Start with the right Minnesota record system
Minnesota does not place every arrest, criminal case, conviction, warrant, jail booking and correctional record into one public database. Court records are handled by the Minnesota Judicial Branch, statewide criminal-history information by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), arrest and incident information by law-enforcement agencies, county-jail records locally, and prison or supervised-release information by the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
Which Minnesota agency keeps the record you need?
A criminal-record search becomes much easier once you identify where the information was created. The same event can generate separate police, jail, prosecutor, court, BCA and correctional records, and the public-access rules are not identical for each one.
District court criminal cases
Use for filed charges, hearings, court events, dispositions, sentences and public court documents that are available remotely or at a courthouse.
State criminal history
Use for public Minnesota conviction information or to request a fuller record when you are entitled to access public and private data about yourself.
Arrest and incident information
The originating law-enforcement agency is generally the source for public arrest, request-for-service, incident and qualifying booking-photo data.
Local custody
County jail bookings and current county custody are maintained locally. There is no single public statewide roster covering every Minnesota county jail.
Prison and supervised release
Search people committed to the Commissioner of Corrections who remain under DOC jurisdiction in prison or in the community.
Appeals
Court of Appeals and Minnesota Supreme Court case records use Minnesota’s appellate public access system rather than MCRO.
Search Minnesota criminal court cases with MCRO
Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) is the Minnesota Judicial Branch’s official remote-access system for many public district-court records and court documents.
MCRO provides several search paths. For most criminal-record research, Case Search is the normal starting point.
Case Search
Search cases using supported person, business, attorney, case-number or citation information.
Document Search
Use the court case number to locate remotely available public documents.
Hearing Search
Find public hearing information using supported search fields.
Judgment Search
Search docketed money judgments. This is less important for most ordinary criminal-record searches.
Choose the correct search
Start with Case Search unless you already know the court file number and only need a document or hearing.
Use the strongest identifier available
A court case number or citation number is generally more precise than a common person’s name.
Open Case Details
Review the Register of Actions, public charge information, hearings and final dispositions.
Open available documents
When public documents are remotely available, MCRO allows users to open and download them.
Move to courthouse access when needed
If the record exists but the document is not available remotely, use a courthouse public terminal or contact court administration in the county where the case was filed.
How far back do MCRO documents go?
The Judicial Branch states that public documents filed on or after July 1, 2015 are remotely available in major and minor criminal case types when the individual document is eligible for remote public access. Access to older documents can be more limited.
Pending criminal cases have an important MCRO name-search restriction
Minnesota has a rule that surprises many users: MCRO does not return a pending criminal matter when the search is performed using the defendant’s name and no conviction has been entered.
The Minnesota Judicial Branch says a pending criminal case can instead be searched when you have information such as:
- court case number
- citation number
- attorney name
- attorney bar number
Try more than one name format
MCRO name searches are exact-name searches. The Judicial Branch recommends trying multiple versions, such as a search with and without a middle name or middle initial. Wildcard and “Sounds Like” options can also help where the portal makes those tools available.
How to read a Minnesota criminal court result correctly
Finding a defendant’s name is not enough. A useful court-record search follows the case through its final disposition.
| Field | What it means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Unique number assigned to the court case. | County, case type and filing year. |
| Charge | The allegation filed in the criminal case. | A charge itself does not prove guilt. |
| Register of Actions | Chronological history of case events. | Hearings, pleas, orders, sentencing and dismissals. |
| Disposition | How a charge or case was resolved. | Conviction, dismissal, acquittal or another disposition. |
| Sentence | Terms ordered after a conviction or qualifying disposition. | Confinement, probation, fine, restitution or other conditions. |
| Document | A filing or court-generated document. | Whether it is public and remotely available. |
How Minnesota criminal case numbers work
Minnesota district-court case numbers commonly identify the county, case type, filing year and sequence number. An example is:
27-CR-24-1844
County
The first number identifies the Minnesota county. In this example, 27 is Hennepin County.
Case type
CR indicates a criminal case.
Year
The next component identifies the filing year.
Sequence
The final portion identifies the case’s sequence in that county.
A case number is especially useful for a pending criminal case because it avoids the defendant-name search limitation described above.
Use the Minnesota BCA for public statewide criminal-history information
The Minnesota Public Criminal History Search is the official public criminal-history service maintained by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
The online search is different from MCRO. MCRO is a court-record system; the BCA Criminal History System is Minnesota’s state criminal-history repository.
