SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 4, 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

Dakota County is a county in Minnesota with about 453,000 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 8 county office pages for Dakota County, every one opened and checked.

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 Dakota County public records live

Each kind of Dakota 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 Dakota County

A person arrested in Dakota 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 Dakota 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 Dakota County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Dakota 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 Dakota County.

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County Clerk of Dakota 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 Dakota County.

  • Website: dakotacountymn.gov/government/departments (page title: County Departments)
  • Phone: 651-438-8179
  • Address: 1590 Highway 55 Hastings, MN 55033
  • Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Dakota County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Dakota 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

Property values: County Assessor

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Birth, death and marriage records in Dakota County

Certified copies of birth and death certificates for events in Dakota 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 Dakota County

The County Attorney is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Dakota 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 Dakota 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 Dakota 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 Dakota County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in Dakota County

Dakota County has 21 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. SearchSystems has a guide to the city offices of each linked city; the linked names open them.

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Dakota County Arrest Records

The Dakota County arrest records guide names the 12 agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 6,406 arrests the 12 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.

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Dakota County Records Guides

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Dakota 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 Dakota County?

Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Dakota County at dakotacountymn.gov, or call 651-377-7188. 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 Dakota County?

The court records page SearchSystems verified for Dakota 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.

Who records deeds in Dakota County?

The County Recorder, at dakotacountymn.gov. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Dakota County are filed there.

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

From the office SearchSystems verified for Dakota 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 Dakota County?

Through the records request page at dakotacountymn.gov/government. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.

Population
453K
County Seat
Hastings
Libraries
10
Schools
131