Search Minnesota Booking Reports
Minnesota booking reports are public records that document who has been arrested and booked into a county jail. Each of the state's 87 counties keeps its own jail roster or inmate list, updated anywhere from hourly to daily. You can search these records through county sheriff websites, the Minnesota Department of Corrections offender database, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension criminal history search. This guide covers the main sources and tools for finding Minnesota booking reports and arrest records across the state.
Minnesota Booking Reports Overview
Where to Find Minnesota Booking Reports
Minnesota does not have one central statewide booking report database. Arrest records and jail data are split between county sheriff offices, the Department of Corrections, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the court system. Each county runs its own jail and publishes its own inmate roster. Some rosters update hourly. Others post a daily PDF. A few are harder to track down because the county's website is small or the roster is not online.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections maintains a public offender database at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicViewer. This tool covers adults sentenced to prison who are either currently incarcerated or still under DOC supervision. It does not show pre-trial detainees or people held in county jails for short sentences. For county-level booking data, you go directly to each county sheriff's website.
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension offers a free criminal history search that shows convictions. Under Minnesota Statutes §13.87, criminal history data is partly private, but conviction records are public for 15 years after a sentence is complete. Run that search at dps.mn.gov. First name, last name, and date of birth are all required. No fingerprints are needed for the basic public version.
County jail rosters are the most direct source for current booking reports. Many Minnesota counties post daily or live inmate lists on their sheriff's website. These show who is in custody right now, including the booking date, charges listed at the time of arrest, and in many cases a mugshot and bail amount. The detail level varies from county to county. Metro area jails tend to have the most comprehensive online rosters.
MN DOC Offender Locator and Booking Records
The Minnesota DOC Public Viewer is the state's official database for offenders sentenced under DOC supervision. It is searchable by name or MNDOC Offender ID number. The database shows demographic details, current offense, sentence length, current status, and expected release date. It covers people currently in prison and those who have been released but remain on supervision. Newly sentenced individuals may take several business days to appear in the system after sentencing.
The DOC also runs a Predatory Offender Search database for those required to register under Minnesota Statutes §243.166. Law enforcement determines what information to disclose case by case. Records appear within 48 hours of receiving authorization from law enforcement. The Community Notification Unit handles questions at (651) 361-7340, or toll free at (866) 396-9953.
For questions about an offender record, contact DOC Records at co-records.doc@state.mn.us or call (651) 361-7200. The DOC main office is at 1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55108.
The Public Viewer at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicViewer is free. No account or login is required. Search options include first name only, last name only, or both combined.
BCA Criminal History Search for Booking Records
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension runs the state's official criminal history database. The public version is free and available online at dps.mn.gov. It shows conviction records that are public under the criminal justice data rules in Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13. Arrest data from cases that did not lead to conviction is not in the public record. Juvenile records are also not available through this search.
What the public BCA search shows: the offense, date of offense, court of conviction, date of conviction, sentence imposed, and level of conviction. Records stay public for 15 years after the sentence is complete. For a complete criminal history with fingerprint verification, the fee is $15 by mail or $4 for a printed copy at the BCA office. The BCA is at 1430 Maryland Avenue East, St. Paul, MN 55106. Call (651) 793-2400, option 7 for the Criminal History Access Unit.
Under Minnesota Statutes §299C.10, fingerprints from any felony, gross misdemeanor, or targeted misdemeanor arrest must be entered into the BCA database within 24 hours. Targeted misdemeanors covered include DWI under 169A.20, order for protection violations under 518B.01, fifth-degree assault under 609.224, domestic assault under 609.2242, and indecent exposure under 617.23.
Minnesota Court Records and Arrest Data
Court records are separate from booking reports but they often contain related data. The Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) system covers district courts in all 87 counties. You can search by name, case number, or attorney. Results show party names, case type, hearing dates, and docket entries. Documents filed on or after July 1, 2015 are available online for public criminal and civil cases. For documents filed before that date, contact the local court administrator directly.
If you find a case in the court system, booking records from the jail are separate documents held by the county sheriff. The court file shows charges, hearings, and the outcome. The booking report from the jail shows who was arrested, when, and on what charge at the time of arrest. Those initial charges may change as the case moves forward in court.
The MN Judicial Branch homepage has links to each district court and details on how to request records by mail or in person. Copies of filed documents cost $0.25 per page for 100 or fewer pages. The State Law Library is in Room G25, Minnesota Judicial Center, 25 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155, phone (651) 297-7651.
What Minnesota Booking Reports Contain
A booking report captures basic facts at the time of arrest. Minnesota law under Minnesota Statutes §13.82 makes this data public. The law specifically lists what is public arrest data: the time, date, and place of the action; the charge or legal basis for the arrest; the identities of the agencies and officers involved; whether and where the person is in custody; and the name, age, sex, and last known address of the adult arrested. Booking photographs are also public under §13.82, Subd. 26, though law enforcement can briefly withhold a photo if releasing it would compromise an active investigation that is still open.