What the public BCA website includes
The BCA says its public website can contain public Minnesota conviction information including:
- offenses
- courts of conviction
- dates of conviction
- sentencing information
| Record type | Public BCA website? | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota public conviction information | Yes | Subject to Minnesota’s public-data time limits and expungement rules. |
| Arrest history | No | Search the originating law-enforcement agency for public arrest information. |
| Juvenile criminal history | No | Juvenile criminal-history data are generally not part of the public BCA search. |
| Other states | No | This is not a nationwide criminal-history search. |
| Federal criminal history | No | Federal court and FBI systems are separate. |
| Older public convictions | Limited | Conviction data are generally public for 15 years following completion of the sentence. |
Why the BCA may return “no record”
A no-result response does not always prove that the person has never had contact with Minnesota’s criminal-justice system. Possible reasons include:
- there is no BCA criminal-history record
- the available information is not public
- the search name is incorrect
- a nickname was used
- a former or maiden name was used
- a conviction is outside the public time window
- the record has been sealed or expunged
- the record is maintained by another agency or jurisdiction
How to request your own fuller Minnesota BCA criminal history
The public BCA website is deliberately narrower than the complete information the BCA may hold. The BCA’s current FAQ says a person seeking a full public-and-private criminal-history record should submit a data request.
Public BCA website
Designed for public criminal-history information that Minnesota law allows the BCA to display publicly.
- free online search
- requires first name, last name and date of birth
- does not display arrest history
- does not display juvenile criminal-history data
- does not include federal or other-state records
Full BCA data request
Used when a person seeks fuller public-and-private criminal-history information they are entitled to receive.
- submit a BCA data request
- identity verification may be required
- sealed records can still be available to the subject where law allows
- identify immigration or overseas-use needs when applicable
Start with the official BCA Criminal History FAQ and follow its instructions for submitting a data request.
When fingerprint verification matters
Names can be misleading. The BCA warns that offenders sometimes use aliases—including names belonging to other people—and says fingerprint verification is the reliable way to determine whether a criminal-history record belongs to a particular person.
Minnesota law permits the BCA to charge $10 per fingerprint card when fingerprints are taken for certain employment or licensing purposes. Minnesota’s current state fingerprinting guidance lists BCA fingerprinting as appointment-based.
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
1430 Maryland Ave ESt. Paul, MN 55106
Fingerprinting phone:
651-793-2410
Published fee: $10 per fingerprint card
Method: LiveScan
Appointment availability and service rules can change. Confirm with the BCA before traveling.
Minnesota arrest and police records require a local-agency search
The statewide public BCA website does not provide a person’s arrest history. Public arrest information is generally obtained from the law-enforcement agency that created the record.
Minnesota’s Data Practices Office explains that specified arrest, request-for-service, response/incident and booking-photo data can remain public even when other information connected to an active criminal investigation is not public.
Official guidance: Minnesota Data Practices Office — Law Enforcement Data.
How to make a Minnesota Government Data Practices request
Minnesota state and local public-record requests are often governed by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, rather than the federal Freedom of Information Act.
Find the Responsible Authority
The request should go to the agency’s Responsible Authority or designated data-practices contact. Search the agency website for its public-data access policy.
Ask for identifiable data
Ask to inspect or receive copies of specific existing government data. An agency generally does not have to answer open-ended questions or create new data that do not exist.
State whether you want inspection or copies
This matters because Minnesota’s fee rules treat inspection and copying differently.
Add useful identifiers
Include an incident number, arrest date, location, agency unit or other known information that helps staff locate the record.
Keep the response
If access is denied or information is withheld, keep the agency’s response and the law or classification it relies on.
Do you have to give your name?
Minnesota’s Data Practices Office states that a person requesting public data generally does not need to identify themselves. Identification or other information can be required where necessary to provide access to private data about the requester.
How quickly should a government entity respond?
For an ordinary public requester, the agency must respond within a reasonable amount of time. When the requester is the subject of the data, Minnesota guidance says the government must respond immediately or within 10 business days.
Minnesota data-request instructionsInspection and copy costs
| Request | General rule | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect public government data | No inspection fee | Government may not charge simply because you inspect data. |
| 100 or fewer black-and-white paper pages | Up to 25¢ per page | Applies to qualifying letter/legal paper copies for members of the public. |
| More than 100 pages or other formats | Actual allowable cost | May include qualifying search, retrieval, reproduction and transmission costs. |
| Separating public from nonpublic information | No redaction charge | An entity may not charge the requester for separating/redacting nonpublic data. |
A specific statute or rule can establish a different fee for a particular record or service. Always check the agency’s current policy.
