Search Ramsey County Court Records
Most Ramsey County court records begin with Minnesota Court Records Online, usually called MCRO. MCRO is the statewide public access system for Minnesota District Court cases. It can show case details, a Register of Actions, hearing records, judgments, and some public documents. It is a strong first stop for civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic, and judgment searches, but it is not the certified court file.
The official MCRO overview makes the key limit clear: online results do not certify records or replace the local court administrator. Ramsey County certified, exemplified, and plain copies come from the District Court Records Office. Some public case files and older records are viewable only at courthouse terminals in Room 72.
The Ramsey County District Court page is the local anchor for court contacts, court calendars, jury scam warnings, warrant resolution links, and court location details.
The official Ramsey County District Court home page identifies the court as part of Minnesota's Second Judicial District.
- Open MCRO and choose the search tab that matches the data you have: name, case number, citation number, attorney, document, hearing, or judgment.
- Select Ramsey County under court locations when the case is local. A full case number gives the cleanest result.
- Use date of birth, filing date, case category, and case status filters to reduce false matches in name searches.
- Check the Register of Actions, hearing entries, and public documents. If the document is missing online, use the courthouse record channel.
- Request certified, exemplified, or plain copies from the Ramsey County District Court Records Office when the record must be official.
Ramsey Court Record Search Fields
MCRO gives several search paths because a Ramsey County court record may be easier to find by case number than by name. This matters most for pending criminal, traffic, and petty misdemeanor cases. MCRO terms say a pending case without a conviction may not return through defendant-name search, but it can return by case number.
| Search option | Use it for | Ramsey County note |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Person or business party search | Use date of birth, filing date, category, and Ramsey location filters. |
| Case Number | Direct case lookup | Ramsey case numbers often begin with 62, such as 62-CR, 62-CV, 62-FA, 62-PR, or 62-CO. |
| Citation Number | Traffic and citation records | Best path for many payable or court-set traffic matters. |
| Document Search | Public online documents | Requires a case number and does not include every public courthouse document. |
| Hearing Search | Upcoming or past hearings | Search by name, case number, judicial officer, or attorney. |
| Judgment Search | Civil judgment lookup | Use with MCRO limits and local copy rules in mind. |
For criminal history background checks, MCRO itself points users to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension because BCA criminal history is tied to fingerprints. Court case records show court events. They are not the same as a fingerprint-based criminal history file.
Ramsey County District Court System
Ramsey County is served by the Second Judicial District of the Minnesota District Court. The District Court is the trial court for local civil, criminal, traffic, family, juvenile, probate, housing, conciliation, civil commitment, and treatment-court matters. Minnesota does not use a justice-of-the-peace system for Ramsey County. Low-level citation work may involve the Violations Bureau or Suburban Court, but those functions sit inside the District Court structure.
Appeals from Ramsey County District Court go to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, with possible further review in the Minnesota Supreme Court. Federal cases are separate. They go to the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota rather than Ramsey County District Court.
Case flow: Ramsey County District Court > Minnesota Court of Appeals > Minnesota Supreme Court. Federal matters follow the U.S. District Court and federal appellate path.
| Court or division | What it handles | Main access point |
|---|---|---|
| District Court | Civil, criminal, family, probate, juvenile, traffic, housing, and conciliation cases | MCRO and Ramsey District Court administration |
| Criminal & Traffic Division | Criminal cases, traffic cases, Suburban Court, Violations Bureau, specialized courts | Criminal and Traffic Court at 651-266-1999 |
| Civil Division | Civil filings, probate, civil commitment, housing, conciliation court | District Court and Room 72 records channel |
| Juvenile and Family Court | Divorce, custody, domestic abuse, harassment, juvenile matters | District Court, with remote access limits for sensitive case types |
Ramsey County Court Locations
The main courthouse is Saint Paul City Hall - Ramsey County Courthouse in downtown Saint Paul. The building is both a court and civic center, so court users share the area with city and county business. Ramsey County District Court lists regular business hours as Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The official court locations and hours page lists the main courthouse, the Juvenile and Family Justice Center, the Law Enforcement Center, Suburban Court, and 402 Commitment Court. Criminal and traffic matters may be set at the Kellogg courthouse, the Law Enforcement Center, or Suburban Court in Maplewood.
The locations page is the best official source for which Ramsey County court building handles a hearing or records counter visit.
