Reviewed and updated October 11, 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.
Cottonwood County is a county in Minnesota with about 11,000 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 7 county office pages for Cottonwood County, every one opened and checked, and lists 1 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 Cottonwood County public records live
Each kind of Cottonwood 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.
- Arrests and jail bookings: cottonwoodcountymn.gov/departments/courts___legal/sheriff/jail_rost... (details)
- Court cases: mncourts.gov/find-courts/cottonwood (details)
- County records: cottonwoodcountymn.gov (details)
- Deeds and recorded documents: cottonwoodcountymn.gov/departments/administrative/recorder/real_est... (details)
- Property values and parcels: cottonwoodcountymn.gov/departments/administrative/assessor/index.php (details)
- Birth and death certificates: health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/registrars.html (details)
- Criminal prosecutions: cottonwoodcountymn.gov/departments/administrative/county_attorney/i... (details)
- Public records requests: cottonwoodcountymn.gov/departments/administrative/recorder/real_est... (details)
Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in Cottonwood County
A person arrested in Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood County.
- Website: cottonwoodcountymn.gov/departments/courts___legal/sheriff/jail_rost... (page title: Welcome to Cottonwood County, MN)
- Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.
Jail rosters usually show the people in custody now. Once a person is released, the case continues in the court records below.
Court records and case lookups in Cottonwood County
Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood County.
- Website: mncourts.gov/find-courts/cottonwood
- 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.
- Statewide court case search: publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/CaseSearch
County Clerk of Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood County.
- Website: cottonwoodcountymn.gov (page title: Welcome to Cottonwood County, MN)
- Phone: 507-831-1458
- Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.
Deeds, land records and property values in Cottonwood County
Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Cottonwood 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: cottonwoodcountymn.gov/departments/administrative/recorder/real_est... (page title: Welcome to Cottonwood County, MN)
- Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.
Property values: County Assessor
- Website: cottonwoodcountymn.gov/departments/administrative/assessor/index.php (page title: Welcome to Cottonwood County, MN)
- Phone: 507-831-2458
- Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.
Birth, death and marriage records in Cottonwood County
Certified copies of birth and death certificates for events in Cottonwood County are issued by the office below. The Minnesota state vital records office also issues certified copies for any event in the state.
- Website: health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/registrars.html (page title: Directory of County Offices | MN Dept. of Health)
- Phone: 651-201-5970
- Address: 307 Second Street NW, Room 122 Aitkin, MN 56431
- Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.
- Minnesota state vital records office: health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/death.html
County Attorney for Cottonwood County
The County Attorney is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Cottonwood County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.
- Website: cottonwoodcountymn.gov/departments/administrative/county_attorney/i... (page title: Welcome to Cottonwood County, MN)
- Phone: 507-831-5040
- Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood County.
- Website: cottonwoodcountymn.gov/departments/administrative/recorder/real_est... (page title: Welcome to Cottonwood County, MN)
- Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.
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.
- Statewide court case search: publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/CaseSearch
- Sex offender registry: mn.gov/doc/community-supervision/community-notification
- State vital records office: health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/death.html
- State criminal history records: dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca/bca-divisions/criminal-justice-information...
- Business entity search: mblsportal.sos.mn.gov/Business/Search
- Unclaimed property search: unclaimedproperty.mn.gov
More Cottonwood County links from the SearchSystems directory
These links come from the SearchSystems directory for Cottonwood County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.
- Inmates (vinelink.com)
- Register to Vote or Update Your Registration - MNVotes (mnvotes.sos.mn.gov)
Cities and towns in Cottonwood County
Cottonwood County has 6 incorporated cities and towns (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.
- Windom (4,797)
- Mountain Lake (1,944)
- Westbrook (734)
- Jeffers (338)
- Storden (214)
- Bingham Lake (133)
Other counties in Minnesota
SearchSystems has a guide like this one for every county in Minnesota.
- Aitkin County
- Anoka County
- Becker County
- Beltrami County
- Benton County
- Big Stone County
- Blue Earth County
- Brown County
- Carlton County
- Carver County
- Cass County
- Chippewa County
- Chisago County
- Clay County
- Clearwater County
- Cook County
- Crow Wing County
- Dakota County
- Dodge County
- Douglas County
- Faribault County
- Fillmore County
- Freeborn County
- Goodhue County
- Grant County
- Hennepin County
- Houston County
- Hubbard County
- Isanti County
- Itasca County
- Jackson County
- Kanabec County
- Kandiyohi County
- Kittson County
- Koochiching County
- Lac qui Parle County
- Lake County
- Lake of the Woods County
- Le Sueur County
- Lincoln County
- Lyon County
- Mahnomen County
- Marshall County
- Martin County
- McLeod County
- Meeker County
- Mille Lacs County
- Morrison County
- Mower County
- Murray County
- Nicollet County
- Nobles County
- Norman County
- Olmsted County
- Otter Tail County
- Pennington County
- Pine County
- Pipestone County
- Polk County
- Pope County
- Ramsey County
- Red Lake County
- Redwood County
- Renville County
- Rice County
- Rock County
- Roseau County
- Scott County
- Sherburne County
- Sibley County
- St. Louis County
- Stearns County
- Steele County
- Stevens County
- Swift County
- Todd County
- Traverse County
- Wabasha County
- Wadena County
- Waseca County
- Washington County
- Watonwan County
- Wilkin County
- Winona County
- Wright County
- Yellow Medicine County
Cottonwood County Arrest Records
The Cottonwood County arrest records guide names the four agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 124 arrests the four agencies with every month of 2025 on file reported that year. 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.
Cottonwood County Records Guides
SearchSystems has seven more guides to Cottonwood County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Cottonwood County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Cottonwood County inmate search (the custody page of the Cottonwood County Sheriff's Office, the jail numbers and who books people), Cottonwood County criminal records (the court file, the Minnesota criminal history and the local arrest records), Cottonwood County court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), Cottonwood County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act requires), Cottonwood County DUI (the DWI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case) and Cottonwood County divorce records (which court holds the file and how a certified copy is had).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood County?
Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Cottonwood County at cottonwoodcountymn.gov. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.
Who records deeds in Cottonwood County?
The County Recorder, at cottonwoodcountymn.gov. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Cottonwood County are filed there.
How do I get a birth or death certificate for Cottonwood County?
From the office SearchSystems verified for Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood County?
Through the records request page at cottonwoodcountymn.gov. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.