BCA and Minnesota court records answer different questions
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) operates the state’s Criminal History System and the free Public Criminal History Search. It is the right place to check qualifying public Minnesota conviction history, but it is not a complete court-case search, arrest log, county-jail roster or federal background check. For an accurate search, first decide whether you need BCA criminal-history data, a Minnesota court case, an arrest record or correctional information.
What is stored in Minnesota’s Criminal History System?
Minnesota’s Criminal History System (CHS) is maintained by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The BCA describes CHS as the state’s repository for information on people arrested for felony, gross misdemeanor, targeted misdemeanor and some misdemeanor offenses.
Minnesota law defines criminal-history data broadly. The BCA record can include information such as:
Identification data
Fingerprints, identifying information, photographs and names associated with the criminal-history record.
Arrest information
Arrest data submitted by law-enforcement agencies when the event qualifies for inclusion in CHS.
Charging information
Prosecution information associated with qualifying criminal-history events.
Court disposition
Conviction, disposition and sentence information submitted into the statewide record.
Custody information
Qualifying confinement, controlling-agency and supervision information.
Identity association
CHS data is fundamentally tied to fingerprint identification rather than name alone.
Use the free Minnesota Public Criminal History Search
The BCA provides a free online Minnesota Public Criminal History Search.
There is no paid search credit, subscription or account requirement shown for the public BCA search. All three search fields are required:
- first name
- last name
- full date of birth
How to run a Minnesota BCA search step by step
Open the official BCA public search
Use the state-operated CHS website rather than relying on an unofficial criminal-record database.
Enter the person’s complete last name
Use the person’s legal surname and pay attention to compound or multi-part names.
Enter the complete first name
Do not use a nickname when the legal first name is known.
Enter the full date of birth
The BCA public search requires month, day and year. DOB is one of the most useful identifiers for separating people who have similar names.
Review every possible match carefully
A reported name can be an alias. Compare age, DOB, conviction court, dates and other identifying details before deciding that the result belongs to the person you searched.
Move to MCRO when you need the court case
Use the court of conviction, date and any case identifiers from the BCA result to locate the related court record through the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
What information is public on the BCA website?
The BCA public website focuses on qualifying Minnesota conviction information that is classified as public under state law.
| Record detail | Public BCA website? | Useful follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| Offense of conviction | Yes, when within the public period | Use MCRO for the underlying court case. |
| Court of conviction | Yes | Contact that district court for certified records. |
| Date of conviction | Yes | Use it to narrow the court search. |
| Sentencing information | Yes, when publicly releasable | Compare with the final court disposition. |
| Confinement / controlling agency data | May be public when included under the statute | Use DOC for current custody or supervision questions. |
What the public BCA website does not show
The public CHS search is not a complete copy of everything the BCA may maintain internally.
Arrest history
The public BCA website does not provide a general person’s arrest history.
Juvenile criminal history
Juvenile criminal-history information is not available through the ordinary public search.
Other-state records
Minnesota BCA does not maintain a complete nationwide criminal-history search of other states.
Federal records
Federal criminal-history and federal court records require separate federal systems.
Old public convictions
Convictions outside the 15-year public window do not remain public on the ordinary BCA website.
Private / confidential data
Criminal-history data classified as private or confidential is not exposed through the public portal.
Understand Minnesota’s 15-year public-record rule
Minnesota does not simply make every conviction public forever through the BCA website. Under Minnesota Statutes section 13.87, specified BCA conviction information is public for 15 years following discharge of the sentence.
If an older conviction does not appear on the BCA public site, that does not necessarily mean every related court or government record has been destroyed. Court-retention, sealing and public-access rules are separate issues.
Minnesota BCA name-search rules that are easy to miss
BCA gives specific guidance for names that contain multiple words or hyphens. These details matter because entering the name differently can produce a blank result.
Compound surnames
BCA notes that Hispanic surnames may contain both maternal and paternal components. Include the hyphen when appropriate.
Remove certain hyphens/spaces
BCA instructs users to enter certain Arabic multi-part surnames as one unit. Follow the search page’s current example before submitting.
Multi-word surname
BCA advises entering multiple last-name elements as a single unit in the search field.
A BCA name match does not prove identity
BCA criminal-history records can contain reported names and aliases. An alias may even be the name of another real person.
For that reason, the BCA expressly warns users not to assume that a record belongs to the person they searched solely because the name appears to match.
For ordinary research, compare as many lawful identifiers as possible:
- full date of birth
- middle name or initial
- former name
- court of conviction
- conviction date
- known location history
- aliases shown in the record
- fingerprint verification when identity is disputed
Why the BCA search may say “no records found”
A blank BCA search result is not proof that someone has never been arrested or involved in a criminal matter.
The BCA itself lists several possible explanations:
- the person has no BCA criminal-history record
- the existing information is not public data
- the name was entered incorrectly
- a nickname was entered instead of the legal name
- the record is under a former or maiden name
- criminal data was not sent to the BCA
- another agency has information BCA does not have
- the record has been sealed or expunged
How to request your complete Minnesota BCA criminal history
The public website does not display all public and private data maintained in CHS. The BCA states that a person seeking a full public-and-private criminal-history record should submit a data request.
This route is especially useful when you need to review your own full Minnesota record for:
- record accuracy
- immigration purposes
- international travel or visa processing
- work authorization outside ordinary public-search use
- checking whether a record has been sealed
- reviewing information not visible publicly
Start from the BCA FAQ/data-request instructions rather than assuming the public CHS search is your complete personal record.
BCA criminal-history request guidanceFingerprint verification and BCA fingerprint services
Fingerprints are not required for an ordinary public website search, but they become important when identity is disputed or when a person needs a true identity-based record review.
Current Minnesota government guidance lists BCA fingerprinting at:
Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
1430 Maryland Avenue EastSt. Paul, MN 55106
Fingerprint appointment phone: 651-793-2410
Current fingerprint-card fee: $10 per card
Fingerprint hours listed by Minnesota government: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
BCA fingerprinting is listed as appointment only.
What to do if your Minnesota BCA record is wrong
The subject of a BCA criminal-history record has the right to challenge information believed to be inaccurate or incomplete.
BCA describes a practical identity-review process:
Use MCRO when you need the actual Minnesota criminal case
Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) is operated by the Minnesota Judicial Branch. It provides online access to many public Minnesota district-court cases and documents.
MCRO has four primary search tools:
Case Search
Case details, Register of Actions and available public documents.
Document Search
Search public documents using the court case number.
Hearing Search
Find scheduled hearing information.
Judgment Search
Search docketed money-judgment information.
Pending criminal cases have an important MCRO restriction
If no conviction has been entered, a pending Minnesota criminal case generally does not appear when MCRO is searched by the defendant’s name.
For a pending criminal matter, MCRO says you may instead need:
- court case number
- citation number
- attorney name
- attorney bar number
MCRO also treats dismissed cases and matters continued for dismissal as pending for this defendant-name search restriction when no conviction exists under the relevant definition.
Free Minnesota criminal court documents online
MCRO currently provides many remotely accessible public documents without a download charge.
The Judicial Branch states that eligible documents filed on or after July 1, 2015 are available online for major and minor criminal case types, subject to public-access rules.
Certified copies cannot be requested through MCRO itself. Contact court administration in the county where the case was heard when certification is required.
Where to look for Minnesota arrest information
The BCA public criminal-history website does not function as a statewide public arrest-log search. Arrest information is often maintained by the originating police department or sheriff under Minnesota’s law-enforcement data rules.
If your actual intent is a recent arrest, start with:
Local arrest
Contact the police department that made the arrest or created the incident record.
Jail / booking
Use the sheriff or county jail for current local custody and booking information.
Filed criminal case
Use court records once charges are filed, subject to MCRO’s pending-name-search restriction.
Use Minnesota DOC for prison and supervision records
Minnesota Department of Corrections information is separate from the BCA public criminal-history search.
Use the DOC Search for Individuals & Fugitives when you are trying to locate someone who was committed to the Commissioner of Corrections and remains under DOC jurisdiction.
Open Minnesota DOC searchMinnesota Clean Slate can change what appears in BCA search results
Minnesota’s Clean Slate Act took effect on January 1, 2025. It requires automatic expungement of qualifying criminal-history records rather than requiring a court petition for every eligible record.
BCA states that more than 98% of historical records qualifying for automatic Clean Slate expungement have already been sealed. Records that require individual review are expected to finish review by the end of 2026.
This is one reason a criminal-history search result may change over time even when the same person and date of birth are searched.
Cannabis-related records have separate Minnesota expungement rules
Minnesota’s Adult-Use Cannabis Act required automatic expungement of certain cannabis-related criminal-history records.
BCA states that qualifying cannabis petty-misdemeanor and misdemeanor records, along with certain felony-level matters resolved in the person’s favor, were expunged from CHS as of May 2024.
Other felony cannabis cases can involve review by the Cannabis Expungement Board.
Using BCA data for employment, housing or credit
The BCA public-search page contains a specific Minnesota notice for people using the system in connection with employment, housing or credit.
Minnesota law requires a person who accesses the BCA public website for one of those purposes to notify the applicant that a background check using the website has been conducted.
