How to Search Hennepin County Court Records
Hennepin County court records are searched through Minnesota Court Records Online, the public-view portal of the Minnesota Judicial Branch. MCRO has four search tabs that share a common terms-acceptance gate: Case Search, Document Search, Hearing Search, and Judgment Search. Case Search is the broad lookup. Document Search pulls filed orders, complaints, and other public papers by case number. Hearing Search lists scheduled hearings. Judgment Search returns docketed money judgments by debtor name.
Bring what you can before you start. Useful items are full party name, date of birth, attorney name, full case number, citation number, or a filing date range. Hennepin case numbers use county prefix 27 plus a case-type letter, year, and sequence. Examples include 27CR for criminal, 27CV for civil, 27FA for family, and 27PR for probate. A no-conviction pending criminal, traffic, or petty misdemeanor case will not return by defendant name; search those by case number.
- Open MCRO Case Search and click Yes I Accept on the terms screen.
- Pick the tab that matches your input: Name, Case Number, Citation Number, or Attorney.
- For Name, select Person or Business, then type Last Name and First Name. Use a trailing wildcard after at least two letters when spelling is unclear.
- Expand Additional Search Options. Select Hennepin in the county list to narrow results to the Fourth Judicial District.
- Add Date Filed, Date of Birth, Case Category, or Case Status when the name is common.
- Click Search. Open a result to view Case Details and the Register of Actions.
- For specific filed documents, switch to Document Search and enter the case number.
- For a certified copy, request one through the Hennepin Records Center.
The Minnesota Judicial Branch posts the master rules at mncourts.gov/rules. These rules set out public-access categories, the master court rules, and judiciary-wide policies. The Court Rules page is the right reference when a Hennepin court records search returns nothing and you need to confirm whether a case type is sealed or only restricted on remote view.
The Court Rules page links to the General Rules of Practice, the Rules of Civil Procedure, the Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Rules of Public Access, and rule sets for family, probate, juvenile, and special proceedings. The Rules of Public Access are the rule set that controls what shows on a Hennepin County court records search.
Hennepin County Court Records Search Fields
MCRO Case Search has different required fields depending on which tab is selected. The table below covers the live field set as inspected on the public portal. Hennepin shows up as a county checkbox under Additional Search Options.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search tab | Tab | Yes | Name, Case Number, Citation Number, or Attorney. |
| Select Name Type | Radio | Yes for Name | Person or Business. |
| Sounds Like | Checkbox | Optional | Aids unclear spelling; do not combine with wildcards. |
| Last Name | Text | Yes for Person | Exact or trailing wildcard after two letters. |
| First Name | Text | Yes for Person | Exact or trailing wildcard after two letters. |
| Middle Name | Text | Optional | Person search. |
| Business Name | Text | Yes for Business | Used when Business is selected. |
| Case Number | Text | Yes for Case Number tab | Full court case number, with or without the 27 prefix. |
| Citation Number | Text | Yes for Citation tab | Traffic or petty citation number as printed. |
| Date of Birth | Date / radio | Optional | On Exact Date or Date Range; MM/DD/YYYY. |
| Date Filed | Date / radio | Optional | On Exact Date or Date Range. |
| Case Category | Checkbox | Optional | Civil, Criminal, Family, or Probate or Mental Health. |
| Case Status | Dropdown | Optional | All, Active, or Inactive. |
| County List | Checklist | Optional | Select Hennepin to limit results. |
Document Search drops the name fields and just asks for a case number. Hearing Search adds a Hearing Date range that is required for name lookups. Judgment Search adds a Judgment Status dropdown and uses debtor name instead of a party name.
Types of Hennepin County Court Records
Each Hennepin court division produces its own records. The Government Center holds Civil, Criminal Division 1, Housing, Probate / Mental Health, and Conciliation Court files. The Family Justice Center holds family case files. The Juvenile Justice Center holds youth case files. Brookdale and Ridgedale hold suburban Criminal Court files. Public-document availability and remote search behavior differ across these case types.
- Criminal records: felony, gross misdemeanor, misdemeanor, petty misdemeanor, and traffic case files include complaints, citations, bail orders, pleas, dispositions, and sentences.
- Civil records: lawsuits, contract disputes, tort claims, name changes, and harassment matters filed in Civil Court.
- Family records: divorce, custody, parenting time, child support, paternity, OFP, and HRO cases.
- Probate records: formal probate, informal probate, guardianship, conservatorship, and trust files heard by the Probate / Mental Health Court.
- Juvenile records: delinquency, CHIPS, and truancy cases, most of which are not public.
- Housing records: eviction, rent escrow, repairs, and landlord-tenant disputes filed in Housing Court.
- Conciliation / small claims records: lower-dollar money disputes filed in the Conciliation Court at the Government Center, 3rd floor.
