Minnesota offers one of the most accessible and genuinely free statewide criminal history searches in the country -- the BCA's public criminal history search at chs.state.mn.us requires no account and no fee and returns results immediately. But the system has layers that matter. Conviction data is public at the BCA for only 15 years after sentence completion; after that it becomes private at the BCA even though it may remain indefinitely visible on the Minnesota Court Records Online system. Non-conviction arrests are not accessible through the BCA at all. And Minnesota's Clean Slate Act, which began its automatic sealing rollout in April 2025, is the most significant development in the state's record-clearing framework in years. This guide covers how the system works.
What Makes Minnesota Arrest Records Public
Minnesota's public records framework is governed by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statutes Section 13.01 and following. Criminal history data specifically is addressed in Minnesota Statutes Section 13.87, which authorizes the public criminal history search through the BCA and defines what data is public versus private.
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, known as BCA, serves as the state's central repository for criminal history record information. Under state law, all law enforcement agencies in Minnesota must report to the BCA all felony and gross misdemeanor arrests (for both juveniles and adults), and targeted misdemeanor arrests of adults. Targeted misdemeanors include specific domestic-related offenses. Other misdemeanor arrests do not have to be reported, though local agencies can report them voluntarily.
What the BCA's public-facing system returns is conviction data, not all arrest data. Arrests that did not end in court action are not available through the public BCA search. Arrest history may be accessible at local police departments and county sheriffs' offices, but there are no uniform statewide rules about this -- it depends entirely on the agency.
Exemptions from public access include juvenile criminal history (which is private under MN Statutes 299C.095), sealed or expunged records, and records related to active investigations.
What a Minnesota BCA Criminal History Contains
A BCA criminal history record contains information on all arrests and convictions reported to the state by law enforcement agencies, courts, and the Department of Corrections. The data includes arrest information (where reported), court dispositions, convictions, probation, and custody actions.
What is publicly available through the BCA's online system is more limited: conviction data is public for 15 years following the completion of the sentence. Public conviction data includes the offense, date of the offense, court of conviction, date of conviction, any sentence imposed, the level of conviction (felony, gross misdemeanor, etc.), and the probation agency or place of confinement.
After 15 years from sentence completion, conviction data becomes private at the BCA. However -- and this is a critical distinction -- many conviction records remain publicly available through the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) system indefinitely, even after the BCA record becomes private. So a conviction may disappear from a BCA public search but still be visible in MCRO.
How to Search Minnesota Arrest Records
The BCA's Minnesota Public Criminal History Search at chs.state.mn.us is the primary public tool. It is free, requires no account, and is available online. You need the person's first name, last name, and date of birth to run a search. The BCA's public search returns conviction data for the 15-year public window. You can also view public criminal history at a public computer terminal in the BCA's lobby. BCA headquarters is at 1430 Maryland Avenue East, St. Paul, MN 55106. Lobby hours: Monday through Friday, 8:15 AM to 4:00 PM. For data requests or questions: 651-793-2400.
The Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) database provides access to court case records through the Minnesota Judicial Branch website. MCRO includes many criminal case records, but it has limitations: pending criminal cases with no conviction will not return when searching by defendant name; certain case types are excluded from internet display; and the system should not be used for background checks -- the BCA CHS is the appropriate tool for that purpose because it links records through fingerprints for identity verification, which MCRO cannot do.
For the most comprehensive access including dismissed cases and pending cases without a conviction, public access terminals at Minnesota district courthouses provide the full search. Courthouse clerks can print a list of all criminal cases for a person. Printing fees typically run $8 to $10 per session, or you can photograph the screen for free.
County sheriff offices and local police departments maintain booking records for recent arrests. Minnesota has 87 counties and practices vary significantly. Many county sheriffs publish online booking rosters; others do not. If recent booking information is not available online for a specific county, calling the sheriff's office or jail directly is the most reliable approach.
For broader multi-source searches that aggregate public record data across Minnesota's 87 counties and other jurisdictions, TruthFinder is a practical option.
VINELink at vinelink.com connects to the Minnesota DOC system and many county facilities and provides free real-time custody status and notification registration.
County Jail Records in Minnesota
Minnesota has 87 counties and each county sheriff manages local detention. County jails hold people recently arrested, those awaiting trial, and those serving shorter sentences. Availability of online booking information varies widely by county.
When someone is sentenced to state prison, they enter the Minnesota Department of Corrections system. The DOC provides a free online offender locator accessible through the DOC website at doc.state.mn.us. You can search by name and get facility, sentence, and release information.
Federal Arrests in Minnesota
Federal arrests in Minnesota are made by agencies including the FBI, the DEA, U.S. Marshals, the ATF, and Homeland Security Investigations. After federal sentencing, individuals enter the Bureau of Prisons rather than the Minnesota DOC.
The BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc is the official free tool for locating anyone serving a federal sentence. Search by name or BOP register number. Federal court records are available through the PACER system at pacer.gov.
Federal arrests and convictions are not part of the BCA criminal history system. The BCA CHS covers only Minnesota state criminal history.
Arrest Records Versus Conviction Records
An arrest record documents that law enforcement took someone into custody. A conviction record documents a court's finding of guilt. In Minnesota, the BCA's public search returns only conviction data -- not all arrest data. Arrests that did not result in court action are not accessible through the BCA for the general public.
