Search Redwood County Criminal Records

Redwood County criminal records are filed with the 5th Judicial District Court in Redwood Falls, the county seat in southwestern Minnesota. Redwood County is an agricultural county along the Minnesota River with a small but steady caseload of criminal matters. Records here span from traffic and misdemeanor cases to more serious felony charges. You can look up Redwood County criminal records through the state's free MCRO online portal, request them at the courthouse in Redwood Falls, or search statewide conviction history through the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. This page covers each access method.

Redwood County Sheriff and Criminal Records

The Redwood County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency for the county. It handles arrests, manages the county jail in Redwood Falls, and works alongside city police in communities like Redwood Falls and Morgan. The Sheriff can be reached at (507) 637-4036. County contact information and department links are available at co.redwood.mn.us.

Under Minn. Stat. § 13.82, arrest data in Redwood County is public government data. The Sheriff's Office and other county agencies must release the date, time, and place of each arrest, the charges, the identity of the arrested person, and their current custody status. Active investigations are kept confidential while open. Once a case closes or the statute of limitations expires, inactive investigative data generally becomes accessible. The Sheriff's jail records and booking data are part of this public data framework.

For current custody information, call the Redwood County Sheriff at (507) 637-4036. For state prison sentences, the DOC offender locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us is the right tool and is free to search.

District Court Records in Redwood County

Redwood County District Court operates within the 5th Judicial District, which covers multiple southwestern Minnesota counties. The courthouse in Redwood Falls handles criminal filings for the entire county. The Court Administrator's office manages case files and takes requests during business hours. Misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, and felonies are all processed here.

Current court hours and contact details are at mncourts.gov/Find-Courts. Cases filed after July 1, 2015 are searchable online through MCRO. Older records need to be requested in person or by mail. Certified copies of documents cost more than uncertified copies. The court administrator can confirm the current fee schedule over the phone.

Searching Redwood County Criminal Records

Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us is the primary free tool for searching Redwood County criminal cases. Enter a name or case number to pull up records from the 5th District. The system returns charges, case status, hearing dates, and docket entries. Records filed after July 1, 2015 are available at no cost and no account is required for basic searches.

For a statewide conviction history, the BCA's CHS system at chs.state.mn.us costs $8 per search. It shows public conviction data from all Minnesota counties, including Redwood. Under Minn. Stat. § 13.87, convictions are public for 15 years following sentence discharge. Arrests not resulting in conviction are private. The BCA homepage at bca.dps.mn.gov explains the full scope of what the search returns.

The BCA at bca.dps.mn.gov is where statewide conviction data, including Redwood County cases, is maintained and made available to the public.

The Minnesota DOC offender locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us shows people currently serving state sentences from Redwood County. It is free and separate from the county jail system. Use it if the case involved a state prison sentence rather than local custody.

Criminal Background Checks

The BCA's Criminal History Search at chs.state.mn.us is the standard tool for a public background check covering Redwood County. At $8 per search, it returns all public conviction data for the searched individual, including felonies, gross misdemeanors, and misdemeanors. The 15-year window under Minn. Stat. § 13.87 limits what is visible. Expunged records are not included, and arrests without convictions are treated as private data.

The criminal justice data network under Minn. Stat. § 299C.46 is available only to authorized law enforcement and government agencies. Redwood County law enforcement uses it for warrant checks, protection orders, and fuller criminal history access. The general public is limited to CHS and MCRO for Redwood County searches.

Note: Arrest records for cases that did not result in a conviction are classified as private under Minnesota law and will not appear in public searches through the BCA or MCRO.

Expungement in Redwood County

Minnesota's 2023 automatic expungement law under Minn. Stat. § 609A.015 allows the BCA to seal qualifying Redwood County records without a court petition. The BCA runs annual reviews to identify eligible records. Cases that were dismissed or resolved in the defendant's favor may qualify immediately. Petty misdemeanors and most regular misdemeanors require a two-year waiting period. Gross misdemeanors need three years; some felonies need four to five years from sentence discharge.

When automatic expungement does not apply, the petition route under Minn. Stat. § 609A.03 is available through Redwood County District Court. You file the petition in Redwood Falls, pay the fee, serve the prosecutor and agencies holding relevant records, and appear at a hearing at least 60 days after service. The judge considers the nature of the offense, your rehabilitation, and any public safety concerns. A successful petition seals the record from public searches while preserving it in law enforcement systems.

Predatory Offender Registry

People convicted of qualifying offenses in Redwood County must register as predatory offenders under Minn. Stat. § 243.166. This includes criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, murder involving a minor, and related offenses. Registrants verify their address in person during their birth month each year and report any change within five days. Out-of-state offenders moving to Redwood County who were required to register elsewhere must register here as well.

Risk levels are set under Minn. Stat. § 244.052. Level III offenders are posted publicly on the DOC website. Level I and II are tracked by law enforcement but not listed publicly. Redwood County residents can search for nearby Level III registrants through the DOC at mn.gov/doc.

Cities in Redwood County

No major cities in Redwood County meet our population threshold for dedicated pages. Redwood Falls is the county seat and largest city, but it does not reach our qualifying threshold. All criminal cases from communities in Redwood County go through the 5th Judicial District Court in Redwood Falls.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Redwood County. Cases near the county line may fall under a neighboring jurisdiction's court.