Minnesota State Criminal Records: Criminal Records Guide

Record systems explained

Where Are Minnesota State Criminal Records Kept?

Minnesota has 87 counties and ten judicial districts. Criminal records can exist in court systems, law-enforcement agencies, the statewide BCA repository, correctional facilities and other government offices.

There is no single public search that shows every arrest, charge, conviction, court filing and incarceration record. The following sources answer different questions.

Statewide public criminal history

How to Search Minnesota BCA Criminal Records for Free

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension maintains the state’s Criminal History System (CHS). Its public website allows anyone to search qualifying Minnesota conviction records without paying an online search fee.

The BCA’s record database includes information submitted by criminal justice agencies concerning felony, gross misdemeanor, targeted misdemeanor and certain other criminal offenses. However, only information classified as public can be displayed online.

Follow these steps for a Minnesota criminal background search

1. Open the BCA Public Criminal History website

   Visit chs.state.mn.us. Review the information describing public conviction records, private information and the 15-year disclosure limit.

2. Choose the public criminal history search

   Open the search form. It contains fields for the subject’s last name, first name and date of birth.

3. Enter the full last and first name

   Use the person’s complete name rather than a nickname when possible. BCA notes that aliases, maiden names or misspellings can affect the results.

4. Enter the date of birth

   The BCA requires the date of birth along with the first and last name. Enter the date in MM/DD/YYYY format.

5. Read the search terms

   Before searching, review the instructions about identity verification and legal use. Minnesota law imposes particular notice requirements when searches are conducted for employment, housing or credit decisions.

6. Click Search

   Review the results for matching public criminal-history information. A result can include conviction details and reported identity information.

7. Open the relevant record

   Check the available offense information, conviction date, court of conviction, offense level, sentence and other publicly displayed fields.

8. Verify the identity and outcome

   Do not assume that a name-and-date-of-birth match proves the record belongs to the person you intended to search. BCA emphasizes that fingerprint verification is the reliable way to establish identity.

What information appears in Minnesota public BCA criminal records?

For qualifying convictions within the public disclosure period, the BCA may provide:

• Criminal offense and offense date.
• Court where the conviction occurred.
• Date of conviction.
• Level of conviction.
• Sentencing information.
• Probation agency or correctional facility information when reported.

What information does BCA not disclose publicly?

The online public search generally excludes:

• Arrest information that is not public conviction data.
• Juvenile criminal-history information protected by law.
• Federal criminal records.
• Criminal history from other states.
• Convictions more than 15 years after completion of sentence.
• Sealed, expunged and other legally private records.

Can you search at BCA headquarters instead?

Yes. The BCA provides a public computer terminal for public criminal-history record searches at its St. Paul headquarters.

Free Minnesota district court records

How to Search Minnesota Criminal Court Cases With MCRO

Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) is the statewide public access system for Minnesota district court records. It replaced the older MPA Remote service in April 2023.

MCRO allows public users to search court cases, check available hearing information, review the Register of Actions and download certain public court documents.

It also offers Document Search and Hearing Search. These are different from the BCA’s official criminal-history database.

Step-by-step Minnesota court case search

1. Open the official MCRO website

   Go to Minnesota Court Records Online — Case Search.

2. Review and accept the court’s terms

   Read the Minnesota Judicial Branch Terms and Conditions and select Yes, I Accept to proceed.

3. Select your search method

   MCRO offers Name, Case Number, Citation Number and Attorney search tabs.

4. Enter the search information

   For a case with a conviction, you may search by the defendant’s name. Enter the required last and first names. Use a case number or citation number if you already have one.

5. Select Criminal under Case Category

   Use Additional Search Options to narrow results to the criminal case category instead of searching unrelated civil, family or probate matters.

6. Choose statewide or specific county court locations

   Keep Statewide Court Locations to search across Minnesota, or choose Select Specific County Court Locations when you know the county.

7. Refine the date or case status if necessary

   MCRO offers date-of-birth filters, date-filed filters and case-status options. These may be useful when several records have similar names.

8. Click Find and open the matching result

   Compare the court location, case number, case category and available identifiers. Avoid confusing separate people with similar names.

9. Read the Register of Actions

   The Register of Actions displays available case events, filings, hearing information and other public case history. Review disposition and sentencing entries to understand the final result.

10. Download available public documents

    Open the public documents available for the case. These can be viewed or downloaded without a document-access fee, but they are not certified official copies.

How to search names with spelling variations

MCRO name searches generally use exact matching. If a search gives no results, the official court guidance recommends trying alternative spellings, leaving out the middle name or using the supported wildcard and Sounds Like features.

