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Finding Court Records in Minnesota

Minnesota Courts Overview

It helps to understand how the Minnesota state court system works when you’re trying to find 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.

If you prefer, you can start your search by going to Minnesota Courts by County.

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” programs, 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 Minnesota court.

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

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

Find Minnesota Courts by County

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