Search Mower County Criminal Records

Mower County criminal records are filed with the 3rd Judicial District Court in Austin, the county seat in southeastern Minnesota near the Iowa border. With a population of about 40,000, Mower County handles a steady volume of criminal cases at the Austin courthouse. Records cover misdemeanor and felony matters across the county. You can search public criminal case records free through Minnesota Court Records Online, request a statewide conviction history from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for $8, or check the DOC's offender locator for people under state supervision. This page explains how each resource works.

Mower County Sheriff and Criminal Records

The Mower County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency for rural areas and also runs the county jail in Austin. The Austin Police Department handles matters within the city. Both agencies share booking responsibilities, and arrests by either agency go through the same county jail processing system. Every booking generates a public arrest record under Minnesota's data practices laws.

Minnesota law at Minn. Stat. § 13.82 makes arrest data public government data. The Sheriff and all other law enforcement agencies in Mower County must release arrest details upon request, including the time and date, the charges filed, the name and age of the arrested person, and their current custody status. The Mower County Courthouse is at 201 First Street NE in Austin.

For people under state correctional supervision following a Mower County conviction, the DOC Public Viewer at coms.doc.state.mn.us provides a free name-based search. This shows current status for anyone serving a state sentence or on supervised release from a state facility.

How to Search Mower County Criminal Records

The first place to check for Mower County criminal case records is Minnesota Court Records Online at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us. MCRO covers all Minnesota district courts, including the 3rd Judicial District in Austin. Search by name or case number to find case status, charges, and hearing records. Documents filed since July 1, 2015 can be viewed and downloaded at no cost. No login is needed for basic searches.

For records older than 2015, contact the Mower County Court Administrator directly. The court can search its records by name or case number and provide copies at standard fees. Certified copies carry an additional cost. Staff can answer questions about what is available before you visit.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's public criminal history search at chs.state.mn.us runs $8 per search and covers conviction data from all counties in Minnesota for 15 years following sentence discharge. This is governed by Minn. Stat. § 13.87. Provide a full name and date of birth. The results include felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor convictions but not arrest records or dismissed cases.

Note: Mower County shares a border with Iowa. If a person has convictions from Iowa courts, those do not appear in the Minnesota BCA search. Out-of-state records require a separate search in the relevant state.

Court Records in Mower County

The 3rd Judicial District handles all criminal filings in Mower County. The Austin courthouse processes criminal cases from first appearance through sentencing. Court files include the criminal complaint or indictment, all motions and orders, trial or plea records, sentencing information, and any probation conditions. These records are public with limited exceptions for restricted case types under the Minnesota Rules of Public Access.

Restricted cases, such as domestic abuse orders and certain juvenile filings, may not appear in MCRO even if portions of the record are technically public at the courthouse. For those records, you need to contact the Court Administrator in Austin. The court is open Monday through Friday during standard business hours, and staff can help you understand what is available and what the process is to request copies.

Statewide Criminal Background Checks

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is Minnesota's central repository for conviction history data. Mower County convictions are reported to the BCA following sentencing and become part of the statewide public record. The public search at chs.state.mn.us covers convictions from every Minnesota county, including Mower, for 15 years from the date of sentence discharge per Minn. Stat. § 13.87.

The BCA search covers felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor convictions. It does not show arrests without conviction, cases still pending, or juvenile records. To check whether someone is currently in custody in the county jail, that requires contacting the Sheriff's Office directly, as current custody data is managed locally. The BCA's main site at bca.dps.mn.gov has full information about the search tool, what data is included, and how to dispute inaccurate records.

The BCA website at bca.dps.mn.gov is the official source for statewide conviction history searches covering Mower County and all other Minnesota jurisdictions.

Expungement of Criminal Records

People with Mower County criminal records can seek to have those records sealed through Minnesota's expungement laws. Automatic expungement under Minn. Stat. § 609A.015 applies when all charges were dismissed, a diversion program was completed, or a waiting period has passed after sentence discharge. The BCA identifies eligible records and processes the sealing without a petition. Waiting periods: two years for misdemeanors, three years for gross misdemeanors, and four to five years for eligible felonies.

Petition-based expungement under Minn. Stat. § 609A.03 is available for records that do not qualify for automatic sealing. The petition is filed at the 3rd Judicial District Court in Austin. It must include case details, the petitioner's full address history, and evidence showing rehabilitation. Service on the county attorney and affected agencies is required. A hearing is held 60 or more days after service, and the judge weighs the benefit to the petitioner against public safety. If granted, the record is sealed but remains accessible to law enforcement.

Note: The 3rd District Court self-help resources and LawHelpMN at lawhelpmn.org can help Mower County residents understand what they need to file and whether they may qualify for expungement.

Predatory Offender Registry

Minnesota requires certain people convicted of serious offenses to register as predatory offenders under Minn. Stat. § 243.166. This includes people convicted of criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, and related crimes. People living in Mower County who were convicted in Minnesota or another state must register with local law enforcement. They must provide their address, employment, vehicle information, and phone numbers and verify in person each year during their birth month.

Before a registered offender is released from confinement, a risk level is assigned under Minn. Stat. § 244.052. Level III offenders, those assessed as high risk, have their information posted publicly through the DOC. You can search for Level III offenders living in Mower County at coms.doc.state.mn.us. Level I and Level II offenders are not listed publicly but their information is shared with relevant law enforcement agencies and, in Level II cases, with schools and facilities serving likely victim groups.

Cities in Mower County

No major cities in Mower County meet our population threshold for dedicated pages. Austin is the largest city and the county seat. All criminal case filings from cities and townships in Mower County are handled by the 3rd Judicial District Court in Austin.

Nearby Counties

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