Find Clay County Booking Reports
Clay County Booking Reports document each arrest processed by the Clay County Sheriff's Office in Moorhead. This page covers the sheriff's correctional facility, how to look up current inmates, what data booking records contain, and where to find related court and criminal history records for Clay County and the surrounding region.
Clay County Booking Reports
Clay County Sheriff's Office Correctional Facility
The Clay County Sheriff's Office operates a correctional facility as one of its five main divisions. The other four are Administration, Emergency Management, Operations, and Support Services. The Correctional Facility is where all bookings for Clay County are processed and where inmates are held pending court appearances or release.
The Sheriff's Office employs 34 full-time deputies and 31 full-time corrections staff, along with 5 full-time office associates and 2 part-time jail office associates. The agency covers 30 townships and 6 incorporated cities across 1,053 square miles. For booking records and inmate information, the Sheriff's website at mn-claycounty.civicplus.com/165 is the starting point.
When someone is booked at the Clay County facility, a record is created that includes their name, date of birth, booking date, charges, custody status, and bond information. These records are public under Minnesota law and can be requested through the Sheriff's Office.
Note: The Clay County Correctional Facility is staffed by 31 full-time corrections personnel and processes bookings for all arrests made across the county's 1,053 square miles.
Sheriff's Office Contact Information
Contact the Clay County Sheriff's Office directly for inmate lookups, records requests, or questions about the booking process.
| Agency | Clay County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Sheriff | Mark Empting |
| Address | 911 11th Street N., Moorhead, MN 56560 |
| Phone | 218-299-5151 |
| Fax | 218-299-5228 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Sheriff Website | mn-claycounty.civicplus.com/165 |
| Judicial District | 9th Judicial District |
For questions about a specific inmate or booking, calling 218-299-5151 during business hours is the most direct approach. The Sheriff's Office handles records requests Monday through Friday. For urgent inquiries about someone in custody, call the same number and ask for the correctional facility.
What Clay County Booking Records Show
Each booking report created at the Clay County Correctional Facility captures a standard set of data at intake. These fields are public under state law.
The record includes full name and date of birth for identification. Booking date is when the person was processed into the facility. The charges listed are what they were arrested for at that point in time. Note that charges can change as the case develops in court. Some charges get dropped, others added, and plea agreements can shift the final outcome significantly from what the booking record shows.
Custody status tells you whether the person is still in custody. Bond or bail information shows what, if any, financial conditions must be met before release. A no-bail hold means the person must remain in custody until a court hearing. For records involving juveniles or sealed matters, access may be limited. All standard adult arrest records are public by default in Minnesota.
Note: Charges in Clay County booking records reflect allegations at the time of arrest and do not represent a finding of guilt or the final outcome of a case.
Minnesota Statutes and Public Arrest Data
Minnesota law requires that arrest data be made public. Minnesota Statutes section 13.82 classifies basic booking information as public government data. The Clay County Sheriff's Office must make names, arrest dates, arresting agencies, charges, and custody status available to anyone who asks. No special reason or standing is needed to request this information.
The statute also defines what law enforcement is not required to release. Data that could compromise an active investigation, information about confidential informants, and records involving minors may be withheld. These are narrow exceptions. The general rule is that adult arrest and booking data is open to the public.
For a broader look at someone's criminal history beyond what a jail roster shows, the BCA Criminal History search covers statewide records compiled by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. That search covers convictions, case dispositions, and criminal history across all Minnesota counties.
Court Records and Related Resources
Clay County cases are heard in the 9th Judicial District. Court records for cases in this district, including those originating from Clay County arrests, are available through Minnesota Court Records Online. You can search by name or case number to find filings, hearing dates, charges, and dispositions.
VINE offers free custody alerts for Clay County inmates. Register at vinelink.com or call 1-877-MN-4-VINE. You can set up alerts by phone, email, or text and receive notification any time someone's custody status changes. The service runs around the clock.
For people sent to state prison after conviction, the MN DOC Offender Locator covers state facilities. It won't show someone held at the county level. Check both if you're unsure which system has the person.
Note: Minnesota Court Records Online covers all 9th District case filings and is the best source for tracking what happens to a case after a Clay County booking.
Nearby Counties
Clay County sits on the North Dakota border in the Red River Valley. Each neighboring county has its own sheriff and booking records process.