Saint Paul City Hall - Ramsey County Courthouse
15 West Kellogg Boulevard
Saint Paul, MN 55102
651-266-8266
District Court Records Office
15 West Kellogg Boulevard, Room 72
Saint Paul, MN 55102
651-266-8237
Criminal and Traffic Court
15 West Kellogg Boulevard, Room 130
Saint Paul, MN 55102
651-266-1999
Online vs Courthouse Records
Ramsey County court records are not split into a simple online or offline bucket. MCRO can show many public records, but the Records Office remains the official local source for certified copies and courthouse-only documents. Public access terminals at Room 72 can show records and documents that may not display remotely.
The Records Office may provide certified, exemplified, and plain copies from Ramsey County District Court cases. Requests can be made by mail, phone, or in person. Payment is required before copies are provided. Mail payments use check or money order, phone payments use credit or debit cards, and in-person payments may use cash, check, money order, credit card, or debit card.
Certified copies: Online MCRO results are useful for lookup, but certified court copies must come from Ramsey County District Court administration.
Ramsey County Court Record Types
Ramsey County court records cover several case groups. Civil files include complaints, answers, motions, affidavits, orders, judgments, and satisfaction documents. Criminal files may include complaints, charges, warrants, hearing notices, pleas, omnibus hearing entries, trial records, sentencing, probation violations, and financial obligations. Family files include divorce, custody, child support, domestic abuse, harassment, and related orders, with some online limits.
Probate records are part of the Civil Division, not a separate surrogate or orphans' court. Traffic citations and petty misdemeanor cases may be searched by citation or case number, and some payable cases use Minnesota Court Web Payment. Jail custody records and active warrants are sheriff records, not the full court case file, although both often connect back to a District Court case number.
- Civil records: lawsuits, conciliation cases, housing matters, judgments, motions, and orders.
- Criminal records: filed charges, hearings, pleas, dispositions, sentencing, and probation events.
- Traffic records: citations, payable offenses, court hearings, warrants for missed court, and fines.
- Family records: divorce, custody, support, domestic abuse, harassment, and related filings.
- Probate records: estates, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, and protected-person matters.
Ramsey County Court Dockets
Ramsey County court dockets can be checked through the local calendar page, MCRO Hearing Search, and the daily or weekly public calendar PDF. The Alpha Roster is useful for hearings scheduled within the next seven days. Hearing eReminders are also available through the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
Calendar entries may show party name, hearing location, hearing date, time, judicial officer, hearing type, connection type, and case number. Ramsey examples include courthouse rooms, Law Enforcement Center courtrooms, Zoom, CSM Zoom, conciliation hearings, review hearings, omnibus hearings, first appearances, sentencing, scheduling conferences, and jury trials.
| Calendar field | What it tells a Ramsey County court user |
|---|---|
| Hearing location | Whether the setting is at the courthouse, Law Enforcement Center, Suburban Court, Zoom, or another listed location. |
| Judicial officer | The judge, referee, or officer assigned to the hearing. |
| Hearing type | The stage, such as first appearance, omnibus, pre-trial, review, sentencing, or trial. |
| Connection type | The role tied to the listed name, such as plaintiff, petitioner, attorney, or defendant. |
| Case number | The court file number to use in MCRO or a Room 72 copy request. |
Ramsey County Public Access Laws
Public access to Ramsey County court records depends on both judicial-branch rules and Minnesota public-data statutes. The Minnesota Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch govern court case records. County administrative, sheriff, and jail data use the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act rather than the court copy process.
Key rules: Public Access Rule 4 defines many public and nonpublic court record categories. Chapter 13 governs Minnesota government data. Section 13.82 governs law-enforcement data. Section 13.03 covers public data inspection and copying duties.
For county-held data that is not a court case file, Ramsey County directs public data requests through the Data Practices Requests process. The county says public data can be viewed for free, while copies may carry charges.
Restricted Ramsey County Records
Some Ramsey County court records are public at the courthouse but not available online. Some are not public at all without legal authority. MCRO remote results do not display Domestic Abuse Order for Protection and Harassment Restraining Order case types because of federal Violence Against Women Act restrictions. Child protection, juvenile delinquency felony 16, and civil commitment public documents also have remote-access limits.
Juvenile matters are generally confidential in Minnesota, with limited public access for certain felony cases when the youth was at least 16 at the time of the alleged offense. Sealed and expunged records are restricted after a court order or statutory process. Criminal expungement uses Minnesota Statutes chapter 609A and the petition process in section 609A.03.
Note: If an online case search fails, check whether the issue is a search limit, a remote-access restriction, or a nonpublic record.
Ramsey County Warrants and Jail
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office is led by Sheriff Bob Fletcher and maintains local sheriff functions that sit beside the court record system. The sheriff's channels include bookings, warrants, public safety resources, and the Adult Detention Center roster. Jail custody data is not the same as a criminal court case file, but it often helps explain what happened after an arrest.