Major and minor civil and criminal cases have a strong remote-document footprint when filed on or after July 1, 2015. Public documents in formal probate, other probate, guardianship, conservatorship, and trust case types are also remotely searchable when filed in that window. Family cases hold most party filings off the remote portal and limit MCRO to court-prepared orders, opinions, and notices.
What Hennepin County Court Records Show
A public MCRO case page combines a header block with the Register of Actions and a list of public documents. Some fields are case-type specific. Criminal cases add charges, statutes, and sentences. Civil cases add a claim amount and judgment data. Probate cases add a personal representative and decedent information.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Hennepin prefix 27 plus case-type letter, year, and sequence. |
| Case Title | State of Minnesota vs. defendant, plaintiff vs. defendant, or petitioner and respondent. |
| Filing Date | Date the case was opened in the Hennepin clerk system. |
| Case Category and Type | Civil, criminal, family, probate, juvenile, housing, conciliation, mental health. |
| Parties | Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, debtor, creditor, ward, decedent, personal representative. |
| Attorneys | Attorney names and bar numbers, party represented, withdrawal events. |
| Register of Actions | Chronological docket entries: filings, hearings, notices, orders, judgments, warrants. |
| Charges or Cause | Charge description, statute, severity for criminal; claim amount and cause for civil. |
| Disposition | Plea, conviction, dismissal, judgment, transfer. |
| Sentence or Judgment | Punishment, probation conditions, fines, restitution, money judgment with interest. |
| Public Documents | Filed complaints, motions, orders, judgments, notices, decrees. |
| Redactions | Party street addresses, comment fields, and protected identifiers are hidden in most case types. |
The Register of Actions is the most useful field on a court record. It logs every event in order: filing, hearing, order, plea, sentence, judgment, satisfaction, appeal. Reading the events line by line gives a clearer view than the Case Status flag, which can lag.
Public Access Framework for Hennepin County Court Records
Court records access in Hennepin runs through the Minnesota Judicial Branch, not through Hennepin County data practices. The state Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch define what is public, what is restricted, and how a custodian must respond. Rule 8 controls remote access and is narrower than rules for in-person courthouse access. Minn. Stat. § 13.90 confirms that judiciary data follow judicial branch rules.
The Hennepin District Court Records Center handles certified copy requests and in-person inspection. It is in Room A250 on the Skyway Level of the Government Center, behind security screening. The Court Contact Center at 612-348-6000 takes general questions during business hours. Inspection of public files is free; certified copies cost $14 each.
Note: MCRO records are not certified. A downloaded PDF or screenshot is not accepted as an official copy by other agencies.
Records That Are Sealed or Confidential in Hennepin County
Several case categories are blocked from MCRO. Domestic Abuse / OFP and Harassment Restraining Order case types are not posted remotely because federal Violence Against Women Act rules restrict internet display. Public documents in civil commitment cases are not accessible online. Child protection (CHIPS) and Juvenile Delinquency Felony 16 cases are not in MCRO and may be available only at courthouse terminals when the law allows.
The image above shows Minn. Stat. § 260B.171, the Minnesota juvenile delinquency records statute. It sets out which juvenile data are public and which are not. Most juvenile delinquency records are not viewable by the public. Adoption records are restricted under Minn. Stat. § 259.61. Expunged criminal records are sealed under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 609A.
A person who wants to seal an existing Hennepin record can file an expungement petition at Criminal Court. A person who wants to open a sealed record needs party status, attorney status, or a judge's order. The Minnesota Criminal Expungement self-help topic covers both automatic and petition-based expungement.
In-Person Court Record Requests
Walk-in requests are handled at the Records Center. Bring a photo ID, the case number or party names, the document or document type you want, and exact change or a check for any fee. Plain copies are no fee per the Hennepin Copy Request Form. Certified copies are $14 each. Mailed requests can be sent to the Records Center or dropped in the Skyway Level drop box near the entrance.
Hennepin District Court Records Center
Hennepin County Government Center
300 South 6th Street, Room A250
Minneapolis, MN 55487
612-348-6000
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Juvenile case copies follow a separate route. Call or write Juvenile Court at the Juvenile Justice Center, 590 Park Avenue South, Minneapolis. Family case certified copies come from the Records Center, not from County Service Centers. Marriage certificates and certified marriage licenses come from County Service Centers because they are vital records, not court records.
Hennepin County Court Records: Quick Answers
Are MCRO records official? No. The Minnesota Judicial Branch does not certify MCRO records. Certified copies come from the Records Center.
What if a pending case will not show up by name? Pending criminal, traffic, or petty misdemeanor cases without conviction will not appear by defendant name. Search by case number instead.
Can I use MCRO for a background check? No. Use the BCA Public Criminal History Search for an official criminal history.