Minneapolis Minnesota Public Records
Minneapolis public records include court filings, police reports, property documents, and vital records held by city and county offices across the metro area. As Minnesota's largest city, Minneapolis generates a high volume of public records each year, and most are accessible through free state and local portals. Whether you need a court case history, a property deed, or a police incident report, this guide points you to the right source and tells you how to get what you need.
Minneapolis Overview
Minneapolis Court Records
Court records for Minneapolis are maintained by Hennepin County, which is the 4th Judicial District. The Hennepin County District Court handles all civil, criminal, family, probate, and housing cases filed in Minneapolis. The Court Administrator's office is located at the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 S 6th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487. You can call the court at 612-348-6000. Staff can tell you what is on file for a given case and what copies will cost.
The free Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) portal is the best starting point for any Minneapolis court search. You can look up cases by name, case number, or citation number. Results show case type, filing date, hearing schedule, and basic docket entries. MCRO does not show every document in a file, but it is enough to confirm whether a case exists and what stage it is in. For the full case file or certified copies, contact the Hennepin County court directly or visit in person.
Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Chapter 13, most court records are open to the public. Certain records are restricted, including juvenile cases and some family court matters. If a request is denied, the court must explain the legal basis in writing.
Note: Sealed court records in Minneapolis require a court order or demonstrated legal standing before any office will release them to a requester.
Minneapolis Property Records
Property records for land and buildings in Minneapolis are held by Hennepin County, not the city. The Hennepin County Assessor handles property valuations and tax assessment data. You can reach the assessor at 612-673-3046. The County Recorder and Registrar of Titles is the office that holds deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and plat maps. Both offices are part of the broader Hennepin County government and share the Government Center address at 300 S 6th Street.
Hennepin County has one of the more robust online property search tools in Minnesota. Through the county's property records portal, you can search by address, owner name, or parcel ID to find ownership information, assessed value, tax history, and recorded document summaries. Certified copies of recorded documents are available from the Recorder's office for a per-page fee. Most recorded documents are public, so no special request process is needed for routine lookups.
If you are researching the ownership history of a Minneapolis property, the Recorder can pull chain-of-title documents going back many decades. This is commonly used in title work, legal disputes, and estate research.
Police Records in Minneapolis
The Minneapolis Police Department handles public records requests for police reports, incident data, arrest records, and body camera footage. The Records Unit is located at 350 S 5th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415, and can be reached at 612-673-2945. General non-emergency inquiries go to 612-673-3000. The department is subject to the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, which means most incident and arrest data is public.
Under Minnesota Statute 13.82, law enforcement agencies must make certain data available on request. This includes the name and address of the person arrested, the time and location of the arrest, the charges, and the responding agency. Incident reports may contain some public and some private data, depending on the nature of the case. The department can tell you which portions are releasable before you submit a formal request.
Minneapolis also maintains a data request portal at minneapolismn.gov/government/government-about/data/, where residents and researchers can submit open records requests online. The portal tracks request status and provides a way to communicate with city staff about the data you are seeking. Body camera footage requests are handled separately and may take longer to process. The city charges fees for some types of data, especially large or complex requests that require significant staff time to compile.
For a statewide criminal background check on a Minneapolis resident, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) criminal history search costs $8 per name and returns conviction records from across Minnesota. The Predatory Offender Registry, maintained under Minnesota Statute 243.166, is free and searchable by name or address. The Department of Corrections inmate search is also free and shows people currently in state custody.
Vital Records in Minneapolis
Birth and death certificates for events that occurred in Minneapolis are issued by the Minnesota Department of Health Vital Records office. These are state-level records, not held by the city or Hennepin County. Requests can be made online, by mail, or in person at the MDH office in St. Paul. Fees apply and vary by record type. Processing times depend on whether you choose standard or expedited service.
Marriage licenses in Minneapolis are issued through the Hennepin County Court Administrator's office. After the ceremony, the officiant returns the completed license to the court. Certified copies of marriage records can be requested from the court or from MDH for older records. Divorce records are court documents filed with the Hennepin County District Court and are searchable through MCRO.
Note: Minnesota birth records are restricted for 100 years and death records for 50 years, limiting certified copy access to eligible parties during those periods.
How to Access Minneapolis Public Records
Most Minneapolis public records can be found through state or county online portals, requested in person, or submitted through a formal written request. The MCRO portal covers court records. The Hennepin County property search handles real estate data. Police records go through the MPD Records Unit or the city's online data portal. The BCA handles criminal history statewide.
For records not available online, you can visit city or county offices in person. The Minneapolis City Clerk is located at City Hall, 350 S 5th Street, Room 304, Minneapolis, MN 55415, and can be reached at 612-673-2216. The City Clerk's office handles city government records, council documents, and official city filings. For county records, the Hennepin County Government Center at 300 S 6th Street is the main hub for court, property, and recorder documents.
Written requests should include the full name of the subject, the type of record you need, and the approximate date range. Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, every government agency must respond to a data request within a defined timeframe and must explain in writing if any portion is withheld. If you need help with a records request or believe a denial was improper, LawHelpMN offers free legal resources and referrals.
| City Police | 612-673-3000 |
|---|---|
| Police Address | 350 S 5th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415 |
| City Clerk | 612-673-2216 |
| County Court | 612-348-6000 |
| County | Hennepin County |
The Minneapolis city website at minneapolismn.gov is a good starting point for city-specific records and department contacts. The screenshot below shows the official site, which includes links to the data request portal and other public records resources.
The city site includes direct links to the police department, city clerk, and data request portal, making it easy to find the right office for your records request.
Nearby Cities
Other qualifying cities near Minneapolis also have public records pages on this site.