Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Rice County, Minnesota, has about 69,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Rice County depends on where the incident happened: the Rice County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county, the agency that reports for the city inside a city. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, the cities' reports, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Rice County public records, Rice County arrest records, Rice County warrants, Rice County inmate search, Rice County criminal records, Minnesota arrest records and Minnesota inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Rice County
A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court, the jail or the prosecutor.
In Rice County that is the Rice County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and the agency that reports for a city where the city has one of its own.
Reports from the Rice County Sheriff's Office
The Rice County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 11 violent and 13 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 140 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at ricecountymn.gov/279/Rice-County-Jail (page title: Rice County Jail | Rice County, MN), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 429), so open it in a browser.
Reports from the City Agencies in Rice County
The four cities the FBI lists in Rice County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Faribault: 63 violent and 241 property crimes reported for 2025; 348 arrests reported for 2025. The Faribault police department's page is at faribaultmn.gov/149/Police, phone 507-334-4305 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Northfield: 37 violent and 196 property crimes reported for 2025; 274 arrests reported for 2025. The Northfield police records page is at northfieldmn.gov/595/Police-Reports, phone 507-645-4477 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Lonsdale: 2 violent and 8 property crimes reported for 2025; 0 arrests reported for 2025.
- Dundas: 0 violent and 28 property crimes reported for 2025; 25 arrests reported for 2025.
A city on that list is reported separately whether the officers are the city's own or the sheriff's under contract; the FBI's list does not say which.
How Many Reports: Rice County in 2025
The five agencies in Rice County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 113 violent and 486 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the five agencies in Rice County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 787 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act Requires
Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act the agency must answer a request promptly, within a reasonable time, and it may charge copying, and staff time for requests over 100 pages. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Attorney, 507-332-6103, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Rice County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Rice County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act the answer is due promptly, within a reasonable time.
How long does an agency in Rice County have to answer?
Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, promptly, within a reasonable time. It may charge copying, and staff time for requests over 100 pages.
How do I get a report from the Rice County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act the answer is due promptly, within a reasonable time.
Is this the official Rice 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.