Find Court Records in St. Louis County
St. Louis County court records are on file at the District Court, which has its main courthouse in Duluth. The county is the largest in Minnesota by land area and operates courthouses in three cities: Duluth, Hibbing, and Virginia. The Court Administrator's office handles civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic records for the county. You can search cases online through the statewide MCRO system or request copies through the 6th District centralized copy center.
St. Louis County Overview
St. Louis County District Court
The St. Louis County District Court is part of Minnesota's 6th Judicial District. Court Administrator Jenny Miller leads the records and case management operations. The court handles all case types filed in the county, including civil, criminal, family law, probate, juvenile, and traffic matters. St. Louis County is one of the busiest courts outside the metro area, given the county's large population centered around Duluth.
The main courthouse is in Duluth. The county also operates branch courthouses in Hibbing and Virginia, which serve the Iron Range communities in the northern and western parts of the county. The Duluth location handles the bulk of case filings and records requests. Free parking is available at the Duluth courthouse. If you are not sure which courthouse handled your case, check the case details in MCRO or call the Court Administrator's office directly.
| Court | St. Louis County District Court - 6th Judicial District |
|---|---|
| Main Address |
St. Louis County Courthouse 100 N. Fifth Avenue W. Duluth, MN 55802 |
| Phone | (218) 221-7560 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Branch Courthouses | Hibbing and Virginia |
| Website | mncourts.gov - St. Louis County |
Copy Requests for St. Louis County Court Records
The 6th Judicial District operates a centralized copy center that handles copy requests for St. Louis County and other counties in the district. If you need copies of court documents, this is the office to contact. The copy center is located in Two Harbors but serves the whole district, so you do not have to go there in person to submit your request.
The centralized copy center handles requests for civil case documents, judgments, and other court filings. You can reach them by phone or email. For civil court record copies, the email is 6thCentralCopy@courts.state.mn.us. For more information about the copy request process, visit the 6th District copy page at mncourts.gov - 6th District Copy Requests.
| Copy Center | 6th Judicial District Centralized Copy Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 601 3rd Ave, Two Harbors, MN 55616 |
| Phone | (218) 595-5001, Option 3 |
| 6thCentralCopy@courts.state.mn.us |
Standard statewide court fees apply for copies. A certified copy of a court document costs $14.00. An exemplified and certified copy is $28.00. Uncertified copies from the file are free to view. Per-page copy fees apply if staff makes copies for you. Pre-payment is required for orders over $5.00.
Search St. Louis County Court Records Online
Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) covers all counties including St. Louis. You can search by person name, business name, attorney, case number, or citation number. Results show case type, filing date, party names, hearings, and status. Basic lookups are free. Full document access costs $8 per document. Start at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us. Documents filed before July 1, 2015 have limited availability online.
St. Louis County also maintains a public records portal at stlouiscountymn.gov/departments-a-z/public-records. This page covers county government data practices and data requests beyond the court system. If you need records from county departments rather than the courthouse, that is the starting point. The county site is separate from the court records system but may help you understand your rights under state law.
Under Minn. Stat. § 13.03, you have the right to inspect public government data for free. You only pay for copies. The courthouse and county data practices office both follow this rule.
Note: Sealed cases and restricted records under court rules will not appear in public search results, regardless of how you search.
St. Louis County Criminal Records
Criminal court records in St. Louis County include charges filed, hearing dates, plea entries, sentencing orders, and case outcomes. The St. Louis County Attorney's Office files charges, and the District Court maintains the case records. Most criminal case records are public under Minn. Stat. § 13.82. You can search them through MCRO or at the courthouse public access terminal.
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office holds local arrest records and booking data. For detailed arrest information or law enforcement records, contact the Sheriff at stlouiscountymn.gov/departments-a-z/sheriff. The Duluth Police Department holds arrest records for incidents in Duluth specifically. For a full statewide criminal history, the BCA system at chs.state.mn.us is the most complete option and covers arrests and convictions from across Minnesota.
St. Louis County Court Record Sources
The St. Louis County District Court page on the Minnesota Judicial Branch website has courthouse contacts, hours, court calendars, and links to online filing tools for all three St. Louis County locations.
This official court page covers all three St. Louis County courthouses and is the go-to source for court schedules and administrator contacts.
The St. Louis County public records portal covers county government data practices and explains how to request records from county departments outside the court system.
This page is the main resource for county-level data requests, separate from but complementary to the courthouse records system.
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office handles arrest records and law enforcement data for the county.
The Sheriff's Office is the contact for arrest reports, booking records, and law enforcement data in St. Louis County.
Minnesota Court Records Online at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us is the main statewide portal for searching St. Louis County case records remotely.
MCRO covers all St. Louis County case types across all three courthouses. Basic case info is free, and full document access costs $8 per document.
Legal Help in St. Louis County
If you need help with a court matter in St. Louis County, several resources can point you in the right direction. The Minnesota Judicial Branch self-help center answers questions about court forms and procedures. Free court forms for all case types are at mncourts.gov/GetForms.aspx.
LawHelpMN at lawhelpmn.org offers self-help guides on civil legal matters. Arrowhead Legal Services provides free civil legal aid to low-income residents in northeastern Minnesota, including St. Louis County. The Minnesota State Bar Association has a lawyer referral service if you need to find a licensed attorney in the Duluth area. The Duluth public library also has legal reference materials available to the public.
Cities in St. Louis County
St. Louis County is the largest county in Minnesota by area. It includes Duluth, the largest city on Lake Superior, as well as Iron Range communities like Hibbing and Virginia. All court cases from across the county are handled by the St. Louis County District Court.
Other communities in St. Louis County include Hibbing, Virginia, Eveleth, International Falls, Mountain Iron, and many more. Court cases from all of these communities go through the St. Louis County District Court.
Nearby Counties
St. Louis County is in northeastern Minnesota. These counties border or are near St. Louis County. If you need to search records in a neighboring county, start here.