For example, if you know only the beginning of a last name, the search accepts an asterisk after at least two characters. The Sounds Like option can help with similar-sounding names, but it cannot be combined with a wildcard.

What documents can MCRO provide?

The court’s document availability rules distinguish between older and more recent filings.

• Many public criminal case documents filed on or after July 1, 2015 are remotely accessible.
• Certain court-generated orders and notices from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2015 may be available.
• Documents filed before July 1, 2015 often have limited remote availability.
• Some otherwise public case information is accessible only from courthouse terminals.
• Restricted records remain unavailable without proper legal authorization.

One of the most common search problems

How to Find a Pending Minnesota Criminal Case Before Conviction

Suppose someone was charged with a crime last month, and you search the person’s name in MCRO. The search may return no result even if a pending court case exists.

Minnesota’s court rules intentionally restrict this type of remote name search before a conviction is entered.

What to do instead

1. Look for the case number on a summons, complaint, court notice, ticket or attorney correspondence.
2. In MCRO, choose the Case Number search tab and enter the number.
3. If you have a citation, choose Citation Number.
4. If you know an attorney associated with the case, use the attorney-name or bar-number search option.
5. If you still cannot find the record, contact the county court administration office that handles the case.

For example, Hennepin County’s official Criminal Court Records page states that information about pre-conviction criminal cases can be obtained at the courthouse or by contacting the Criminal Court at 612-348-6000.

Court docket identification

Understanding Minnesota Criminal Court Case Numbers

A Minnesota criminal court case number can help identify the county, case type and filing year. The number is especially important when searching for a pending case.

A typical Minnesota court case number follows a format resembling:

The Minnesota Judicial Branch specifically warns that a case initially classified as a felony does not always end with a felony-level conviction. Review the Register of Actions and final sentence instead of relying on the case category alone.

Personal background-history access

How to Request Your Complete Minnesota BCA Criminal History Record

The free BCA website displays public conviction information only. If you need to review your own full criminal history—including information not available through public searches—the BCA offers a separate data-request process.

This may be useful when checking the accuracy of your record, preparing an expungement petition, reviewing older history, or dealing with an immigration matter where sealed records could be relevant.

BCA Criminal History Record Request Form

The BCA’s published form for obtaining a complete personal criminal-history record, including sealed offenses relevant to the Clean Slate and adult-use cannabis laws, lists an $8 fee.

1. Download the official Criminal History Record Request form

   Use the BCA’s own PDF request form rather than a third-party template.

2. Provide the requested personal information

   Enter your current name, other names used, address, date of birth, contact details and signature.

3. Choose the submission method

   You can bring the form to the BCA with current government-issued photo identification, or sign the form before a notary and mail the original.

4. Include the processing fee

   The published form lists $8. Confirm the accepted payment method before mailing or visiting.

5. Mail to the BCA if applying remotely

   Send the notarized original to the Criminal History Access Unit at the address printed on the form. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

6. Examine the response

   Review the reported incidents and dispositions. If an arrest or criminal case belongs to someone else, follow the BCA’s questioned-identity procedure. If a disposition is wrong, obtain supporting documents from the court or originating agency.

Search by Minnesota location

Minnesota Criminal Records by County: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth and Rochester

MCRO covers district court cases statewide, but the local district court administration office is responsible for certified records, courthouse-terminal access and requests involving documents unavailable remotely.

Plain and certified court documents

Minnesota Criminal Court Records Fees: What’s Free and What Costs Money?

Minnesota eliminated the former $8 statutory charge for ordinary uncertified court document copies effective July 1, 2023.

That means many public court documents available in MCRO can be downloaded for free, and ordinary uncertified copies from court administration generally do not carry a copy charge.

How to request a certified Minnesota criminal judgment

1. Find the court case number

   Use MCRO or paperwork you already have.

2. Identify the county district court

   Find the county that originally filed the case. A different county court cannot necessarily certify the original case document.

3. Contact district court administration

   Ask for the specific judgment, sentencing order, dismissal order or another official document.

4. State whether you need certification

   An ordinary copy is not equivalent to a certified record. Confirm with the organisation requesting the document.

5. Verify the fee and delivery process

   The published certified-copy fee is $14 per document. Court administration can explain pickup, mailing and additional requirements for restricted information.

Some older records are stored off-site. The court cautions that staff may not be able to provide certain archived documents immediately, even when the case is public.

Additional public safety records

Free Minnesota Inmate, Prison and Predatory Offender Searches

Criminal-history records, court cases and incarceration information are related but distinct. If you are looking for a person in custody, the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) may be more useful than MCRO or the BCA public conviction search.

What if the person is in a county jail?