This means an arrest that was never charged or was dismissed before any court action appears neither in the public BCA search nor in MCRO when searching by name (only by case number). The arrest exists in law enforcement agency records but is not accessible through the standard public tools.
Even for conviction records, the BCA's 15-year window means that older convictions become private at the BCA while potentially remaining visible in MCRO. The two systems are not synchronized for public access purposes.
Minnesota's Clean Slate Act
Minnesota's Clean Slate Act, signed into law in 2023, established a system of automatic expungement (sealing) for eligible criminal history records. The BCA and the Minnesota Judicial Branch began the automatic sealing process in April 2025, reviewing more than 16 million records in the Criminal History System to identify eligible records.
Under the Clean Slate Act, eligible records are automatically sealed without requiring a petition from the individual. Courts have 60 days to review records identified as eligible and raise any objections. After that review period, remaining eligible records are automatically sealed in the BCA system.
Automatic sealing under the Clean Slate Act does not destroy records. Sealed records remain accessible to law enforcement, courts, and the Department of Corrections for criminal justice purposes. The subject of the record can still obtain a copy of their own sealed records by submitting a data request to the BCA.
The process is actively ongoing as of 2025 and will continue until all eligible records have been reviewed and sealed. The BCA's website at chs.state.mn.us maintains current status on the rollout.
Records that do not qualify for automatic expungement may still be eligible for petition-based expungement through the courts. InmateAid's guides on expungement and record sealing cover Minnesota's framework in more detail. Mugshot removal from third-party sites after sealing is addressed in InmateAid's resources on that topic.
Frequently asked questions
Are Minnesota arrest records public?
Conviction data at the BCA is public for 15 years after sentence completion. Arrests that did not end in court action are not available through the BCA for the general public. Arrest history may be accessible at local police departments or county sheriffs, but there are no statewide rules -- it varies by agency. Court records are available through MCRO and courthouse public terminals. Sealed and expunged records and juvenile records are private.
How do I search Minnesota arrest records?
The BCA's free public criminal history search at chs.state.mn.us requires no account and returns conviction data for the 15-year public window. For broader case records including dismissed and pending cases, use the MCRO database through the Minnesota Judicial Branch website, or visit a courthouse's public access terminal. For recent arrests, contact the relevant county sheriff or local police department. For multi-source results, TruthFinder aggregates public record data. For real-time custody status, VINELink at vinelink.com provides free notifications. For DOC inmates, use the offender locator at doc.state.mn.us.
What does a Minnesota BCA criminal history contain?
The BCA's public system returns conviction data including the offense, date, court of conviction, conviction date, sentence, conviction level, and probation or confinement agency. This data is public for 15 years after sentence completion, then becomes private at the BCA. The full criminal history system includes arrest data reported by law enforcement and conviction data from courts and DOC, but arrest-only data is not available to the general public through the BCA.
Is an arrest the same as a conviction in Minnesota?
No. An arrest documents that someone was taken into custody. A conviction reflects a court's finding of guilt. In Minnesota, arrests without a resulting court case are not accessible through the public BCA system. Conviction records are public for 15 years. Even dismissed court cases are not searchable by name in MCRO -- only by case number.
How do I find someone in a Minnesota county jail?
County practices vary widely. Check the county sheriff's website where the arrest occurred -- many publish online booking rosters, others do not. Calling the county jail directly is often the most reliable approach for recent arrests. VINELink at vinelink.com connects to many Minnesota facilities and provides free notification registration. For someone in state prison, use the DOC offender locator at doc.state.mn.us.
Can I search federal arrest records in Minnesota?
Federal court records are available through PACER at pacer.gov. For someone serving a federal sentence, the BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc is the free official tool. Federal arrests and convictions are not part of the BCA criminal history system.
How long does an arrest stay on record in Minnesota?
Conviction records are public at the BCA for 15 years after sentence completion, then become private at the BCA. They may remain publicly visible in MCRO indefinitely. Arrest records without a court case are not public through the BCA system. Records eligible for automatic sealing under the Clean Slate Act (rollout began April 2025) will be automatically removed from the BCA's public system without requiring any action by the individual.
What is the BCA 15-year public window?
Minnesota law makes conviction data at the BCA public for 15 years following the completion of the sentence. After 15 years, the conviction becomes private at the BCA and will no longer appear in the public BCA search. However, the conviction may still appear in the MCRO court records database indefinitely -- the two systems are not synchronized. If a Clean Slate Act automatic expungement applies to the record, it will be sealed in both systems.
What is Minnesota's Clean Slate Act?
Minnesota's Clean Slate Act, signed into law in 2023 with automatic sealing beginning April 2025, established a system of automatic expungement (sealing) for eligible criminal history records at the BCA. Eligible records are identified and sealed without requiring a petition from the individual. Courts have 60 days to review identified records before sealing. Sealed records remain accessible to law enforcement and courts but not to the general public. The BCA maintains current status on the rollout at chs.state.mn.us.
Why does my record show an arrest but no conviction?
If a dismissed or pending case is showing up in MCRO, it may be because you searched by case number rather than by name (MCRO does not return pending non-conviction cases by name). If an arrest is showing up on a third-party background check but not in the BCA public system, the information was likely sourced from local law enforcement agency records or court filings. The BCA public system returns only conviction data. For full case history including dismissed cases, visit a courthouse's public access terminal. ---
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