Access Chisago County Criminal Records

Chisago County criminal records are maintained by the District Court and the Sheriff's Office in Center City, the county seat of this eastern Minnesota county with about 53,900 residents. The county sits along the Wisconsin border northeast of the Twin Cities metro area and is part of the 10th Judicial District. Criminal records include court case files, jail roster data, arrest information, and warrant inquiries. The Chisago County Jail has one of the more extensive daily visitation schedules in the state. This page explains how to access Chisago County criminal records through MCRO, the BCA, and local offices.

Chisago County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Brandon Thyen leads the Chisago County Sheriff's Office at 15230 Per Road, Center City, MN 55012. The main phone is 651-213-6300, fax 651-213-6341. Chief Deputy Justin Wood also serves in the office. The County Administrator, Bruce Messelt, is at 313 N. Main St., Room 174, Center City, MN 55012, phone 651-213-8830, email Bruce.Messelt@chisagocounty.us. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. For warrant information, contact either the Sheriff's Office at 651-213-6300 or the County Administrator's office at 651-213-8830. The Sheriff handles patrol, investigations, warrant service, and jail operations for the county.

The Chisago County Jail is a medium custody facility at 15230 Per Road, Center City, MN 55012. The jail administrator is Chris Thoma, phone 651-257-2931, email Chris.Thoma@chisagocounty.us. Capacity is 67 prisoners. For inmate messages, call 651-213-1031. Visitation hours are among the most extensive in the region. General population inmates have visits daily in three sessions: 8:00 am to noon, 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm, and 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Maximum security inmates have visits 8:00-10:00 am and 7:00-9:00 pm daily.

Under Minn. Stat. § 13.82, Chisago County arrest data is public government data.

The Chisago County main site at chisagocounty.us links to all county departments and public records resources for Center City and surrounding communities.

The Chisago County Sheriff's Office at chisagocounty.us/191/Sheriffs-Office is the primary source for arrest records, warrant inquiries, and public safety information in Chisago County.

Searching Chisago County Criminal Records

Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us is the free online tool for Chisago County court searches. Enter a name or case number to find district court cases. The system shows charges, hearing dates, and case outcomes for cases filed after July 1, 2015. Court-authored documents from July 2005 through June 2015 are also searchable. No account is required for basic searches. Chisago County is part of the 10th Judicial District.

For in-person access or certified copies, visit the Chisago County Courthouse in Center City. Use mncourts.gov/Find-Courts for current hours and contact details. Certified copies of court records cost more than plain copies and require contacting the Court Administrator. For records not available through MCRO, the Court Administrator can advise what options exist.

The BCA at bca.dps.mn.gov runs a $8 statewide conviction search covering the past 15 years under Minn. Stat. § 13.87. Chisago County convictions will show up in those results within the applicable window. The DOC Offender Locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicViewer shows people in state custody or on state supervision from Chisago County cases.

Note: Active Chisago County investigations are confidential while they are ongoing. Data becomes public once a case closes or is determined inactive by the agency.

Chisago County 10th District Court

Chisago County is in the 10th Judicial District, which covers a handful of east-central and metro-adjacent counties. The District Court at the Chisago County Courthouse handles all criminal cases in the county. MCRO provides free access to public documents and registers of action for cases after July 2015. The register of actions is a complete, date-stamped history of every event in a case. You can view charges, hearings, continuances, and final outcomes without an account.

Restricted case types, including juvenile, domestic abuse, harassment, and sealed matters, are not available through MCRO or any remote system. For cases in those categories, eligibility for access must be established before the court will release documents. The Court Administrator handles those requests at the Chisago County Courthouse. Processing time varies by case type and file age. Documents downloaded from MCRO are unofficial copies, not suitable as certified records without further verification.

Criminal Background Checks

The BCA's Criminal History Search at bca.dps.mn.gov gives you a complete Minnesota-wide conviction check for $8 that includes Chisago County records. The BCA office is at 1430 Maryland Avenue East, St. Paul, MN 55106, phone 651-793-2400. The search covers felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor convictions for the 15 years after sentence discharge under Minn. Stat. § 13.87. The BCA maintains the statewide repository under Minn. Stat. § 299C.46.

What the BCA public search does not include: arrests without convictions, juvenile records, federal cases, out-of-state records, records more than 15 years past sentence discharge, and anything expunged or sealed. Subjects can challenge BCA data accuracy under Minn. Stat. § 13.04. The BCA must provide a free in-person inspection of your own public conviction data if you request one.

Expungement in Chisago County

Chisago County residents can petition to seal criminal records through the 10th Judicial District Court in Center City. Automatic expungement under Minn. Stat. § 609A.015 handles cases that ended without conviction. The BCA processes those automatically. For convictions, a petition under Minn. Stat. § 609A.03 requires filing with the court and serving the Chisago County Sheriff's Office, the BCA, and any other agencies that hold related records. Each gets 60 days to respond.

If the court grants expungement, the record is sealed from public databases but stays accessible to law enforcement. Records are not deleted. Waiting periods depend on offense level. LawHelpMN at lawhelpmn.org has free guides for Chisago County residents. Being close to the Twin Cities metro, Chisago County residents also have access to metro-area legal aid organizations that may offer expungement assistance.

Note: Predatory offender registration under Minn. Stat. § 243.166 continues independent of any expungement order on other records in the person's file.

Predatory Offender Registry

Predatory offenders in Chisago County register through the Sheriff's Office under Minn. Stat. § 243.166. They must provide their current address, vehicle information, phone numbers, and employment or school location. Annual in-person verification runs during the registrant's birth month. Address changes must be reported within five days. Failure to register is a felony. Community notification levels under Minn. Stat. § 244.052 determine how broadly information is shared. Level III registrants in Chisago County are publicly searchable through the DPS at dps.mn.gov. Level II triggers school and facility notifications. Level I stays within law enforcement only.

Cities in Chisago County

No major cities in Chisago County meet our population threshold for dedicated pages. Criminal records for all Chisago County residents are handled through the District Court in Center City.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Chisago County. Cases near county lines may be filed in a neighboring court district.