Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. 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). Every warrant for Clay County comes from a judge of the Clay County District Court, is served by whichever agency finds the person, and is recorded in the court file of the case it was issued in. This guide says who issues and serves warrants here, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one and how one is cleared.
This guide covers who issues warrants, who serves warrants, after a warrant arrest, checking for a warrant, clearing a warrant and common questions.
Related guides: Clay County public records, Clay County arrest records, Clay County criminal records, Clay County court records, Clay County police reports, Minnesota arrest records and Minnesota inmate search.
Who Issues Warrants in Clay County
In Minnesota an arrest warrant is signed by a judge. For Clay County that means the Clay County District Court, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile case.
A bench warrant follows a missed court date in any of those courts. Whichever kind it is, the warrant is part of the file of the case it was issued in, and the court administrator keeps that file.
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 Serves Warrants in Clay County
The Clay County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Moorhead, Dilworth, Barnesville, Hawley and Glyndon serve warrants in Clay County.
The agency that serves a warrant from Clay County is whichever one finds the person; an Minnesota warrant is valid across Minnesota.
Together, the six agencies in Clay County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,261 arrests to the FBI that year; arrests on warrants are counted among them, not separately.
Each agency and what it reported is in Clay County arrest records.
Where a Person Arrested on a Warrant from Clay County Is Held
A person arrested on a warrant and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Clay County Sheriff's Office, held about 81 people on an average day in 2021 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count.
A person arrested in Clay County on a warrant from another county is held at the same jail until that county takes custody.
How to Check for a Warrant in Clay County
Whether a warrant is out from Clay County shows in three places:
- The court file of the case, through the court administrator at (651) 793-2400, since a warrant is recorded in the case it was issued in.
- Minnesota Court Records Online, the Minnesota Judicial Branch's free statewide case search, for a case whose register of actions shows a warrant.
- The County Attorney, which can say whether charges were filed; a warrant on a complaint follows the filing.
Not one of the Clay County pages SearchSystems verified (the court's and the prosecutor's) is a list of open warrants, so a check means asking the court or the prosecutor about a case by name.
Clearing a Warrant from Clay County
Only the judge who issued a warrant can recall it. For a case from Clay County that means appearing before the Clay County District Court, with the case put back on the calendar through the court administrator.
A lawyer can often arrange the appearance in advance. The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at claycountymn.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I check for a warrant online in Clay County?
Not from the Clay County pages SearchSystems verified; none of them is a warrant list. Minnesota Court Records Online is the Minnesota Judicial Branch's free statewide case search, and a case whose register of actions shows a warrant is the record of it. The court file is the record of a warrant: ask the court administrator at (651) 793-2400.
Who serves warrants in Clay County?
The Clay County Sheriff's Office, and the agency that reports for the city where the person is found; an Minnesota warrant is valid anywhere in the state.
Where is a person arrested on a warrant in Clay County held?
At the county jail, run by the Clay County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
How is a warrant from Clay County cleared?
By appearing before the court that issued it; the judge recalls the warrant in court. The case is put back on the calendar through the court administrator at (651) 793-2400.
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.