The official ADC roster covers people received by, in, or released from the Adult Detention Center for the last 90 days. A person in intake may not appear until a booking number has been assigned. Active warrants are searched through the Sheriff's Online Warrant Search, which can list name, age, sex, race, warrant type, charge, statute, court number, court name, and bail details.
A 2025 Ramsey County commissioner update described an Adult Detention Center tour with Sheriff Bob Fletcher and Inspector Daryl Gullette.
Ramsey County Marriage and Probate
Marriage records and divorce records are split between county vital records and District Court. Ramsey County Vital Records handles marriage licenses and marriage records from the Plato Building. Marriage records are available from approximately 1850 to present, and the county lists a $10 copy price. The Minnesota Official Marriage System also provides a statewide marriage certificate search.
Divorce records are different. Ramsey County's divorce-record source points to the District Court Records Center in Room 72. Divorce cases are family court records, so MCRO may help locate the case, while certified decrees come from District Court Records. Probate is part of the Civil Division of Ramsey County District Court and can be searched through MCRO using the Probate or Mental Health case category.
- Certified copy
- A copy authenticated by the court or vital records office for official use.
- Probate
- The District Court process for estates, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, and protected-person matters.
- Divorce decree
- The final court order in a divorce case, requested from District Court Records rather than Vital Records.
Ramsey County Remote Hearings
Ramsey County court pages link to statewide remote hearing information. The hearing notice controls the appearance format, so a party should rely on the official notice and current court instructions. Minnesota's remote-hearing materials also warn that login information should not be shared except as approved by the court.
The statewide remote hearing information page explains access rules and restrictions on recording or broadcasting.
No recording or rebroadcasting is authorized except as allowed by court rules. Emailing the court does not excuse a missed hearing, filing deadline, or other case duty.
Ramsey County Court History
The current Saint Paul City Hall - Ramsey County Courthouse is a major Depression-era public building. The City of Saint Paul says its cornerstone was laid on October 20, 1931, and the official tour materials describe the interior as Zigzag Moderne, an Art Deco style shown in bronze elevator doors, door hardware, light fixtures, stair rails, and lobby details.
The Minnesota Judicial Branch courthouse history page connects current Ramsey County court operations to earlier city hall and courthouse buildings.
The City of Saint Paul also publishes a City Hall history page for the shared courthouse building.
Ramsey County Court Record Fees
The local Records Office page confirms payment methods and the need to pay required copy fees before copies are provided, but it does not list every current court copy amount in the research file. Use the official court fees source before mailing payment. Ramsey County marriage records are clearer: the county lists $10 per marriage record copy.
| Item | Confirmed payment or amount |
|---|---|
| Court copies by mail | Check or money order accepted after required copy fees are determined. |
| Court copies by phone | Credit and debit cards accepted. |
| Court copies in person | Cash, check, money order, credit card, and debit card accepted. |
| Agency certified criminal records | Allow up to five business days and include the court file number and specific documents requested. |
| Marriage record copy | $10 per copy through Ramsey County marriage records. |
Ramsey County Record Updates
Several 2026 and 2025 updates affect how readers should verify Ramsey County court and jail information. MCRO terms show an April 2026 revision and continue to stress unofficial online results, name-search limits, and remote-access limits. Minnesota Judicial Branch also warned in May 2026 about a statewide traffic ticket scam that told people they had unpaid violations and needed to pay quickly.
Ramsey County budget material describes Adult Detention Center safety and operations projects, including suicide-prevention barriers, central control updates, open booking upgrades, video visitation building work, and medical or sanitation updates. Those projects do not change the public search steps, but they show why jail services and facility access rules should be checked directly before a visit or payment.
Ramsey County Court Records FAQ
Can Ramsey County court records be searched online? Yes. MCRO is the main online system for Minnesota District Court records, including Ramsey County cases. Certified copies still come from local court administration.
Where are certified court copies requested? The Ramsey County District Court Records Office in Room 72 provides certified, exemplified, and plain copies for Ramsey County District Court cases.
Why does a pending traffic or criminal case not show by name? MCRO terms say pending criminal, traffic, and petty misdemeanor cases without convictions may not return by defendant-name search. Use the case number or citation number.
Are warrant records in MCRO? The court case context may be in MCRO, but active warrant lookup is handled through the Ramsey County Sheriff's Online Warrant Search.
Who handles marriage records? Ramsey County Vital Records handles marriage licenses and marriage records. Divorce records are District Court records and go through Room 72.
Are juvenile records public? Minnesota juvenile records are generally confidential, with limited public access for certain felony cases involving juveniles who were at least 16 at the time of the alleged offense.