Hennepin County Court Records

Hennepin County court records are legal documents containing information about or relating to the county's court proceedings. They are created to document judicial proceedings, give insight into citizens' legal rights, and administer justice in Hennepin County. The custodian of these records is the Fourth Judicial District Court, which currently serves as the trial-level court for Hennepin County.

The Minnesota Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch govern how Hennepin County Court records are created, maintained, assessed, copied, and protected. Court records contribute to and are often connected to other public records, including arrest records and vital records, which their unique custodians maintain. County courts are not the custodians of federal case files. Federal case files are handled by the U.S. District Courts.

Are Hennepin County Court Records Public?

Yes. Hennepin County Court records are public under the Minnesota Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch. The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act governs access to government records but does not apply to the legislative or judicial branches (Minn. Stat. § 13). However, not all court records are open for public access. Records like civil, criminal, family, probate, and housing are open for public access, but some court records are restricted depending on the case type. Records from Juvenile cases, adoption cases, harassment, and child in need of protection (CHIPS) cases have privacy protections under Minnesota state and federal laws, so they are restricted from unauthorized public access.

What Information is Available in Hennepin County Court Records?

A Hennepin County Court record typically contains the following information

• Information on parties involved in the case (plaintiffs, defendants, lawyers, judges)
• Case information (case numbers, charges or claims, hearing dates)
• Motions
• Court orders
• Judgements
• Arrest information (if applicable, such as in the case of a criminal case)
• Disputes
• Wills
• Guardianships
• Petitions

Hennepin County Court Records Search

Hennepin County Court Records can be searched and assessed through the following means:

• Online Access: Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) allows a free case, document, hearing, and judgment search of its database. Civil, criminal, family, probate, and judgment records can be obtained through this resource, but cases with privacy protection, such as juvenile and adoption cases, are excluded due to confidentiality.
• In-person access: Individuals can visit the county courthouse in person and get assistance from the Clerk's office to locate or copy a public court record. They can also use the MPA Courthouse program running on the County Courthouse public terminal, which has broader search capabilities and gives more detailed access to all case records except juvenile records. The address for an in-person visit is as follows:

• Mail and Phone Request: A court record can be requested by mail or phone from the district court administrator. To make a written request, a person should send their name, the case number of the requested record, and applicable payment in a self-stamped envelope to the Hennepin District Court Records Center. Acceptable payment methods for the record are check or money order only.

Fees for Court Records in Hennepin County

It costs $14 to obtain a certified copy of a Hennepin County Court record, and faxing the record costs $25 for every 50 pages. Uncertified record searches made in person at the county courthouse or through the public access terminal are free. Vital records are filed under family court case records and handled by the Hennepin County Vital Records Office. The costs of obtaining certified copies of these vital records are as follows:

• $26 for birth records, with $19 per additional copy
• $13 for death records, with $6 per additional copy
• $9 for marriage certificates.

The Minnesota Department of Health provides the most up-to-date fee schedule for obtaining records through its website.

Hennepin County Courthouse Locations

The courthouses in Hennepin County and their contact information are listed below.

Hennepin County Civil Court (Fourth District Civil Division): It handles non-criminal cases.

Hennepin County Conciliation Court (small claims court): It handles civil cases with monetary restitution of $20,000 and below.

Hennepin Criminal & Traffic Division: Handles cases like drug offenses and cases involving military veterans. It is located in four locations, both in downtown Minneapolis and the suburbs.

Hennepin Family Court: Handles divorce, domestic abuse, harassment, and child custody cases.

Hennepin Housing Court: handles dispute cases between landlords and tenants.

Juvenile court: handles cases of children 18 years and below, including cases of juvenile delinquency, child protection (CHIPS), and adoption.

Probate / Mental Health Court: Handles estate administration of deceased people and the commitment of people referred by the criminal court for treatment.

Criminal Records Access in Hennepin County

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) division of the Department of Public Safety handles official state-level criminal history checks. They then make these statewide records available through the Minnesota Criminal History System (CHS) as long as there was a conviction. Local case records, on the other hand, are handled by the county's district court (Fourth Judicial District Court). Individuals can access these records online through the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO), by visiting the Hennepin County Government Center Records Center in person and using its public terminals to search.

Hennepin County Probate Records

Hennepin County probate records are court records of cases involving the estates and affairs of deceased people and court supervision for minors or incapacitated adults. Examples of probate records are estate inventories, letters of administration, wills, petitions, and court orders for guardianships and conservatorships. The probate division of the Fourth Judicial District is the custodian of probate records in Hennepin County. They create and maintain these records and make them available online through the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) or offline at the Hennepin County Government Center. The MCRO typically has probate records from recent years on its database.

Although probate records, like other court records, are classified as public records, select records are considered confidential and so are restricted from being public. Examples of these confidential probate records include financial statements, capacity declarations, and psych evaluations. Access to these records is only granted by a court order. Under Minn. Stat. § 524.2-515, wills are also confidential and only become public when its owner (testator) dies.

Hennepin County Family Court Records

Hennepin County Family Court Records are records of cases involving family matters such as divorces, paternity, domestic abuse, harassment, child custody and support, visitation rights, and adoption cases. The family court division creates and maintains family court records. Public family records are available online through the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) search and through an in-person search at the family justice center or courthouse.

Some family court records are classified as confidential and cannot be accessed either online or in person without court approval. Examples of these confidential records include adoption records, child protection cases, and addresses. Certified copies of family records can be obtained from the Records Center at the Hennepin County Government Center. A written request can be sent by mail, inclusive of $14 (check or money order) for each certified copy. Examples of family documents that may require certified copies include divorce decrees and support orders.

Federal Court Records in Hennepin County

The U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota handles federal court records in Hennepin County. This includes bankruptcy, federal appeals, criminal cases from the U.S. Attorney's Office, and cases involving federal laws or the Constitution. The Minneapolis courthouse has jurisdiction over federal cases in the District of Minnesota. Its contact information is as follows.

Federal court records can be accessed online through PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) or offline by contacting the Clerk's Office at the Minneapolis Federal Courthouse in person.

• PACER: Individuals are required to create an account and log in to complete a search using key information from the case, such as the case number or names of parties involved in the case. Registered users can also search through records of all federal courts using the National Index Search if they do not know what court the case was filed in. It costs $0.10 per page to use PACER.
• Clerk's Office: Individuals can retrieve court records from 1999 to the present by visiting the Clerk of the U.S. Courthouse. They can also use the public terminals at the court to search for cases online for free or request printed or certified copies of the record at a fee. Paper records from before 1999 are permanently preserved at the Federal Records Center or the National Archives.