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 between September 23, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Otter Tail County, Minnesota, has about 61,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Every warrant for Otter Tail County comes from a judge of the Otter Tail 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: Otter Tail County public records, Otter Tail County arrest records, Otter Tail County inmate search, Otter Tail County criminal records, Otter Tail County court records, Minnesota arrest records and Minnesota inmate search.
Who Issues Warrants in Otter Tail County
In Minnesota an arrest warrant is signed by a judge. For Otter Tail County that means the Otter Tail County District Court, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile case.
When a defendant misses a court date the judge issues a bench warrant, and either kind of warrant lives in the court file of the case, kept by the court administrator.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at mncourts.gov/find-courts/otter-tail (page title: Otter Tail County District Court), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
Statewide, Minnesota Court Records Online is the Minnesota Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
Who Serves Warrants in Otter Tail County
The Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Fergus Falls, Perham, Pelican Rapids, New York Mills, Parkers Prairie, Battle Lake and one more cities serve warrants in Otter Tail County.
The Wadena Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Otter Tail County, so its arrests are not broken out for Otter Tail County here.
The agency that serves a warrant from Otter Tail County is whichever one finds the person; an Minnesota warrant is valid across Minnesota.
Together, the seven agencies in Otter Tail County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 703 arrests to the FBI that year; arrests on warrants are counted among them, not separately.
Each agency and what it reported is in Otter Tail County arrest records.
Where a Person Arrested on a Warrant from Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office, held about 46 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at ottertailcounty.gov/public-safety-law/detention/jail-in-custody-list, phone 218-998-8555. The Otter Tail County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
A person arrested in Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail County
Whether a warrant is out from Otter Tail County shows in three places:
- 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, phone 218-998-8400, which can say whether charges were filed; a warrant on a complaint follows the filing.
- The custody page of the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office at ottertailcounty.gov, which shows people already arrested and booked, not open warrants.
Not one of the Otter Tail County pages SearchSystems verified (the sheriff's, the prosecutor's and the records request page) 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 Otter Tail County
A warrant is recalled by the court that issued it, so clearing one from Otter Tail County starts with the court administrator: the case goes back on the calendar and the judge recalls the warrant when the person appears.
A lawyer can often arrange the appearance in advance. The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at ottertailcounty.gov, phone 218-998-8400.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I check for a warrant online in Otter Tail County?
Not from the Otter Tail 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 that issued it keeps the record; ask the court administrator.
Who serves warrants in Otter Tail County?
The Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail County held?
At the county jail, run by the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
How is a warrant from Otter Tail 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.
Is this the official Otter Tail 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.