Find Court Records in St. Cloud
St. Cloud court records are filed at the Stearns County District Court, located right in the city at the Stearns County Courthouse. If you need to search for a court case, get a copy of a criminal judgment, or look up civil filings tied to St. Cloud, the district court is the starting point. The city has about 68,000 residents and serves as the county seat of Stearns County. Court cases for the city run through the 7th Judicial District. You can search records online through the state's free access system, or visit the courthouse directly to view full case files and request certified copies.
St. Cloud Overview
Stearns County District Court in St. Cloud
The Stearns County District Court handles all court cases for St. Cloud and the surrounding county. It is part of the 7th Judicial District, which covers several counties in central Minnesota. The courthouse is located in the heart of St. Cloud and is where you go to file cases, access case files, or request records in person.
| Court | Stearns County District Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 705 Courthouse Square, Room 111 St. Cloud, MN 56303 |
| Phone | (320) 656-3600 |
| Fax | (320) 656-3680 |
| Court Administrator | Sara Grife |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Website | mncourts.gov - Stearns County |
The court handles civil, criminal, family, probate, juvenile, and traffic cases. Public access terminals are available at the courthouse for on-site searches. Staff at the court administrator's office can pull case files and make copies. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. Call before you go to confirm what you need to bring and ask about current fees.
The image below is from the Minnesota Judicial Branch page for Stearns County courts, showing the courthouse location and contact information for St. Cloud.
The Judicial Branch page also links to the court's online filing tools and self-help resources for people who need to access or file records without a lawyer.
St. Cloud Court Records Online Search
You can search St. Cloud court records online through Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO). This free tool is available at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us around the clock. It covers Stearns County District Court cases. Enter a name or case number to see matching results. The system displays party names, case type, filing dates, hearing schedules, and current status. Some documents are available as PDFs in the portal.
MCRO is public and does not require a login. Most civil, criminal, and traffic case records are visible. Some family court files have limited public access, and juvenile records are sealed. If you search and find no results, try different name spellings or check with the court administrator directly to see if the case exists under a different filing.
Note: MCRO shows case summaries and docket entries. For complete documents in a case file, you may need to visit the courthouse or submit a records request.
St. Cloud Police Records Portal
The St. Cloud Police Department operates a dedicated online portal for public records requests. The portal is at cityofstcloudmn-pd.nextrequest.com. It is designed to let you communicate with the department about what documents you need, track the status of your request, and receive records electronically when available. The portal handles a range of record types, from incident reports to department data.
The department operates under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. Both federal and state laws control how government data is collected, stored, and released. When you submit a request through the portal, the data you provide in your request is itself public data and may be shared by the department. Response timelines follow state statute requirements. Most requests are processed within the statutory timeframe.
The image below is from the St. Cloud Police Department public records portal, which shows how to submit and track records requests online.
The portal is the recommended way to submit a formal data request to the St. Cloud Police Department. You can track progress and receive notifications when records are ready.
Under Minn. Stat. § 13.82, law enforcement agencies must make arrest and incident data public. St. Cloud Police must release the name of the person arrested, the time and location of arrest, the charge, and other basic details. If you ask for this data and it is denied without a clear statutory reason, you have appeal rights under the Act.
Criminal Cases and the St. Cloud City Attorney
Not all criminal cases involving St. Cloud go straight to the Stearns County District Court. The St. Cloud City Attorney's office has its own Criminal Division, which handles prosecutions at the city level. You can find more about it at ci.stcloud.mn.us/2087/Criminal-Division. This division prosecutes violations of city ordinances as well as state petty misdemeanor, misdemeanor, and gross misdemeanor offenses that occur within city limits.
Felony cases are referred to the Stearns County Attorney's office and prosecuted in district court. If you are looking for records of a serious criminal case, those records will be at the Stearns County District Court. For minor city ordinance violations or misdemeanor cases, the St. Cloud City Attorney's office may have relevant filings as well. The district court still handles the judicial process even for city-prosecuted cases.
The Stearns County Sheriff's Office also maintains records relevant to criminal cases in St. Cloud. The Sheriff's office is located at 807 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud, MN 56303, and can be reached at (320) 259-3700. Visit stearnscountymn.gov/342/Sheriffs-Office for more. The office offers online jail inmate searches and public access to active warrant information. These tools can help you check on the status of a case or a person in custody.
For a complete state criminal history, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) maintains the statewide criminal history database. Access it at chs.state.mn.us. This covers convictions and dispositions from all counties, not just Stearns.
Stearns County Court Records
St. Cloud is the county seat of Stearns County. All court cases from the city are handled at the Stearns County District Court. The county page has additional information about the court system, courthouse access, records procedures, and other resources for people who need St. Cloud or Stearns County court records.