How to Search Minnesota Public Records

Minnesota's court, criminal, vital, property, voter, and licensing records are maintained across state agencies and the 87 counties listed below. Use the tabs to filter by record type, or jump directly to any source.

  • Courts: The Minnesota Supreme Court sits at the top of the system; trial-court business is handled by the District Court (10 judicial districts). Most courts publish dockets and case lookups online.
  • Criminal history: The state's criminal-history repository handles official background checks. Fees and procedures are set by the state agency — see the linked official source.
  • Vital records: Birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates are issued by the Minnesota Department of Health (Office of Vital Records) and may also be available locally.
  • Property & recorded documents: Maintained at the county level by the Assessor, Recorder, or Clerk's office.
  • Business filings: The Secretary of State (or equivalent) operates the official business-entity search.
Population
5,793,151
Households
2,306,000
Median Income
$84,313
Median Home Value
$286,800

Court Records Databases

6 official Minnesota court records sources.

Court Records

Minnesota State Court System - Opinions and Orders / Minnesota State Law Library
Official Free
Slip opinions are released every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. They are published in the Appellate Courts Edition of Minnesota Lawyer, on the Court's Website, and on Lexis and Westlaw. Later, they appear in the advance sheets of the North Western Reporter. Finally, they are published in the permanent ...
🌐 mn.gov
Minnesota Tax Court / Minnesota Tax Court
Official Free
The Minnesota Tax Court is a specialized, executive branch court specifically established by the Minnesota Legislature to hear only tax related cases. The Court's mission is to provide timely and equitable disposition of appeals of orders issued by the Commissioner of Revenue and local property ...
🌐 mn.gov
Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals
Official Free
The Workers' Compensation Decisions (W.C.D.) on-line archive currently includes decisions issued by the court from 1999 through 2015. These decisions include both published and unpublished cases, but, as a general rule, do not include administrative orders. The case archive also includes Minnesota ...
🌐 mn.gov
Access Case Records
Official Free
Each Minnesota district courthouse offers electronic access to statewide public case records through public access terminals . Each district courthouse also offers in-person counter access to locally-stored, public case records in paper form.
MNB Professional Fees Applied For and Awarded
Official Paid
US Bankruptcy Court District of Minnesota · Professional Fees Awarded · Report Period: 02/01/2022 - 02/28/2022 · 09-32710 · Scott M. Bieniek · Recipient · Award Date · Fees Awarded · Expenses Awarded · Manty, Nauni Jo
PACER: Login
Official Paid
This site is maintained by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on behalf of the Federal Judiciary. PACER Service Center (800) 676-6856 pacer@psc.uscourts.gov

Minnesota Counties

87 Minnesota counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.

Frequently Asked Questions

Minnesota's official criminal-history repository is operated by the state law-enforcement agency. Free public access to a complete criminal history is generally not available; an official background check typically requires fingerprints and a fee. County-level court records can be searched at no cost through individual court websites.

Minnesota's court system is headed by the Minnesota Supreme Court. Trial-court business is handled by the District Court (10 judicial districts). Many Minnesota courts publish docket searches and case lookups online — see the Court Records tab above for direct links.

The Minnesota Secretary of State (or equivalent agency) operates the official business-entity search. You can typically search corporations, LLCs, LPs, and other registered entities by name or registration number. See the Licenses or Business tab above.

The Assessor determines property values for tax purposes. The Recorder (or Clerk-Recorder) records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other property documents. Some county offices combine these roles, others keep them separate. Check the specific county page for details.

Minnesota vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce certificates) are issued by the Minnesota Department of Health (Office of Vital Records) and, in many cases, by local county clerks. Fees and ID requirements are set by the issuing agency.

Most county-level property and recorded-document searches are free for basic information through the Assessor or Recorder website. Certified copies of deeds typically have a per-page fee. Direct links are in the Property Records tab above.

The Minnesota sex offender registry is maintained by the state law-enforcement agency under the Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Act. The registry is searchable by name, ZIP code, or address.

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