SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 3, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.

About this guide

Cook County is a county in Minnesota with about 5,600 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are not in one place: court cases, jail bookings, deeds, property values, vital records and records requests each belong to a different office. This guide names the office that holds each kind of record, links to its own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 5 county office pages for Cook County, every one opened and checked, and lists 3 more whose site blocks automated checks.

In this guide: Where the records live, Jail and arrests, Court records, County Clerk, Deeds and property, Vital records, County Attorney, Records requests, Statewide sources, More directory links, Cities and towns, Other counties and Questions.

Where Cook County public records live

Each kind of Cook County record is kept by a different office. The list below names the office SearchSystems verified for each one; the sections that follow give its phone, address and hours where the office publishes them.

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Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in Cook County

A person arrested in Cook County is booked into the jail, and the booking record (name, charges, bond and the next court date) is public in most cases. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for jail and inmate information in Cook County.

Jail rosters usually show the people in custody now. Once a person is released, the case continues in the court records below.

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Court records and case lookups in Cook County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Cook County are kept by the clerk of the court that heard them. Many courts offer an online case search; the page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Cook County.

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County Clerk of Cook County

The county clerk is the county's record keeper. What the office holds differs by state: in some states it files marriage licenses and vital records, in others deeds, court papers or the meeting records of the governing board. Its own website below says what it holds in Cook County.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Cook County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Cook County. The assessment office sets the taxable value of each parcel and usually offers a free parcel search by address or owner name.

Recorded documents: County Recorder

  • Website: co.cook.mn.us/index.php/recorder-forms
  • Checked: October 2, 2026, the site blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), and the page was found in a live search index on October 2, 2026; open it directly in a browser.

Property values: County Assessor

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Birth, death and marriage records in Cook County

Certified copies of birth and death certificates for events in Cook County are issued by the office below. The Minnesota state vital records office also issues certified copies for any event in the state.

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County Attorney for Cook County

The County Attorney is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Cook County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.

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Public records requests to Cook County

Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it. Many counties run one request page for every department; it is listed below when SearchSystems verified one for Cook County.

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Statewide Minnesota sources

Some records are kept by the state rather than the county. These are the Minnesota state offices SearchSystems verified; each link opens the state office's own page.

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These links come from the SearchSystems directory for Cook County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in Cook County

Cook County has 1 incorporated city or town (2024 Census Bureau count, population in parentheses). City records such as council minutes, permits, business licenses and police reports are kept by each city; the records on this page are county records whatever the city.

  • Grand Marais (1,306)

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Cook County Arrest Records

The Cook County arrest records guide names the agency that reports arrests to the FBI here and the 28 arrests it reported for 2025. It also says where a person arrested here is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.

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Cook County Records Guides

SearchSystems has nine more guides to Cook County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Cook County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Cook County inmate search (the custody page of the Cook County Sheriff's Office, the jail numbers and who books people), Cook County criminal records (the court file, the Minnesota criminal history and the local arrest records), Cook County court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), Cook County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act requires), Cook County traffic tickets (which court takes the ticket, who writes them and the driving record), Cook County DUI (the DWI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case), Cook County divorce records (which court holds the file and how a certified copy is had) and Cook County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Cook County website?

No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official offices listed above; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.

How do I find out if someone is in jail in Cook County?

Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Cook County at cookcountymn.gov, or call 218-387-3030. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.

Where do I look up a court case in Cook County?

The court records page SearchSystems verified for Cook County is at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/CaseSearch, phone (651) 793-2400. A case number finds a case fastest; a name search returns every case with that name.

How do I get a birth or death certificate for Cook County?

From the office SearchSystems verified for Cook County vital records at health.state.mn.us, phone 651-201-5970, or from the Minnesota state vital records office.

How do I request a public record from Cook County?

From the office that holds it: the court for case files, the County Recorder for deeds, the sheriff for jail records, and so on. Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices.