Find Court Records in St. Paul
St. Paul court records are handled by the Ramsey County District Court, located at 15 W. Kellogg Blvd in downtown St. Paul. As the state capital and county seat of Ramsey County, St. Paul has a busy courthouse that handles civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic cases. You can search case records online for free through Minnesota Court Records Online, or contact the Records Center directly by phone at (651) 266-8237. The Minnesota State Law Library is also located nearby in St. Paul for anyone who needs in-depth legal research support.
St. Paul Overview
St. Paul Court Records at Ramsey County
The Ramsey County District Court is the trial court for St. Paul. It is part of the 2nd Judicial District. The court handles all civil cases, criminal matters from petty misdemeanors to felonies, family law and dissolution cases, probate and guardianship filings, juvenile matters, and traffic violations.
The main courthouse is at 15 W. Kellogg Blvd, Room 72, St. Paul, MN 55102. The Records Center phone number is (651) 266-8237. You can also reach the main court line at (651) 266-8266. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. If you need to send a mail request, address it to the District Court Records Center at 15 W. Kellogg Blvd, Room 72, St. Paul, MN 55102. For agencies that need certified copies, email requests are also accepted.
| Court | Ramsey County District Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 15 W. Kellogg Blvd, Room 72 St. Paul, MN 55102 |
| Phone | (651) 266-8266 / Records: (651) 266-8237 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | mncourts.gov/find-courts/ramsey |
Ramsey County also has a Suburban Court location at 2050 White Bear Ave, Maplewood, MN 55109 for cases in the eastern suburbs. The Juvenile and Family Justice Center is at 25 W. 7th St, St. Paul, MN 55102. Civil commitment proceedings are heard at 402 University Ave E, Suite 100, St. Paul, MN 55130. Each location serves different case types, so it is worth checking which one handles your specific matter before you make the trip.
Payment for court costs at Ramsey County can be made in several ways. In-person payments at Room 72 accept cash, check, and credit or debit cards. Mail payments require a check or money order. Phone payments to the Records Center are accepted by credit or debit card. Online payments go through webpay.courts.state.mn.us with a $2.34 convenience fee.
How to Search St. Paul Court Records
The free online search tool is Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us. It covers all Ramsey County District Court cases. You can search by person name, business name, attorney name, case number, or citation number. Results show party names, case type, docket entries, and current status. For cases filed after July 1, 2015, public court documents are downloadable in PDF format at no charge.
Some case types have documents restricted from online access. These include civil commitment, domestic abuse, harassment, delinquency felony cases for those 16 and older, and CHIPS cases. For those, you need to go to the courthouse in person or call the Records Center. Pre-2015 documents are limited online and may require an in-person visit.
The screenshot below shows the Ramsey County District Court page on the MN Courts website, where you can find court contact info and access the online records system.
The MN Courts page for Ramsey County lists courthouse locations, hours, phone numbers, and links for St. Paul court records access.
Note: MCRO goes offline for planned maintenance on Sundays from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, so plan searches around that window.
St. Paul Police Records
The St. Paul Police Department Records Unit stores and provides access to police investigation records, complaints, crash reports, and other law enforcement data. The unit handles records for law enforcement agencies, reporters, and the general public. You can request records online, in person at the Records Unit, by mail, or pick them up in person once they are ready.
The Records Unit is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You can request records online through the city portal at stpaul.gov. All you need is an email address to submit an online request. If you are the subject of the records, you will need to submit official identification, which you can do online by uploading a photo of your driver's license or state ID. Records can be delivered electronically (except for video), by mail, or you can pick them up in person.
The St. Paul Police Department charges set fees for various records types. Police reports cost $0.25 per page for up to 99 pages. For 100 or more pages, the charge is the actual cost of search and retrieval. 911 transcripts are $25 per hour. Body camera video, CCTV video, and dash camera video are each $30 per CD. Photographs cost $15 per CD. The Records Unit does not take payment online. You must pay by mail or in person. The department operates under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act and follows all state data classification rules.
The St. Paul Police records page lets you submit requests for incident reports, crash reports, body camera footage, and local records checks.
Note: You can request a local records check by name or St. Paul address through the police department, which shows any police contact tied to that person or location in the city.
Criminal History in St. Paul
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) maintains the statewide criminal history database. The public search tool is at chs.state.mn.us. This is free to use and covers convictions from all Minnesota courts, including Ramsey County. The BCA is based in St. Paul at 1430 Maryland Ave East, making it easy for St. Paul residents to access in person if needed.
The BCA database is the most complete source for criminal history across the state. It is separate from MCRO and often shows more conviction data in one place. For arrests that did not result in conviction, those records may or may not show up depending on how the case was resolved and what data is classified as public under Minnesota Statute 13.82. The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office also maintains relevant records and can be a resource for local law enforcement data.
The Minnesota State Law Library at Room G25, Minnesota Judicial Center, St. Paul, MN 55155 is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Their phone number is (651) 297-7651. The library has public access terminals, legal research assistance, and a court records research guide for anyone doing deeper research into St. Paul or Ramsey County cases.
St. Paul Court Fees and Payments
Certified copies of court documents at Ramsey County District Court cost $14 per document. Plain copies made at the Records Center are free for self-service use. Contact the Records Center at (651) 266-8237 if you need copies sent by mail, as fees and procedures for mail requests may differ.
Court fines and fees can be paid online at webpay.courts.state.mn.us. The system takes Visa, MasterCard, and electronic bank transfer. A $2.34 convenience fee applies to all online and phone payments. You need your citation or case number to complete the transaction. Mail payments go to Minnesota Court Payment Center, P.O. Box 898, Willmar, MN 56201. Phone payments can be made at (651) 281-3219 for the metro area, or 1-800-657-3611 outside the metro.
The Minnesota Historical Society State Archives holds historical Ramsey County records going back to 1858. Civil case files from 1858 to 1902 and pre-1953 criminal files are stored there. If you need records from those periods, contact the Historical Society directly rather than the courthouse.
Public Records Access in St. Paul
Minnesota's Government Data Practices Act, found in Minnesota Statute Chapter 13, governs access to government records in St. Paul. Most court records are public. Private data includes certain juvenile records, sealed cases, and some family court orders. Anyone can come to the Ramsey County courthouse and review public files without any special authorization.
St. Paul is home to several key state-level resources for court records research. The Minnesota State Law Library is steps from the Ramsey County courthouse. It has public access computers, legal research databases, and staff who can help you find older case records and understand court documents. The library is a good starting point if your search requires going beyond what MCRO shows online.
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office also maintains law enforcement records. Their data falls under the same state privacy framework as other agencies. For federal court records, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota has its own public access system through PACER at pacer.uscourts.gov. Federal cases involving St. Paul defendants are filed there.
Note: Under Minnesota Statute 13.03, government agencies must respond to data requests within 10 business days and must tell you the cost of your request before processing it.
Ramsey County Court Records
St. Paul is the county seat of Ramsey County, and all St. Paul court cases are filed with the Ramsey County District Court. The county page covers the full court system, all courthouse locations, search tools, and public records access options for Ramsey County.
Nearby Cities
Several nearby cities also have court records pages. Each uses the same online MCRO system to search cases in their respective county courts.