St. Paul Criminal Records

St. Paul criminal records are handled through Ramsey County District Court and the St. Paul Police Department Records Unit. As the state capital and Minnesota's second-largest city, St. Paul has one of the oldest police departments in the state, with more than 500 sworn officers serving about 310,000 residents. If you need to find a criminal case, get a copy of a police report, or run a background check on someone with ties to St. Paul, there are several ways to do it. You can search court records online for free through Minnesota Court Records Online, or contact the St. Paul Police Records Unit directly at 367 Grove Street.

St. Paul Police Department and Criminal Records

The St. Paul Police Department (SPPD) is one of Minnesota's oldest law enforcement agencies. More than 500 sworn officers and roughly 100 professional staff serve the city. The department maintains a Records Unit that handles requests for police reports, accident reports, crime data, body camera footage, photographs from arrests, and 911 transcripts. The Records Unit is located at 367 Grove Street, Saint Paul, MN 55101, and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To reach the St. Paul Police non-emergency line, call 651-291-1111. That number connects to Ramsey County Dispatch. For emergencies, call 911. The SPPD also allows you to file non-emergency police reports online through their portal at stpaul.gov/departments/police/file-police-report. Filing online is free and you can print a copy right away. Do not use the online system for crimes in progress.

The Records Unit page at the St. Paul Police Department explains what data is available and how to request it. Visit stpaul.gov for the full list of record types and current fees before you submit a request.

The St. Paul Police Department's Records Unit page provides a detailed breakdown of available records. The main police department page is at stpaul.gov/departments/police. You can view that page to get current contact details and learn about ongoing services. The department serves the full city and coordinates closely with Ramsey County law enforcement agencies.

The screenshot below is from the St. Paul Police Records and Data page, showing the types of records the department makes available to the public.

The Records Unit page lists each record category and the process for requesting it, including fees for video and audio records.

How to Search St. Paul Criminal Records

There are a few ways to search criminal records tied to St. Paul. Each method returns different types of data and has its own cost and process.

Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) is the free public court search system run by the Minnesota Judicial Branch. It covers Ramsey County District Court, which handles all criminal cases in St. Paul. You can search by name, case number, or citation number. Results show party names, charge details, docket entries, and case status. Some records filed before July 1, 2015 may not be available online. Start your search at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us. There is no charge to search or download documents through MCRO.

For a broader criminal history check, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) runs the Public Criminal History Search at chs.state.mn.us. This system shows felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor convictions from across the state, not just from one city or county. The cost is $8 per search. You need the subject's full name and date of birth to run a search. The BCA does not show arrest data or records from other states.

To get a copy of a specific police report from the St. Paul Police Department, contact the Records Unit at 367 Grove Street or submit a request through the online portal. Police report fees are 25 cents per page for up to 99 pages, with actual cost charged for longer records. Body camera video costs $30 per CD. Photographs cost $15 per CD. Bring a valid photo ID if you are requesting records about yourself.

The screenshot below is from the online police report filing page for St. Paul.

The online reporting system is free and available 24 hours a day for non-emergency incidents.

Ramsey County Court Records for St. Paul

All criminal cases in St. Paul go through Ramsey County District Court. This court is the second most active district court in Minnesota. It handles felonies, gross misdemeanors, misdemeanors, and petty offenses for the entire county. The courthouse is located at 15 West Kellogg Boulevard, Saint Paul, MN 55102. The Court Administrator's office manages all case files, processes certified copy requests, and can pull records by name or case number.

You can visit the courthouse in person to view public court records or request certified copies. Staff can assist with lookups and copies on the same day. Certified copies cost more than plain copies, so call the court at 651-266-8226 ahead of time to ask about current fees and what you need to bring. The court is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Ramsey County is part of Minnesota's Second Judicial District. The district covers Ramsey County only. Judges in this district handle all criminal matters from St. Paul and the rest of the county. Case information for Ramsey County is available through MCRO at no cost.

Note: Not all documents in criminal cases are available remotely. Restricted cases and juvenile records require in-person visits to the courthouse.

