Rice County Criminal Records Lookup

Rice County criminal records are filed and maintained by the 3rd Judicial District Court in Faribault, the county seat in southeastern Minnesota. Rice County is home to Faribault and Northfield and sits roughly 40 miles south of the Twin Cities metro area. The county handles a steady caseload of criminal matters including misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, and felonies. You can search Rice County criminal records free through the state's MCRO portal, request documents at the Faribault courthouse, or run a statewide conviction check through the BCA. All major access points are covered on this page.

Rice County Sheriff and Criminal Records

The Rice County Sheriff's Office is the county's primary law enforcement agency. It handles arrests across the county, operates the jail in Faribault, and works with city police departments in Faribault, Northfield, and other communities. The Sheriff can be reached at (507) 332-6111. Department contact information and county services are available at co.rice.mn.us.

Arrest data in Rice County is public government data under Minn. Stat. § 13.82. The Sheriff's Office and all other county law enforcement agencies must release the date, time, and place of each arrest, the charges, the identity of the person arrested, and their custody status. This applies to agencies across the county including Faribault and Northfield police. Active investigations are kept confidential. Once a case closes, inactive investigative data becomes publicly accessible. The Sheriff's booking records are part of the broader public arrest data system.

For current jail information, contact the Rice County Sheriff at (507) 332-6111. For people sentenced to state facilities, the Minnesota DOC offender locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us is free and shows current custody or supervision status.

3rd Judicial District Court Records

Rice County District Court is part of the 3rd Judicial District. The courthouse in Faribault handles all criminal cases filed in the county. Rice County's position between the Twin Cities metro and the greater southeastern Minnesota region means it sees a range of case types tied to both local communities and transit corridors. The Court Administrator's office manages case files and handles public records requests. You can walk in during business hours, call ahead, or submit a mail request.

The Minnesota Courts directory at mncourts.gov/Find-Courts has current contact details and hours for the Rice County courthouse. Records filed since July 1, 2015 are available through MCRO at no cost. Older cases require a direct request to the court administrator. Certified copies of court documents cost more than plain copies, and the administrator can confirm the current fee schedule.

Searching Rice County Criminal Records

Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us is the best free tool for Rice County case searches. Enter a name or case number to pull up 3rd District records. The system returns charges, case status, hearing dates, and docket entries. Cases filed after July 1, 2015 are available at no cost. No account is needed for basic name searches.

The BCA's public conviction search at chs.state.mn.us costs $8 and covers all Minnesota counties. Under Minn. Stat. § 13.87, public conviction data is available for 15 years from sentence discharge. Rice County convictions in that window will appear in results. Arrests without convictions are private and not included. The BCA main page at bca.dps.mn.gov describes the full scope of what the system returns.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at bca.dps.mn.gov maintains the statewide conviction history database that includes all public Rice County criminal case data.

The DOC offender locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us covers people under state supervision from Rice County. It is free and provides current custody or supervision status for anyone sentenced to a state facility.

Criminal Background Checks

The BCA's CHS system at chs.state.mn.us is the standard tool for a public background check in Rice County. At $8, it returns felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor conviction data within the 15-year public window under Minn. Stat. § 13.87. Expunged records do not appear. Arrests without convictions are private under Minnesota law and will not show up in any public search.

Law enforcement agencies in Rice County use the criminal justice data communications network under Minn. Stat. § 299C.46 for broader access to BCA data including warrants and protection orders. This network is not open to the public. The general public relies on the BCA CHS tool and MCRO for Rice County criminal record searches.

Note: Because Rice County includes Northfield, which has Carleton College and St. Olaf College, the county may see some cases involving students. Student records are subject to the same public access rules as any other case in the county.

Expungement in Rice County

Minnesota's 2023 automatic expungement law under Minn. Stat. § 609A.015 means the BCA can seal many Rice County records without a petition. The BCA reviews eligible records annually and triggers automatic expungement after waiting periods expire. Dismissed cases and successfully completed diversion programs can qualify without a waiting period in some circumstances. Petty misdemeanors and most misdemeanors require two years; gross misdemeanors require three; certain felonies need four to five years from sentence discharge.

For cases that do not qualify automatically, a petition under Minn. Stat. § 609A.03 is the route through Rice County District Court in Faribault. You file the petition, pay the fee, serve the prosecutor and all agencies that hold records related to the case, and attend a hearing at least 60 days after service. Victims have the right to submit statements. The judge considers the offense, your rehabilitation, and public safety. A successful petition seals the record from public searches. Law enforcement retains access for investigative purposes, and the records are not destroyed.

Note: LawHelpMN at lawhelpmn.org offers free guides on expungement and can help Rice County residents understand whether their case qualifies for automatic or petition-based sealing.

Predatory Offender Registry

People convicted of qualifying offenses in Rice County must register as predatory offenders under Minn. Stat. § 243.166. This covers criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, murder involving a minor, and similar serious offenses. Registrants must verify their address in person once a year during their birth month and report any address change within five days. People moving into Rice County from other states who were required to register there must also register here upon arrival.

Risk levels are assigned under Minn. Stat. § 244.052. Level III offenders, assessed as high risk, are publicly listed on the DOC website. Level II offenders trigger additional notification to schools and organizations likely to serve potential victims. Level I offenders are tracked internally but not posted publicly. Rice County residents can search for Level III registrants in Faribault, Northfield, and the broader county through the DOC at mn.gov/doc.

The predatory offender registration requirements that apply in Rice County are set out in Minn. Stat. § 243.166, with public Level III registrant information available through the DOC.

Cities in Rice County

No major cities in Rice County meet our population threshold for dedicated pages. Faribault is the county seat and largest city, and Northfield is also a notable community, but both fall below our qualifying threshold. All criminal cases from Rice County cities go through the 3rd Judicial District Court in Faribault.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Rice County. Cases near county lines may fall under a neighboring jurisdiction's court.