Most county jail rosters in Minnesota include: full name, booking number, date and time of booking, arresting agency, charges with statute numbers, custody status, and bond or bail amount. Many also show a mugshot, projected release date, and housing unit. The detail level changes from county to county. Metro jails like Hennepin and Ramsey update hourly and show more fields. Smaller counties may post a PDF roster once a day.
Booking reports do not prove guilt. The charge listed is the initial booking charge and may differ from what the prosecutor eventually files in court. All individuals listed are presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law.
VINE Statewide Custody Notifications
VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) is a free, anonymous service available for all 87 Minnesota counties. It lets anyone check the custody status of an offender and register for automatic alerts when that person is transferred, released, escapes, or dies in custody. You can search by name, alias, or ID number, with secondary filters for date of birth, incident date, and arresting agency. VINE is available online at vinelink.com and by phone at 1-877-MN-4-VINE (1-877-664-8463). The phone line runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Somali. Online service is in English and Spanish.
Once registered, VINE calls or emails you when the offender's custody status changes. Calls continue for up to 48 hours or until you confirm with your PIN. This is one of the most useful tools for tracking a specific person across Minnesota's jail and prison system without having to call each county individually.
Minnesota Data Practices Act and Booking Report Access
Minnesota's Government Data Practices Act, codified at Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13, is the main law governing public access to government records. Under this act, all government data is presumed public unless a specific statute classifies it otherwise. Booking reports fall under the law enforcement data provisions of Chapter 13, and most of what a booking report contains is classified as public by statute.
Section §13.03 sets the access rules. The max fee for copies is $0.25 per page for 100 pages or fewer. Agencies cannot charge you just for viewing public data in person. They can only charge for copies. Under §13.82, the time, date, place, charge, and identity of the person arrested are all public. Agencies are required to respond to data requests within set timelines.
Note: Booking photographs are public under §13.82, Subd. 26, but law enforcement may temporarily withhold a photo if releasing it would compromise an active investigation.
Minnesota County Jail Booking Reports
The most direct way to get a current booking report in Minnesota is through the county jail where the person is held. All 87 counties operate their own jail or contract bed space from a neighboring county. Most maintain an online roster showing who is currently in custody. Update frequency ranges from real-time to once daily, depending on the county's system and size.
Hennepin County's roster at jailroster.hennepin.us updates hourly and shows full name, booking number, age, inmate number, custody status, housing location, received date, arresting agency, and release date if available. Ramsey County's Adult Detention Center roster at ramseycountymn.gov updates every 30 minutes. It includes names, booking dates, arresting charges, formal charges, court case numbers, and court dates. Records stay available while the person is in custody and for five days after release. The 500-bed facility opened in December 2003 and is a pre-trial detention center.
Dakota County processes roughly 9,000 bookings per year at its jail in Hastings, which holds a maximum of 270 inmates. The jail portal at dakotacountysheriff.org is one of the more detailed roster systems in the state, showing mugshot, booking number, booking date, arrest date, arrest agency, arrest city, reason held, inmate location, bail type, court number, bond amount, charge, court name, court date, and court reason. Call (651) 438-4750 for jail inquiries.
For counties without online rosters, contact the county sheriff directly or use aggregators like minnesotajailroster.com or inmatesearchmn.org, which compile links and roster data from county sources across the state.
Third-Party Tools for Minnesota Booking Reports
Several platforms help people find booking reports and inmate data across Minnesota. JailATM at jailatm.com is used by Carlton County and others for inmate funds deposits and inmate search. Reliance Telephone at reliancetelephone.com, phone 1-800-896-3201, handles phone and video visitation services for several county jails including St. Louis, Lake, Houston, and Nobles counties. Both platforms include inmate search features that can help locate someone in the county jail system.
The MN DOC also provides a victim notification and custody status page at mn.gov/doc. This service lets victims and the public request custody status notifications for offenders sentenced to DOC. For DOC fugitives and wanted persons, the active fugitives page at mn.gov/doc/community-supervision lists those who violated supervision terms. The 24-hour DOC tip line is 651-603-0026. Crime Stoppers is 1-800-222-TIPS.
Browse Minnesota Booking Reports by County
Each of Minnesota's 87 counties operates its own sheriff's office and jail. Select a county below to find its inmate roster, booking report resources, and local contact information for the sheriff and jail.
View All 87 Minnesota Counties
Booking Reports in Major Minnesota Cities
Minnesota's major cities rely on their county sheriff for jail booking data. Select a city below to find booking report resources, local police department contact info, and the county jail that serves your area.