Scott County Criminal Records

Scott County criminal records are maintained by the 1st Judicial District Court in Shakopee, the county seat. Scott County is part of the Twin Cities metro area and one of the fastest-growing counties in Minnesota. Located just southwest of Hennepin and Dakota counties, it draws a high volume of criminal filings related to its expanding suburban population. Court records, jail rosters, and conviction history data are all accessible through state online systems or in person at the Scott County Government Center in Shakopee. This page explains the main access points for criminal records in Scott County.

Scott County Sheriff and Criminal Records

The Scott County Sheriff's Office at the Government Center in Shakopee is the main law enforcement agency for the county. The Sheriff handles patrol, arrests in unincorporated areas, and runs the county jail. As Scott County has grown rapidly in recent years, the volume of criminal cases has grown with it. The Sheriff's Office manages an active caseload. Arrest data from the Sheriff is public under Minn. Stat. § 13.82, which covers the time and date of arrest, charges, custody status, and the identity of the arrested person.

Several cities in Scott County, including Shakopee, Prior Lake, and Savage, have their own police departments. Those agencies operate under the same public data rules. Arrest records from city police departments in Scott County are accessible in the same way as Sheriff data. The same statute governs what each agency must release.

The BCA at bca.dps.mn.gov is the central state resource for criminal conviction history data covering Scott County and all of Minnesota.

How to Search Scott County Criminal Records

Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us is the free statewide portal for searching court cases. For Scott County, which is in the 1st Judicial District, MCRO returns criminal cases, civil cases, and other public filings. Search by person name or case number. Records filed after July 1, 2015 are available for free. Records before that date require an in-person or written request at the Shakopee courthouse.

The BCA criminal history system at chs.state.mn.us offers a public conviction search for $8. It returns felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor conviction data for the past 15 years following sentence discharge, as set by Minn. Stat. § 13.87. This search is statewide and captures Scott County convictions along with any others in Minnesota. Arrest records are not returned in the public criminal history search.

MCRO at mncourts.gov is the free system for searching Scott County court cases online without going to the courthouse.

The Minnesota DOC offender viewer at coms.doc.state.mn.us shows people currently in state prison or on state supervised release. It does not include people held in the Scott County Jail. To check local custody in Scott County, use the jail roster. Both tools are free and serve different purposes in the record-search process.

District Court Criminal Cases

All criminal cases in Scott County are filed at the 1st Judicial District Court at the Scott County Government Center in Shakopee. The 1st District covers several Twin Cities metro counties. The Scott County courthouse handles its own docket. Because the county is growing fast, the court sees a significant number of new filings each year. Cases range from low-level misdemeanors to serious felony prosecutions.

The Court Administrator at the Government Center manages case files, processes copy requests, and provides public access to records terminals in the building. Certified copies of court documents cost more than plain copies. For most people, the free online search through MCRO is sufficient for basic case history. If you need a certified copy for legal purposes, an in-person or written request to the Shakopee courthouse is required.

Criminal Background Checks in Scott County

The BCA public criminal history search at chs.state.mn.us is the primary tool for background checks in Scott County. At $8 per search, it returns public conviction data for any Minnesota county within the past 15 years of sentence discharge. The legal basis for what is public is in Minn. Stat. § 13.87. Arrest records, investigative data, and juvenile records are not returned in the public search. Convictions that have been expunged or sealed also will not appear.

Scott County residents who believe their BCA record contains an error have the right to contest accuracy directly with the BCA. The process involves contacting the BCA in St. Paul and following the dispute process outlined under the same data practices framework. For fingerprint-based checks, which return more comprehensive data including federal records, the BCA processes those through a different channel. Employers and agencies in Scott County should contact the BCA directly for those services.

Note: The MCRO system provides a complementary view of court case history. Using both MCRO and the BCA search together gives a more complete picture of someone's criminal record in Scott County.

Expungement in Scott County

Scott County expungement petitions are filed at the 1st Judicial District Court in Shakopee. Two main routes exist under Minnesota law. Automatic expungement under Minn. Stat. § 609A.015 applies to dismissed charges, completed diversions, and qualifying convictions after a set waiting period. The BCA handles the identification and sealing process without requiring any petition from the individual. This path involves no filing fee.

For records not covered by automatic expungement, the petition process under Minn. Stat. § 609A.03 requires filing with the court, serving all affected agencies, and attending a hearing at the Shakopee courthouse. The waiting period before the hearing is at least 60 days from service. A judge weighs the benefit to the petitioner against public safety concerns. The standard is clear and convincing evidence. Scott County, as a busy suburban metro county, sees a range of expungement petitions from misdemeanors to more serious offense types. LawHelpMN at lawhelpmn.org has useful guides for navigating this process without an attorney.

Predatory Offender Registry

Scott County residents required to register as predatory offenders do so under Minn. Stat. § 243.166. Registration is handled through local law enforcement in the jurisdiction where the person lives. In Scott County, the Sheriff's Office and municipal police agencies manage this process. Registrants must provide their address, employment location, vehicle information, and other required data. Address changes must be reported within five days.

Community notification for predatory offenders in Scott County follows the risk-level framework in Minn. Stat. § 244.052. Level III offenders, who carry the highest assessed risk, have their information posted publicly on the Department of Corrections website at mn.gov/doc. Level II information goes to schools, daycares, and organizations serving likely victim groups in the area. As a Twin Cities metro county, Scott County law enforcement coordinates with neighboring agencies on notification when Level III offenders move in or out of the area.

Cities in Scott County

No qualifying cities in Scott County meet our population threshold for dedicated pages. Shakopee is the county seat and largest city in the county. Prior Lake, Savage, and Jordan are other notable communities. All criminal filings from these cities and surrounding townships go through the 1st Judicial District Court in Shakopee.

Nearby Counties

Scott County sits in the Twin Cities metro area and borders several major Minnesota counties. Cases near county lines may fall under a neighboring jurisdiction.