Find Duluth Booking Reports

Booking reports for Duluth arrests are held at the St. Louis County Jail, which processes everyone taken into custody by the Duluth Police Department. You can search the jail roster online, contact the Duluth Police Department for incident reports, and look up case outcomes through Minnesota's public court system. Under Minnesota Statute 13.82, arrest data is public, which means the name, arrest time, charges, and booking details are available to anyone. Duluth is a port city on Lake Superior with about 90,000 residents and the third-largest municipal police department in Minnesota.

Duluth Police Department

The Duluth Police Department is one of the largest municipal departments in Minnesota, authorized for approximately 158 officers and 40 support staff. The department's 2025 budget is $29,258,000. Three main divisions handle city operations: Patrol, Investigative, and Administrative. When officers make an arrest, the person is taken to the St. Louis County Jail for booking. The police department itself maintains separate records including incident reports, case files, and other documentation.

You can reach the department at (218) 730-5400. The main address is 2030 North Arlington Ave., Duluth, MN 55802. The department's website is at duluthmn.gov/police, where you can find information about record types, how to submit requests, and other public data about the department's operations.

Duluth's port location on Lake Superior means the department serves a mix of residential neighborhoods, a large university campus, and a significant amount of commercial port traffic. The department's size reflects the scope of that responsibility. It is the third-largest municipal police force in the state, behind Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

How to Request Duluth Police Records

Records requests for the Duluth Police Department are submitted through the department directly. Call (218) 730-5400 or visit the department at 2030 North Arlington Ave. during business hours. The department processes requests under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, and most public data must be provided in a reasonable time and at a cost not to exceed actual costs of retrieval and copying.

Common records you can request include incident reports, arrest reports, and other data classified as public. Some records are restricted. Those tied to active investigations, juvenile subjects, or certain protected data categories may be withheld in full or in part. The department will tell you which portions of your request are being withheld and under what authority.

For records that go beyond what the department holds -- like booking details, custody status, and jail information -- you need to contact the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office directly. The police department and the county jail are separate agencies with separate records systems. Booking reports are a jail record, not a police department record.

St. Louis County Jail Booking Records

When Duluth Police make an arrest, the person is booked at the St. Louis County Jail. The jail is run by the St. Louis County Sheriff and is located at 100 North 5th Ave. West, Duluth. You can reach the Sheriff at (218) 726-2341 or the jail directly at (218) 726-2345. The jail in Duluth has 197 beds. The county also operates two 72-hour lockup facilities on the Iron Range for shorter holds.

Booking records are public under Minn. Stat. 13.82. The St. Louis County Sheriff publishes a jail roster online so you can see who is currently in custody. Access the roster at stlouiscountymn.gov. The roster lists current inmates, their booking date, and the charges they face at the time of entry. For more detail on county-level booking procedures and records, see the St. Louis County Booking Reports page.

VINE and Custody Notifications

VINE -- Victim Information and Notification Everyday -- lets you track what happens to someone after they are booked at the St. Louis County Jail. Register at vinelink.com or call 1-877-MN-4-VINE. Once you sign up, you get automatic alerts when the person is released, transferred, or has a court date. The service is free and available 24 hours a day.

VINE ties directly into the jail's system. You pick how you want to be notified: phone, text, or email. You don't need to call the jail or check the roster manually once you register. The service is open to anyone, not just those connected to a specific case.

Court Records and BCA Background Checks

A booking report shows the arrest and the charges at intake. It does not show how the case ended. For that, use Minnesota Court Records Online at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us. This is the free public access system for Minnesota court filings. Duluth cases go through St. Louis County District Court, which is part of the 6th Judicial District. Search by name to find case numbers, hearing dates, and outcomes.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension offers a statewide criminal history search at dps.mn.gov. BCA searches cover all Minnesota counties and return conviction records on file with the state. There is a small fee per search. This is useful if you need a fuller picture of someone's record across the state, not just St. Louis County.

For anyone sentenced to a state prison after a Duluth case, the MN Department of Corrections Offender Locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us shows current placement and release status. County jail and state prison records are separate systems. The offender locator only shows people in state custody, not local jail holds.

Nearby Cities

Duluth is the only qualifying city in St. Louis County. Other Minnesota cities with booking reports pages are in the Twin Cities metro and southeastern Minnesota. See the cities page for a full list, or visit the St. Louis County Booking Reports page for more county-level information and nearby community resources.