judicial District covers St. Louis County, the largest county by area in Minnesota. Whether your case was filed in Duluth or one of the Iron Range courthouses, the same statewide search tools apply.

Three Courthouse Locations

St. Louis County is unique in Minnesota because it maintains full court administration at three separate courthouses. Each location has chambered judges and handles criminal cases independently. When requesting records, note which courthouse handled your case, as records requests should go to the relevant location.

Duluth handles the bulk of the county's criminal caseload as the largest city in northern Minnesota. Hibbing and Virginia serve the Iron Range region to the north and west. All three locations maintain full administrative services and process records requests directly.

Searching St. Louis County Criminal Records

Minnesota Court Records Online at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us covers all three St. Louis County courthouse locations in one search. Enter a name or case number and results will show which courthouse the case is filed at, along with charges, hearing dates, and dispositions.

St. Louis County is one of the busiest criminal court jurisdictions in northern Minnesota. Duluth, the largest city in the region, generates a significant volume of cases each year. MCRO handles this volume well and results are generally current.

Some records are restricted. Juvenile cases, records under expungement orders, and certain sealed matters do not appear in public searches. Minn. Stat. Chapter 13 governs what is and isn't public. If a name search returns nothing, it could mean the records are sealed rather than absent.

Public access terminals are available at all three courthouses. You can search MCRO on-site for free during office hours. Staff at each location can direct you to the terminal if you need help finding it.

Getting Copies of St. Louis County Court Records

Request copies from the courthouse that handled the case. In-person is the fastest method. Uncertified copies are free since July 1, 2023. Certified copies cost $14 each.

For mail requests, write to the appropriate courthouse address. Include the case number, the specific document you need, and your return address. Certified copy requests should include a check payable to the St. Louis County District Court. Full details are on the Minnesota Courts copy request page.

If you are not sure which courthouse has your case, search MCRO first. The results will show the filing location. Then contact that specific courthouse to request copies.

BCA Criminal History Database

For a statewide criminal history check, use the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension database at dps.mn.gov. The fee is $8 per search. Results cover conviction records from all Minnesota counties for the past 15 years, including St. Louis County.

BCA results show convictions only. Pending cases, dismissals, and acquittals are not included. This makes BCA useful for background checks but not for tracking the full history of a case. Use MCRO for case-level details including filings, hearings, and outcomes.

St. Louis County Sheriff and County Attorney

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office is a major law enforcement agency covering a large geographic area. Arrest records and jail information are managed separately from the court system. The sheriff's office is at stlouiscountymn.gov. Jail information is at stlouiscountymn.gov.

The St. Louis County Attorney's Office handles prosecutions for all three courthouse areas. Their office is at stlouiscountymn.gov. The county government's main site is at stlouiscountymn.gov.

Legal Help and Expungement

Duluth has more legal aid resources than most other cities in northern Minnesota. The remote Self-Help Center line at (651) 435-6535 serves the entire 6th District, including St. Louis County, Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Staff can help with forms, procedures, and general court questions.

Expungement petitions under Minn. Stat. Chapter 609A are filed at the courthouse where the case was originally heard. If your case was in Duluth, file there. If it was in Hibbing or Virginia, file at that location. Full guidance is at mncourts.gov.

Court filing fees are posted at mncourts.gov. Fee waivers are available. Ask about eligibility when you file.

St. Louis County Court Resources

The official Minnesota Courts page for St. Louis County is at mncourts.gov/find-courts/stlouis. It lists all three courthouse locations with contact details and hours. The county government website is at stlouiscountymn.gov. The 6th District page is at mncourts.gov.

The image below is from the Minnesota Courts website and shows the St. Louis County District Court directory with all three courthouse listings.

Use the official page or the search tool here to look up St. Louis County criminal court records.

Cities in St. Louis County

St. Louis County includes Duluth, the largest city in northern Minnesota and the only city in the county above the population threshold for a dedicated records page.

Nearby Counties

St. Louis County borders several other counties in northeastern Minnesota, all within the 6th and neighboring judicial districts.