Ramsey County Criminal Records

Ramsey County criminal records are maintained by the 2nd Judicial District Court in St. Paul, the county seat and Minnesota's state capital. With roughly 570,000 residents packed into the state's smallest county by area, Ramsey is the second most populous county in Minnesota. The 2nd District handles one of the highest volumes of criminal cases in the state. You can search Ramsey County criminal records online through the state's free MCRO portal, request documents at the courthouse in downtown St. Paul, or look up conviction history through the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. This page walks through every major access method.

Ramsey County Sheriff and Criminal Records

The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office is responsible for countywide law enforcement and operates the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center in St. Paul. The Sheriff's Office handles arrests, jail operations, warrant service, and courthouse security. It is one of the busiest sheriff's offices in Minnesota, given St. Paul's density and the county's size. The Sheriff can be reached at (651) 266-9333. Detailed department information is available at ramseycounty.us.

Under Minn. Stat. § 13.82, arrest data is public government data in Minnesota. The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office and all other county law enforcement agencies, including the St. Paul Police Department, must release basic arrest facts: the date, time, and place of arrest; the charges; the name of the arrested person; and their custody status. Active investigations are confidential. Once a case closes, the related investigative data generally becomes accessible to the public. Ramsey County generates a significant volume of arrests and case filings given its population concentration.

The Ramsey County Adult Detention Center roster has been searchable online. The county's open data portal at opendata.ramseycounty.us has provided public access to jail booking and custody information. You can also contact the Sheriff's Office directly at (651) 266-9333 to check current custody status for a specific person. The DOC offender locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us covers people under state supervision, which is separate from the county detention center.

2nd Judicial District Court Records

The Ramsey County District Court, operating as the 2nd Judicial District, handles all criminal cases filed in the county. The court sits at the Ramsey County Courthouse in downtown St. Paul. With St. Paul as both the county seat and the state capital, the 2nd District is one of the most active courts in Minnesota. Cases range from misdemeanor ordinance violations to major felony prosecutions. The Court Administrator's office manages case files and handles copy requests from the public.

The St. Paul courthouse handles a high caseload because of the county's urban density. Court staff handle walk-in requests during business hours and can pull records by name or case number. Certified copies of court documents cost more than plain uncertified copies. The court administrator can tell you the current fee schedule when you call. For matters involving multiple agencies or cross-county cases, Ramsey County's proximity to Hennepin County (Minneapolis) and Washington County means some cases may touch neighboring jurisdictions.

The Minnesota Courts directory at mncourts.gov/Find-Courts keeps updated contact information and hours for the Ramsey County courthouse.

Searching Ramsey County Criminal Records

Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us is the free online portal for Ramsey County criminal case searches. You search by name or case number and pull up records from the 2nd District. The system shows charges, case status, hearing entries, and document history. Most cases filed after July 1, 2015 are available at no cost. Given Ramsey County's volume, the system may return many results for common names, so using a date of birth when available will help narrow things down.

For a statewide conviction check, the BCA's CHS system at chs.state.mn.us costs $8 per search. It returns public conviction data from across Minnesota, including Ramsey County cases. Under Minn. Stat. § 13.87, conviction data is public for 15 years following sentence discharge. Arrest data is not included. The BCA homepage at bca.dps.mn.gov explains the full scope of the search.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at bca.dps.mn.gov maintains the statewide criminal history database covering all Ramsey County convictions within the public window.

The DOC offender locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us shows people from Ramsey County who are currently serving state sentences. Many Ramsey County cases involve state prison sentences given the county's felony caseload, so this tool is a useful supplement to the local jail roster.

Criminal Background Checks

Ramsey County generates a substantial share of Minnesota's criminal case filings. Anyone using the BCA's CHS system at chs.state.mn.us for an $8 search will see any public Ramsey County convictions that fall within the 15-year window established by Minn. Stat. § 13.87. Results include the offense, court disposition, sentence, and corrections agency if applicable. Arrests without convictions are private under Minnesota law and will not appear.

The broader criminal justice data communications network under Minn. Stat. § 299C.46 gives authorized law enforcement and government users access to full criminal history, warrants, and protection orders. Ramsey County law enforcement uses this network daily given the high volume of cases. Public searches are limited to CHS and MCRO. For most people looking up Ramsey County records, those two tools will cover the core information they need.

Note: Because Ramsey County is densely populated, common names may return many results in the BCA system. Adding a date of birth helps narrow results significantly.

Expungement in Ramsey County

Ramsey County sees a high volume of expungement activity due to its population size and the number of criminal cases processed through the 2nd District. Automatic expungement under Minn. Stat. § 609A.015 covers many Ramsey County records without requiring a court filing. The BCA reviews eligible records and seals them after waiting periods expire. Dismissed cases and completed diversions often qualify without waiting. Most misdemeanors become eligible after two years; gross misdemeanors after three years; certain felonies after four to five years from sentence discharge.

For records that do not qualify automatically, the petition process under Minn. Stat. § 609A.03 is available through the Ramsey County District Court. You file at the St. Paul courthouse, pay the filing fee, and serve the petition on the prosecutor, the BCA, the Ramsey County Sheriff, the St. Paul Police Department, and any other agencies holding records. A hearing is held no sooner than 60 days after service. Victims have the right to submit statements. The judge weighs rehabilitation evidence, the nature of the offense, and public safety before ruling. A granted expungement seals the record from public view, but law enforcement retains access for investigative purposes.

The 2nd District's self-help resources and LawHelpMN at lawhelpmn.org are available to help St. Paul and Ramsey County residents navigate the expungement filing process.

Predatory Offender Registry

Ramsey County, as one of Minnesota's most populous counties, has a significant number of individuals registered as predatory offenders under Minn. Stat. § 243.166. Registration is required for convictions involving criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, murder with a minor victim, prostitution offenses involving minors, and related crimes. Registrants must verify their address in person each year and report any change of address within five days. People moving to Ramsey County from another state who were required to register there must register here upon arrival.

Risk levels for Ramsey County registrants are assigned under Minn. Stat. § 244.052. Level III offenders, assessed as the highest risk, have their information posted publicly on the Department of Corrections website. Level II offenders trigger disclosure to schools and organizations likely to serve potential victims. Level I offenders are tracked internally but not posted publicly. Given St. Paul's density, community notification for Level III offenders can affect many residents in a short geographic area.

The risk level and community notification framework for Ramsey County predatory offenders is governed by Minn. Stat. § 244.052, with Level III offender information posted publicly through the DOC at mn.gov/doc.

Cities in Ramsey County

St. Paul is the county seat and the state capital of Minnesota. As Ramsey County's primary city, all criminal cases filed in the county are handled by the 2nd Judicial District Court in St. Paul.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Ramsey County. Cases filed just outside St. Paul may fall under one of these neighboring jurisdictions.