Criminal Background Checks in St. Paul

The BCA is the main source for criminal background checks in Minnesota. The agency is based in St. Paul at 1430 Maryland Avenue East, St. Paul, MN 55106. You can call (651) 793-2400 to reach the BCA main office. Online searches cost $8 per search through chs.state.mn.us. In-person searches at the BCA office are also $8.

Under Minn. Stat. section 13.87, criminal conviction data is public for 15 years following the discharge of the sentence. After that period, the conviction falls off the public record. The BCA's public search shows felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor convictions. It does not include arrest-only records, juvenile records, federal convictions, or out-of-state offenses.

If you need a background check for a licensed position or a human services role, the Minnesota Department of Human Services handles those separately. That process is governed by Chapter 245C and requires fingerprints, not just a name search. For standard public-access checks, the BCA's $8 search covers most needs.

The BCA also provides a free in-person inspection of public criminal conviction data. You can go to the BCA office at 1430 Maryland Avenue East during office hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday) to review records at no cost. You do not need an appointment for basic records inspection.

Expungement in St. Paul

Minnesota law allows people to petition for expungement of criminal records under Minn. Stat. section 609A.03. When a court grants expungement, records are sealed rather than destroyed. That means courts and law enforcement still have access for certain purposes, but the record no longer shows up on most public searches or background checks.

Expungement petitions in St. Paul are filed at Ramsey County District Court. The process requires you to fill out a petition form, serve it on all agencies that have records, and attend a hearing. The court then decides whether to grant the request based on the nature of the offense and how much time has passed. More serious offenses are harder to get expunged.

Minnesota also has automatic expungement for certain offenses under Minn. Stat. section 609A.015. This was expanded in 2023. Eligible records may be sealed automatically by the BCA without a petition. If you were arrested but not charged, or if charges were dismissed, you may qualify. Cannabis-related expungements have their own process under a separate provision of Chapter 609A.

Legal aid may be available for St. Paul residents who cannot afford an attorney. Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid at mylegalaid.org covers the Twin Cities area. Call (651) 222-2127 for the St. Paul office. They handle some expungement cases for income-qualified clients.

Sex Offender Registry for St. Paul

Minnesota's predatory offender registry is managed by the BCA under Minn. Stat. section 243.166. People convicted of certain sex crimes and some violent offenses must register with the state. They report their address, employment, and vehicle information, and must verify that data annually in person during their birth month. Address changes must be reported within five days.

Community notification requirements are set by Minn. Stat. section 244.052. Offenders are classified as Level I, II, or III based on risk. Level III offenders pose the highest risk and their information is posted publicly through the Minnesota Department of Corrections Offender Locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicViewer. You can search for Level III offenders in St. Paul by name or by address on that site. The search is free.

For Level I and II offenders, information is shared with law enforcement and with certain organizations like schools and daycares, but it is not posted online for general public access. If you have a concern about a specific offender in St. Paul, contact the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office or the St. Paul Police Department. They can direct you to the right resources based on the risk level assigned to that individual.

Note: The Department of Corrections Offender Locator also shows current inmates and people on supervised release, which can be useful for locating individuals connected to St. Paul criminal cases.

St. Paul Landlord Alert Program

The St. Paul Police Department offers a Landlord Alert Program for property owners. Landlords who sign up receive email notifications when there are police calls for service at their rental properties. The alerts include public information about the call and instructions on how to get a copy of the police report. This is one of the more unique programs among Minnesota police departments.

To sign up or learn more, call 651-266-5629. The program provides public data only. More detailed information from a specific call, such as a full incident report, would still require a separate records request from the Records Unit. This program is described on the St. Paul government site at stpaul.gov/node/11721.

The screenshot below shows the Landlord Alert Program page from the St. Paul city website.

Property owners in St. Paul can use this program to stay informed about incidents at rental properties they own.

Nearby Cities

These cities are close to St. Paul and have their own criminal records pages.

Ramsey County Criminal Records

St. Paul sits in Ramsey County, and all criminal court cases in the city are filed and tracked through Ramsey County District Court. For more information on county-level resources, search options, and court procedures, visit the Ramsey County criminal records page.

View Ramsey County Criminal Records