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. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Washington County, Minnesota, has about 284,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A traffic ticket written in Washington County is a court case in the Washington County District Court, and the conviction it ends in goes on the driving record kept by the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services. This guide says which court takes the ticket, who writes them and where the driving record lives.
This guide covers where tickets go, who writes them, the driving record, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Washington County public records, Washington County arrest records, Washington County warrants, Washington County inmate search, Washington County criminal records, Minnesota arrest records and Minnesota inmate search.
Where a Ticket Written in Washington County Goes
Tickets in Washington County go to the Washington County District Court. A paid ticket, a dismissal and a trial all end up in that court's records.
Statewide, Minnesota Court Records Online is the Minnesota Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
Who Writes the Tickets in Washington County
The Washington County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Woodbury, Cottage Grove, Oakdale, Forest Lake, Stillwater, St. Paul Park and two more cities write the traffic tickets in Washington County.
The Hastings Police Department and the White Bear Lake Police Department are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Washington County, so their arrests are not broken out for Washington County here.
The Driving Record and the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services
The driving record is a separate document from the court file. It is kept by the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services, which adds each conviction the court reports and handles suspensions; the court does not issue driving records.
Paying a ticket is a conviction, reported to the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services like any other; contesting it means a plea of not guilty entered with the court by the date on the ticket.
A DWI is a criminal charge rather than a ticket, with its own license case before Driver and Vehicle Services (see Washington County DUI).
Cities in Washington County
Wherever in the county a ticket is written, it is answered in the Washington County District Court.
SearchSystems has a guide to the offices of these cities in Washington County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population:
- Cottage Grove (42,760)
- Oakdale (30,441)
- Forest Lake (20,700)
- Stillwater (19,386)
- Lake Elmo (14,161)
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I pay a traffic ticket from Washington County?
With the Washington County District Court.
Who keeps my driving record in Minnesota?
The Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services. The court reports each conviction to it, and paying a ticket counts as one.
Which court handles traffic tickets in Washington County?
The Washington County District Court, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile case.
Is this the official Washington 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.