Booking photographs in Minnesota
Minnesota law generally classifies booking photographs as public law-enforcement data. However, an agency can temporarily withhold a booking photograph when release would adversely affect an active investigation.
If you are looking for a booking photograph, request it from the agency responsible for the booking or custody rather than from MCRO or the public BCA conviction search.
Minnesota county jail records and recent bookings
Minnesota county-jail custody is different from state prison custody. A person arrested locally may appear in a county jail roster without appearing in the Minnesota Department of Corrections locator.
For a recent arrest, identify the county where the person is being held and search that county’s official sheriff or jail website.
Start with the county jail
This is often the fastest route for custody status, booking date, charges, bail information and scheduled court information when publicly available.
Then check MCRO
Once you know a court file number or citation number, use MCRO to follow the court case.
Use DOC when appropriate
A person committed to the Commissioner of Corrections and still under DOC jurisdiction belongs in the DOC search rather than an ordinary county roster.
Example: Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Jail Roster. For another county, use that county’s official sheriff or corrections website.
Arrest warrants are not the same as search warrants
An arrest warrant authorizes law enforcement to take a person into custody. Public access can depend on the case, warrant status and local agency procedure.
Minnesota warrant-index data have specific confidentiality rules, so there is not one unlimited statewide public warrant-by-name search covering every active warrant.
Check the court case
Review public case information and contact the court handling the matter if additional warrant information is needed.
Check the sheriff
County sheriff offices may publish warrant procedures, contacts or limited public warrant information.
Use official guidance
Contact the responsible court or law-enforcement agency rather than relying on an unofficial warrant database.
Minnesota search warrants require a different court-record path
Search warrants authorize law enforcement to search a person, place, vehicle, device or other target for specified evidence. Minnesota’s Judicial Branch states that public search warrants are not available through MCRO.
Public search-warrant records may instead be accessed through a courthouse public terminal, subject to applicable access rules and sealing.
The Judicial Branch also notes that law-enforcement agencies generally have 10 days after a search to file the search warrant.
Official Minnesota guidance: Minnesota Judicial Branch — Covering Cases.
Search Minnesota prison and supervised-release records
The Minnesota Department of Corrections provides several public search tools.
Incarcerated Individual Search
The DOC locator contains public information about people who were committed to the Commissioner of Corrections and remain under DOC jurisdiction, either:
- in a Minnesota state prison
- released from prison but still under DOC supervision
DOC fugitives
The DOC also publishes an Active DOC Fugitives resource for certain people on community supervision who allegedly violated supervised-release conditions and are evading authorities.
Public registrant information
Minnesota’s public registrant search does not represent every person who is required to register. The DOC states that public disclosure depends on statutory public-notification requirements and authorization from the responsible law-enforcement agency.
Non-compliant predatory registrants
Minnesota also provides a separate public search for certain non-compliant registrants. A person whose registration is current will not necessarily appear in that non-compliance search.
Was the Minnesota criminal case appealed?
MCRO covers Minnesota district trial-court records. Appeals are handled separately.
The Minnesota Supreme Court and Minnesota Court of Appeals provide public access to appellate case information through the public view of the Minnesota Appellate Courts Case Management System (P-MACS).
How to get copies of Minnesota criminal court records
A downloadable MCRO document is not automatically a certified court copy. If you need a certified or exemplified record, request it from the district court administration office that maintains the case.
| Copy or service | Current statewide base fee | When it may be useful |
|---|---|---|
| Certified copy of an instrument from a civil or criminal proceeding | $14 | When formal court certification is required. |
| Exemplified and certified copy | $28 | For uses requiring a higher level of authentication. |
| Case-management-system report, 1–50 pages | $5 | For qualifying reports generated from the court case-management system. |
| Case-management-system report, 50+ pages | $25 per 50 pages or part | For larger qualifying reports. |
Minnesota counties may have additional county law-library fees associated with some court services. Verify the current amount before sending payment.
Check current Minnesota court feesMail requests
Court-copy requests should be directed to court administration in the county where the case is filed. Follow that county court’s instructions and use its copy-request form when one is provided.
The Judicial Branch states that checks for qualifying court-copy requests should generally be payable to the District Court Administrator.
When an in-person courthouse search is better than MCRO
Every Minnesota district courthouse provides public-terminal access to statewide public electronic district-court case records. The Minnesota Judicial Branch describes courthouse public-access terminals as providing the most complete electronic access to district-court records.