For employment specifically, Minnesota’s timing rules and broader background-check requirements should also be reviewed before acting on criminal-history information.
BCA does not provide a nationwide criminal-history search
The Minnesota BCA does not maintain criminal-history information from every other U.S. state as part of the ordinary public CHS search.
If you need:
Contact that state’s repository
Use the criminal-history bureau or state police agency serving the relevant state.
Use PACER
Federal district-court prosecutions are searched through the federal judiciary’s PACER system.
Use FBI Identity History Summary
Individuals seeking their own federal fingerprint-based history should use the FBI process.
Search public BCA criminal history in person
Minnesota law requires the BCA to provide free in-person inspection of qualifying public conviction information at its central office through a computer terminal.
Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
1430 Maryland Avenue EastSaint Paul, MN 55106
BCA criminal-history phone: 651-793-2400
Public criminal-history records can be inspected using the public terminal in the BCA lobby.
Before you visit
Minnesota government lists the BCA Maryland Avenue building hours as 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday.
The main entrance is on Phalen Boulevard. Public parking is available in the Phalen Boulevard lot.
Service-counter and fingerprint hours can be narrower than general building hours. Confirm the specific service before traveling.
BCA headquarters map and visitor location
The BCA headquarters sits near the southeast corner of Maryland Avenue East and Phalen Boulevard in Saint Paul.
Minnesota BCA search tips that solve common problems
Use legal names
A nickname can return “no records found” even when a record exists under the person’s formal name.
Try former names
Search a maiden or previous surname separately when the person’s name changed.
Use the DOB carefully
The BCA requires a full birth date, so one incorrect digit can eliminate the correct match.
BCA is not MCRO
Go to MCRO when you need the actual court docket or filed criminal documents.
Pending case?
MCRO defendant-name searches generally will not return a pending criminal case without a conviction.
Recent arrest?
Search the originating police department, sheriff or county jail instead of relying on BCA public history.
Old conviction missing?
Remember the BCA 15-year public window and the effect of expungement or sealing.
Wrong identity?
Fingerprint verification is more reliable than debating a name match.
Clean Slate changed results
Qualifying records can disappear from public view after automatic sealing.
Questions people commonly ask about Minnesota BCA criminal records
1. Is the Minnesota BCA criminal-history search free?
Yes. The Minnesota Public Criminal History Search is available online without a search fee. A first name, last name and date of birth are required.
2. What does the BCA public website show?
The public search displays qualifying Minnesota conviction information, including the offense, court of conviction, conviction date and sentencing information when the record remains public under Minnesota law.
3. Does the BCA public search show arrests?
No. The BCA specifically states that ordinary arrest data is not available through the public criminal-history website. Arrest information may instead be available from the originating law-enforcement agency.
4. How long does a Minnesota conviction stay public on BCA?
Qualifying BCA conviction data is public for 15 years following completion or discharge of the sentence, subject to sealing, expungement and other applicable law.
5. Does “no records found” mean the person has never been arrested?
No. A blank result can mean there is no BCA record, the record is private, the wrong name was used, the data was never submitted, the record is under another name, or it has been sealed or expunged.
6. How can I get my complete Minnesota criminal-history record?
Submit a BCA data request for your own full public-and-private criminal-history information. This is different from using the public website.
7. How do I know whether a BCA record belongs to the correct person?
Compare DOB, names, aliases, conviction court and dates. The BCA states that fingerprint verification is the only method that guarantees a criminal-history record belongs to a specific person.
8. Where do I find the actual Minnesota court case?
Use Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO). It provides access to many district-court case records, Registers of Actions, hearings and public documents.
9. Why can’t I find a pending criminal case by name in MCRO?
Minnesota Judicial Branch rules prevent pending criminal matters without a conviction from appearing in MCRO defendant-name searches. Use the case number, citation number or attorney information.
10. Can Clean Slate make a BCA record disappear?
Yes. Minnesota’s Clean Slate Act automatically seals qualifying records. BCA says most eligible historical records have already been sealed, with remaining individual review expected to finish by the end of 2026.
Official Minnesota sources for verifying criminal-history information
- Minnesota BCA — Public Criminal History
- Minnesota BCA — Search Public Criminal History
- Minnesota BCA — Criminal History FAQ
- Minnesota Statutes § 13.87 — Criminal Justice Data
- Minnesota Judicial Branch — Minnesota Court Records Online
- Minnesota Judicial Branch — MCRO FAQ
- Minnesota Judicial Branch — Access Case Records
- Minnesota Judicial Branch — Court Copy Requests
- Minnesota Department of Corrections — Individual & Fugitive Search
- Minnesota.gov — BCA Maryland Avenue Building
- Minnesota.gov — BCA Fingerprinting Location and Fee