County jails are operated separately from Minnesota’s state prison system. Look for the sheriff’s official inmate or custody-information page for the relevant county.

For example, a recent arrest in Hennepin County may appear in sheriff or jail records before a criminal case is filed or publicly searchable through MCRO.

Sealed records and automatic expungement

Minnesota Clean Slate Act: Why Some Criminal Records Are No Longer Public

Minnesota’s Clean Slate Act, codified primarily at Minnesota Statutes § 609A.015, became effective on January 1, 2025.

The law provides for automatic expungement of certain qualifying criminal records without requiring every eligible person to file a court petition.

Minnesota also adopted automatic expungement provisions for specified cannabis-related offenses under § 609A.055.

Which records may qualify?

Eligibility depends on the case outcome, offense, other criminal history and the statutory conditions. Categories can include:

• Qualifying cases resolved in the person’s favor.
• Some dismissed cases.
• Certain offenses resolved through specified diversion or discharge procedures.
• Qualifying misdemeanor convictions after applicable waiting periods.
• Certain eligible felony convictions under conditions established by law.
• Specified cannabis-related records.

Not every criminal conviction qualifies. Ineligible offenses and cases that do not meet the statutory conditions may still require a petition or may not qualify for expungement at all.

Has Minnesota finished automatic expungement?

The BCA reports that more than 98% of historical criminal-history records qualifying for automatic Clean Slate expungement have already been sealed. Remaining historical records requiring individual eligibility review are expected to be processed by the end of 2026.

Newly eligible records continue to be evaluated for automatic sealing under applicable requirements.

How to determine whether your record has been sealed

1. Review the BCA public criminal-history search to see what is currently displayed.
2. Do not assume that an empty result proves automatic expungement; other search limitations may apply.
3. Request your complete BCA criminal history through the authorized personal data-request process.
4. Compare the result with your original court cases and dispositions.
5. Review the Minnesota Judicial Branch expungement instructions or ask qualified legal counsel about eligibility.

The BCA’s public system may still be processing specific historical records as part of Clean Slate implementation. A person whose record qualifies but has not yet been processed should follow the agency’s current instructions rather than relying on assumptions about the sealing date.

Employment, housing and lawful use

Can Minnesota Criminal Records Be Used for Employment Background Checks?

Minnesota BCA public criminal-history information may be accessed for lawful purposes, but specific notice and other legal requirements apply when the search concerns employment, housing or credit.

Under Minnesota Statutes § 13.87, subdivision 3(f), a person intending to search the BCA website for information about an applicant for employment, housing or credit must disclose that intention to the applicant. The site also states that the applicant must be notified when a background check using the website has been conducted.

Employers may also be subject to Minnesota fair-hiring laws and the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act when using reports from consumer reporting agencies.

Practical search help

Why Can’t I Find Minnesota State Criminal Records Online?

An empty search result is not always evidence that a criminal record does not exist. Different systems have different disclosure limits.

How to correct an inaccurate criminal history

Begin by identifying which system contains the error.

If the mistake is in MCRO, contact the local district court administration office responsible for the case. Minnesota’s court instructions specifically direct users to report case-record errors to the corresponding court.

If the mistake is in BCA criminal history, obtain the relevant court disposition or agency documentation and follow the BCA process to challenge accuracy, completeness or mistaken identity.

Keep copies of official court orders and relevant correspondence. Do not assume that changing a court docket automatically updates every criminal-history database or third-party report.

Frequently asked questions

Minnesota State Criminal Records FAQs

Government resources and verification links

Official Minnesota Criminal Records Websites

Use these government resources to access the original data, confirm court procedures or request official documents.

• Minnesota BCA — Public Criminal History Search
• BCA — Direct Criminal History Search Form
• BCA — Criminal History FAQs and Clean Slate Information
• BCA — Full Personal Criminal History Record Request PDF
• Minnesota Judicial Branch — MCRO Case Search
• Minnesota Courts — MCRO FAQs, Pending-Case Restrictions and Search Instructions
• MCRO — Public Access Terms and Data Limitations
• Minnesota Courts — Find Your Judicial District and County Court
• Hennepin County — Criminal Court Records
• Ramsey County — Criminal and Traffic Records
• Minnesota Judicial Branch — Requesting Court Copies
• Minnesota Judicial Branch — District Court Copy Fees
• Minnesota Department of Corrections — Incarcerated Individual and Registrant Searches
• Minnesota Courts — Criminal Expungement FAQs
• Minnesota Statutes § 609A.015 — Automatic Expungement
• Minnesota Statutes § 13.87 — Criminal Justice Data and Public Access Rules
• PACER — Federal Criminal Court Records