An in-person courthouse search is especially useful when:
- the document is not remotely available
- the case is older
- you need a public search warrant
- the file contains locally stored paper records
- you need a certified copy
- remote search restrictions prevent the search you need
Use the official Minnesota District Court directory to select the county where the case was filed.
Minnesota BCA headquarters: public terminal, records help and fingerprinting
Minnesota Justice Information Services — CHA Unit
1430 Maryland Ave ESt. Paul, MN 55106
Main phone:
651-793-2400
Published business hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Published lobby hours: Monday–Friday, 8:15 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Public criminal-history access
The BCA states that public criminal-history records can be viewed using a public terminal in its lobby. Fingerprinting is a separate service and can require an appointment.
The BCA identifies its headquarters as being near the southeast corner of Maryland Avenue and Phalen Boulevard in St. Paul.
Before making a special trip, confirm current lobby or fingerprinting availability with the BCA.
Understand Minnesota offense levels before reading a record
Minnesota court records can refer to different offense classifications. The label matters because not every court case carries the same legal significance.
Most serious criminal level
Felonies can carry imprisonment and other serious consequences depending on the specific offense.
Above an ordinary misdemeanor
Gross misdemeanors are criminal offenses with higher potential penalties than ordinary misdemeanors.
Criminal offense
Misdemeanors are criminal offenses but generally carry lower penalties than gross misdemeanors and felonies.
Not classified as a crime
Minnesota law treats a petty misdemeanor differently from a criminal offense, even though it may appear in court records.
Minnesota juvenile records have stricter access rules
Juvenile information should not be treated like an ordinary adult criminal-record search. The public BCA criminal-history website does not provide juvenile criminal-history data.
Minnesota court access also differs depending on the juvenile case type and the applicable Rules of Public Access. Some juvenile matters that may be public at the courthouse are not remotely available through MCRO in the same way as adult criminal cases.
Minnesota expungement and Clean Slate can change what appears publicly
Expungement in Minnesota generally means sealing a qualifying record from public view rather than physically destroying every copy maintained by every government agency.
Minnesota has both petition-based and automatic expungement processes. The state’s Clean Slate Act took effect January 1, 2025 and requires automatic expungement of certain qualifying records.
The BCA states that more than two million potentially eligible historical records were identified for review and that qualifying historical BCA records began being sealed in June 2025. That work continues as records are processed.
Cannabis-related automatic expungement
Minnesota also implemented automatic expungement provisions for qualifying cannabis-related criminal-history records under the state’s adult-use cannabis law. Other qualifying felony-level cannabis matters can follow a separate review process.
Official guidance: Minnesota Judicial Branch — Criminal Expungement.
Arrest but no court case
Someone who was arrested but never charged may have an arrest record without a corresponding criminal court case. Minnesota has separate procedures that can apply to certain arrest records when no charge resulted, so an MCRO search alone does not answer that question.
What to do when a Minnesota criminal-history record appears incorrect
If your own BCA criminal-history information appears inaccurate or belongs to someone else, the BCA provides a process for reviewing and challenging criminal-history information.
Request and review your record
Obtain the BCA information that applies to you rather than relying only on a public name search.
Identify the disputed information
Note the arresting agency, court case number, disposition, date and other details that appear incorrect.
Gather supporting records
Court orders, amended dispositions and certified records can help show why information should be corrected.
Submit the BCA challenge
Follow the BCA process for challenging criminal-history data you believe are inaccurate or incomplete.
Use fingerprints if identity is disputed
Fingerprint comparison can resolve situations where a name, alias or similar identifying information causes confusion.
Start with the BCA Criminal History FAQ.
Federal criminal records are separate from Minnesota state records
A federal prosecution is not a Minnesota district-court case. It will not be fully represented by MCRO or the Minnesota BCA public criminal-history website.
PACER
PACER provides electronic access to federal court cases. If you do not know which federal court handled the case, the PACER Case Locator can help locate the federal filing.
FBI Identity History Summary
A person seeking their own FBI Identity History Summary should use the FBI’s official fingerprint-based process.
Official FBI information: Identity History Summary Checks.
MCRO
State district-court cases and qualifying public documents.
P-MACS
Minnesota Court of Appeals and Supreme Court case records.
PACER
U.S. federal district, appellate and bankruptcy court records.
Employment, housing and other background-screening uses need extra care
A public-record search is not automatically the same thing as a legally compliant consumer background report.
Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requirements can apply when consumer reports are used for employment, housing, credit or other covered eligibility decisions. Minnesota also has state restrictions affecting when employers may inquire into criminal history.
Minnesota employment guidance: Minnesota Department of Human Rights — Criminal Background Checks.
Federal guidance: Federal Trade Commission — Background Checks.
Practical Minnesota search tips
Use both MCRO and BCA when appropriate
They answer different questions. A court case and a statewide criminal-history record are not interchangeable.
Pending case? Stop repeating the same name search
Minnesota restricts pending criminal defendant-name searches. Look for a case number, citation or attorney information.
Search name variations
Try a middle name, no middle name, a middle initial, former names, wildcard or “Sounds Like” options where supported.
Recent arrest? Go local
A city police department or county jail may have public information before the court case becomes searchable by defendant name.
Use the court file number from BCA
It can connect a statewide conviction record directly to the underlying Minnesota court case.
Older records may require a courthouse
Remote access does not equal complete access. Courthouse terminals provide broader electronic access.
Search warrants are not in MCRO
Public search warrants generally require courthouse-terminal access and some are sealed.
Confirm final disposition
Do not stop at the charge. Read how each count was resolved.
Verify identity carefully
Similar names and aliases create mistakes. Date of birth helps, but fingerprint verification is stronger when identity is genuinely disputed.
Frequently asked questions about Minnesota criminal records
1. Is there a free Minnesota criminal-record search?
Yes. The Minnesota BCA provides a free public criminal-history search, and Minnesota Court Records Online provides free remote searching of many public district-court records. The two systems contain different information.
2. Where should I search Minnesota criminal court cases?
Start with Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO). If the needed information is not remotely available, use a courthouse public-access terminal or contact court administration in the county where the case was filed.
3. Why can’t I find a pending criminal case by the defendant’s name?
MCRO restricts defendant-name searching for pending criminal cases where no conviction has been entered. A case number, citation number, attorney name or attorney bar number can be used instead.
4. Does the Minnesota BCA public website show arrests?
No. The BCA states that arrest data are not included in its public criminal-history website. Public arrest information is generally requested from the originating law-enforcement agency.
5. How long does a Minnesota conviction remain public on the BCA site?
The BCA states that public conviction data remain public on its criminal-history system for 15 years after completion of the sentence, subject to applicable sealing and expungement rules.
6. Can I obtain my complete Minnesota BCA criminal history?
The BCA says a person seeking a full public-and-private criminal-history record should submit a data request. Identity verification can be required.
7. Are Minnesota search warrants available through MCRO?
No. The Minnesota Judicial Branch says search warrants cannot be accessed through MCRO. Public search warrants can require a courthouse public-access terminal, and some warrants are sealed.
8. Where do I search for someone in a Minnesota state prison?
Use the Minnesota Department of Corrections Incarcerated Individual Search. Someone held only in a county jail may instead need to be searched through that county’s sheriff or jail system.
9. Can an expunged Minnesota record disappear from public search results?
Yes. Expungement generally seals qualifying records from public view. Minnesota also has automatic expungement laws, including Clean Slate provisions and certain cannabis-related expungements.
10. Does a Minnesota criminal-record search include federal cases?
No. Federal criminal cases use the federal court system. PACER is the primary electronic federal court-record service, and the FBI has a separate process for an individual’s Identity History Summary.
Official sources for Minnesota criminal-record research
Government portals, access rules and fees can change. These primary sources should be used to verify important information before making a legal, financial or eligibility decision.
- Minnesota Judicial Branch — Minnesota Court Records Online
- Minnesota Judicial Branch — MCRO FAQs
- Minnesota Judicial Branch — Access Case Records
- Minnesota Judicial Branch — Find a District Court
- Minnesota Judicial Branch — District Court Fees
- Minnesota Judicial Branch — Criminal Expungement
- Minnesota BCA — Public Criminal History Search
- Minnesota BCA — Criminal History FAQ
- Minnesota Data Practices Office — Requesting Data
- Minnesota Data Practices Office — Law Enforcement Data
- Minnesota Data Practices Office — Copy Costs
- Minnesota Data Practices Office — Data and the Courts
- Minnesota Department of Corrections — Search Individuals and Fugitives
- Minnesota Statutes § 13.82 — Law Enforcement Data
- Minnesota Statutes § 13.87 — Criminal History Data
- PACER — Federal Court Records
- FBI — Identity History Summary Checks