Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site on September 23, 2026.
Clay County, Minnesota, has about 67,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A traffic ticket written in Clay County is a court case in the Clay County District Court, and the conviction it ends in goes on the driving record kept by the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services. This guide says which court takes the ticket, who writes them and where the driving record lives.
This guide covers where tickets go, who writes them, the driving record, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Clay County public records, Clay County arrest records, Clay County warrants, Clay County criminal records, Clay County court records, Minnesota arrest records and Minnesota inmate search.
Where a Ticket Written in Clay County Goes
A traffic ticket written in Clay County is answered in the Clay County District Court. The ticket itself is a court case, and the court's index is the record of it.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/CaseSearch (page title: Case Search | Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO)), phone (651) 793-2400, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Statewide, Minnesota Court Records Online is the Minnesota Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
Who Writes the Tickets in Clay County
The Clay County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Moorhead, Dilworth, Barnesville, Hawley and Glyndon write the traffic tickets in Clay County.
The Driving Record and the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services
The driving record is a separate document from the court file. It is kept by the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services, which adds each conviction the court reports and handles suspensions; the court does not issue driving records.
Paying a ticket is a conviction, reported to the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services like any other; contesting it means a plea of not guilty entered with the court by the date on the ticket.
A DWI is a criminal charge rather than a ticket, with its own license case before Driver and Vehicle Services (see Clay County DUI).
Cities in Clay County
Wherever in the county a ticket is written, it is answered in the Clay County District Court.
SearchSystems has a guide to the offices of these cities in Clay County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population:
- Moorhead (45,726)
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I pay a traffic ticket from Clay County?
With the Clay County District Court, whose page SearchSystems verified is at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/CaseSearch, phone (651) 793-2400.
Who keeps my driving record in Minnesota?
The Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services. The court reports each conviction to it, and paying a ticket counts as one.
Which court handles traffic tickets in Clay County?
The Clay County District Court, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile case.
Is this the official Clay County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.