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The Guide to Minnesota Court Records


The Minnesota trial court system consists of District Courts, Tax Court, and Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals.
 
Minnesota has a unified trial court system that grants general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases to District Courts. District Courts are generally organized into several divisions based on case type, including Civil, Criminal, Family, Juvenile, Probate, Housing, Misdemeanor, Conciliation and Traffic.

Find court records by county Find court records by town or zip code Find court resources by category Find court records in other states
Please select a Minnesota county below to view directory of all courts with links to court record resources for each court. Find Minnesota court pages by Town or Zip Code. Select a court record or online resource category below to view all resources at both the statewide and county level. Go to the court records pages for another state.
 


 
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Minnesota District Courts

District Courts have general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases and are generally organized into several divisions based on case type, including Civil, Criminal, Family, Juvenile, Probate, Housing, Misdemeanor, Conciliation (Small Claims) and Traffic. Some divisions share jurisdiction over certain types of cases.

A District Court may also have Specialty or “Problem Solving” divisions, such as Drug Court, Mental Health Court, Truancy Court, Community Court, Teen Court or Peer Court.

Conciliation divisions handle most general civil cases with less than $7,500 in dispute. Jurisdiction is limited to claims for $4,000 or less if a case involves a consumer credit transaction. Conciliation divisions do not handle certain types of cases, including disputes about title or boundary of real estate, defamation by libel or slander, most cases requesting specific performance, class actions, requests for prejudgment remedies, most requests for injunctive relief, eviction and medical malpractice.

Minnesota Tax Court

The Minnesota Tax Court hears appeals of orders issued by the Commissioner of Revenue and appeals of local property tax valuations, classification, equalization, and exemptions. Tax Court is located in the Minnesota Judicial Center in St. Paul, but judges travel throughout the state to conduct trials.

Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals

The Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals hears appeals of workers' compensation cases decided by compensation judges at the Office of Administrative Hearings and by the Workers' Compensation Division of the Department of Labor and Industry.

Where to find court cases in Minnesota

The chart below gives general information on the types of cases heard in each type of court in Minnesota.
 

Most Cases = Most or all cases.     Some Cases = Some cases.

Case Type Court Type
CivilDistrict Courts
General Civil - Unlimited
Most or all General Civil - Unlimited cases can be found in the District Courts
General Civil - Limited
Most or all General Civil - Limited cases can be found in the District Courts
Small Claims
Most or all Small Claims cases can be found in the District Courts
Civil Equity
Most or all Civil Equity cases can be found in the District Courts
Complex Commercial
Most or all Complex Commercial cases can be found in the District Courts
Foreclosures and Liens
Most or all Foreclosures and Liens cases can be found in the District Courts
Real Estate Title and Boundary
Most or all Real Estate Title and Boundary cases can be found in the District Courts
Landlord / Tenant
Most or all Landlord / Tenant cases can be found in the District Courts
Ordinance Violations
Most or all Ordinance Violations cases can be found in the District Courts
Protection, No Contact, and Restraining Orders
Most or all Protection, No Contact, and Restraining Orders cases can be found in the District Courts
Administrative Agency Appeals
Most or all Administrative Agency Appeals cases can be found in the District Courts
CriminalDistrict Courts
Felony
Most or all Felony cases can be found in the District Courts
Felony Preliminary Hearings
Most or all Felony Preliminary Hearings cases can be found in the District Courts
Misdemeanors
Most or all Misdemeanors cases can be found in the District Courts
Ordinance Violations
Most or all Ordinance Violations cases can be found in the District Courts
Juvenile
Most or all Juvenile cases can be found in the District Courts
Traffic and Infractions
Most or all Traffic and Infractions cases can be found in the District Courts
Domestic RelationsDistrict Courts
Divorce
Most or all Divorce cases can be found in the District Courts
Child Custody and Visitation
Most or all Child Custody and Visitation cases can be found in the District Courts
Child Support
Most or all Child Support cases can be found in the District Courts
Paternity
Most or all Paternity cases can be found in the District Courts
Domestic Violence Protection Order
Most or all Domestic Violence Protection Order cases can be found in the District Courts
JuvenileDistrict Courts
Adoptions
Most or all Adoptions cases can be found in the District Courts
Juvenile Delinquency
Most or all Juvenile Delinquency cases can be found in the District Courts
Child Abuse and Neglect
Most or all Child Abuse and Neglect cases can be found in the District Courts
Termination of Parental Rights
Most or all Termination of Parental Rights cases can be found in the District Courts
Children in Need of Supervision
Most or all Children in Need of Supervision cases can be found in the District Courts
Mental HealthDistrict Courts
Involuntary Commitments
Most or all Involuntary Commitments cases can be found in the District Courts
Other Mental Health Cases
Most or all Other Mental Health Cases cases can be found in the District Courts
ProbateDistrict Courts
Wills & Estates
Most or all Wills & Estates cases can be found in the District Courts
Name Changes
Most or all Name Changes cases can be found in the District Courts
Trusts
Most or all Trusts cases can be found in the District Courts
Guardianships and Conservatorships
Most or all Guardianships and Conservatorships cases can be found in the District Courts

Note: Some courts in Minnesota are not included in the chart above. Please use the following links for descriptions and types of cases heard:
 
  Tax Court  Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals


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