Dodge County Criminal Records
Dodge County criminal records are held by the Sheriff's Office and the District Court in Mantorville, the county seat in southeastern Minnesota. The county is part of the Rochester metro area and is one of Minnesota's oldest counties. It has roughly 20,000 residents and sits within the 3rd Judicial District. The court in Mantorville handles criminal cases ranging from local misdemeanors to felony prosecutions. You can search Dodge County criminal records through the free state court system online, check the jail roster for current bookings, or contact the courthouse or Sheriff's Office directly for more specific requests.
Dodge County Overview
Dodge County Sheriff's Office
The Dodge County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the county. Sheriff Steve Hepsen leads the department. The Sheriff's website is at co.dodge.mn.us/199/Sheriffs-Office, and the main contact number is 507-635-6200. The jail is at 22 6th Street East in Mantorville. The county is part of the Rochester metropolitan area, so it has ties to a larger regional law enforcement network while still maintaining its own independent operations.
Under Minnesota Statute 13.82, arrest data in Dodge County is public government data. The Sheriff must release basic booking information upon request, including the time and date of each arrest, the charges filed, and whether the person is currently in custody. You can search by name to check whether someone is currently held.
Dodge County maintains a county resource page listing all department contacts. The screenshot below shows a county government portal that illustrates how local agencies display public safety and records access information for residents.
County resource pages like this one help residents navigate where to go for criminal records, Sheriff contacts, and court services in Dodge County.
| Sheriff | Steve Hepsen | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jail Address | 22 6th Street East, Mantorville, MN 55955 | ||||||||||||
| Phone | 507-635-6200 | ||||||||||||
| Sheriff Website | publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us is the free statewide portal for searching Dodge County criminal court cases. Search by name or case number to find records from the 3rd District in Mantorville. The system shows party names, charges, docket entries, hearing dates, and case status. Cases filed after July 1, 2015 are free. For older filings, contact the courthouse directly or visit in person.
The Dodge County District Court is at 22 6th Street E., Dept. 12, Mantorville. The court administrator's number is 507-635-6260. Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The 3rd Judicial District also covers neighboring Olmsted County, which includes Rochester. Cases filed in Dodge County stay with the Dodge County court, not the Olmsted court, even though the two counties share the same district. The court finder at mncourts.gov/Find-Courts has current contact details and directions. The court handles traffic, family, civil, criminal, probate, and juvenile divisions. It works closely with the County Attorney, Court Services, Human Services, and the Sheriff. For document copies, visit the courthouse or submit a written request. Certified copies cost more than standard copies. Photo ID is generally required when picking up records in person. 
County and city-level resources like those shown here direct residents to local criminal record search tools and courthouse contacts for Dodge County cases.
BCA Statewide Criminal History SearchThe Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension manages the statewide criminal history database. A public name search costs $8 and is available at chs.state.mn.us. The BCA's main site at bca.dps.mn.gov has more detail on what the system covers and how to use it. Since Dodge County is part of the Rochester metro area, many residents may also have records from neighboring Olmsted County. A BCA search covers all Minnesota counties at once, so a single search can surface records from any jurisdiction in the state. Public access to conviction data is governed by Minnesota Statute 13.87. The law opens conviction data to the public for up to 15 years after sentence discharge. Records outside this window, dismissed cases, arrests without conviction, and expunged records do not appear in public BCA results. Arrest data is separate from conviction data in Minnesota. Arrest records are public through the arresting agency under this statute, but they do not automatically appear in BCA conviction searches. The Minnesota DOC public viewer at coms.doc.state.mn.us complements the BCA search by showing people currently in state prison or on supervised release. It is free and covers all counties, including Dodge. If someone from Dodge County is serving a state sentence, this is where to check. Note: Data submitted by Dodge County law enforcement to the BCA falls under Minn. Stat. 299C.46, which requires agencies to submit criminal history data to the state repository for qualifying offenses. Expungement in Dodge CountyPeople with criminal records in Dodge County can seek expungement through the 3rd Judicial District Court in Mantorville. Minnesota law provides two paths. The first is automatic expungement under Minn. Stat. 609A.015, which applies without a petition to cases that ended without a conviction. The BCA identifies qualifying records and seals them. Cases that were dismissed, acquitted, or stayed and then discharged often fall in this category. For cases requiring a petition, the process follows Minn. Stat. 609A.03. You file forms with the Dodge County District Court and serve notice on all agencies that hold records from the case. The county attorney can object. A judge holds a hearing and weighs the petitioner's interest in clearing their record against any public safety concerns. Expungement seals the record from public view but does not destroy it from law enforcement databases. Authorized agencies can still access sealed records for specific purposes. Note: LawHelpMN at lawhelpmn.org has free guides on Minnesota expungement law and can help Dodge County residents understand whether they qualify and how to start the process. Dodge County Sex Offender RegistryThe predatory offender registration program in Dodge County is governed by Minn. Stat. 243.166. People convicted of qualifying offenses must register with the Dodge County Sheriff's Office in Mantorville. They must verify their address and other information in person once a year during their birth month and report any address changes within five days. Failure to register or keep registration current is a felony under Minnesota law. Risk levels for registered offenders are assigned under Minn. Stat. 244.052. Level I offenders are low risk, and their information stays within law enforcement. Level II offenders get disclosed to schools and other organizations that serve likely victims. Level III offenders are high risk. Their information is made available to the public online through the DOC website at coms.doc.state.mn.us. Expungement of other criminal records does not affect a person's obligation to continue registering as a predatory offender. Cities in Dodge CountyNo major cities in Dodge County meet our population threshold for dedicated pages. Mantorville serves as the county seat. Kasson and Dodge Center are among the larger communities. All criminal cases from throughout the county are filed with the 3rd Judicial District Court in Mantorville. Nearby CountiesThese counties border Dodge County in southeastern Minnesota. Each has its own sheriff and district court for criminal cases. |