How to Search Ramsey County Court Records Online
Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) is the public portal for Ramsey County court records. The system is run by the Minnesota Judicial Branch and sits at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/CaseSearch. MCRO has four tabs that pull from the same Odyssey database: Case Search, Document Search, Hearing Search, and Judgment Search. The portal version observed during research was 1.3.9.0, with terms revised in April 2026. The Minnesota Judicial Branch overview lives at the MCRO landing page.
Before a search, gather a party name, a case number, a citation number, or an attorney bar number. A date of birth helps narrow common names. The Minnesota Judicial Branch rule set sits at the court rules page, and the Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch are linked from there.
The court rules landing page is shown at mncourts.gov/rules.
The rules page links the Rules of Public Access, which govern what Ramsey County court records can be shown online.
- Open MCRO and accept the terms.
- Pick a search tab: Name, Case Number, Citation Number, or Attorney.
- Open Court Locations, choose Select Specific County Court Locations, and pick Ramsey.
- Enter the name or number. Use a wildcard only after two characters.
- Add a date of birth or date range to narrow results.
- Click Find. Open a case to read the Register of Actions and any public documents.
- For documents only, switch to Document Search and enter the case number.
- Order a certified copy from Ramsey District Court Records if the file is needed for court or a bank.
Ramsey County Court Records Search Fields
The Case Search tab is the most-used view of Ramsey County court records. Each field below is part of the public form. Wildcards are allowed after two characters but cannot be used with the Sounds Like option. Pending criminal, traffic, and petty misdemeanor cases without a conviction will not appear in a name search; those cases must be looked up by case or citation number. The full Case Search interface is at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/CaseSearch.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search tab | Tabs | Yes | Name, Case Number, Citation Number, Attorney |
| Select Name Type | Radio | Yes for name tab | Person or Business |
| Sounds Like | Checkbox | Optional | Broader results; wildcards disabled |
| Last Name | Text | Conditional | Exact or wildcard after two characters |
| First Name | Text | Optional | Exact or wildcard after two characters |
| Middle Name | Text | Optional | Exact or wildcard after two characters |
| Date of Birth | Date / radio | Optional | On Exact Date or Date Range |
| Date Filed | Date / radio | Optional | On Exact Date or Date Range |
| Case Category | Checkbox group | Optional | Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate or Mental Health |
| Case Status | Radio | Optional | All, Active, Inactive |
| Court Locations | Radio / list | Optional | Statewide or Select Specific; Ramsey selectable |
Hearing Search uses many of the same fields, plus a hearing-date filter and a judicial-officer filter. Judgment Search swaps in a docketed-date filter and an Active/Inactive status. Document Search is a single text field that takes a case number.
Types of Ramsey County Court Records
Each Ramsey County District Court division produces its own files. Civil Division court records include lawsuits, conciliation (small claims), housing/evictions, civil commitment, probate, condemnations, judgments, writs of execution, mechanic's liens, name changes, and related motions. Older Ramsey civil cases from 1858 through 1902 (file numbers 1 to 78,050) are kept at the Minnesota Historical Society State Archives.
Criminal & Traffic Division court records cover charges from petty misdemeanor through felony. The Violations Bureau handles payable tickets. The Law Enforcement Center docket handles jail-side calendars. The Juvenile and Family Division covers domestic abuse and harassment orders, family files, paternity, and juvenile delinquency.
- Civil case files, judgments, and writs of execution.
- Criminal felony, gross misdemeanor, misdemeanor, and petty misdemeanor cases.
- Traffic citations, violations, and DWI matters routed through criminal calendars.
- Family, divorce, paternity, custody, and child support files.
- Probate, guardianship, conservatorship, and trust matters.
- Civil commitment and mental health files (courthouse access only).
- Juvenile delinquency files (restricted under section 260B.171).
What Ramsey County Court Records Show
A Ramsey County District Court case file carries a case number, parties, hearings, a Register of Actions, and public documents. The case number for a Ramsey criminal case follows the 62-CR-YY-NNNN pattern, where 62 is the county code and CR is the criminal category. Civil and probate categories use different letters in the same slot.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Court file number, for example 62-CR-23-2188. |
| Case Category | Civil, criminal, family, probate or mental health. |
| Filing Date | Date the case or document was filed. |
| Parties | Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, debtor; addresses hidden. |
| Register of Actions | Docket history: filings, hearings, orders, judgments, notices. |
| Hearings | Date, time, location, courtroom, judicial officer, hearing status. |
| Documents | Public PDFs where remote access is allowed. |
| Financial | Fines, fees, restitution, money judgments, satisfactions, bonds. |
| Disposition | Outcome of a charge or case. |
Comment fields and party street addresses are hidden online. Criminal sentencing condition comments are the only exception.
Document Access Rules for Ramsey County Court Records
MCRO does not show every document on every case. The rules depend on case type and filing date. For documents filed on or after July 1, 2015, MCRO shows all documents in major and minor criminal and civil case types, all documents in formal and other probate, guardianship, conservatorship, and trust cases, and only court-prepared orders, opinions, and notices in family and post-adjudication paternity cases. Older documents are limited; some only appear at the courthouse.
Domestic abuse OFP, Harassment Restraining Order, CHIPS, Juvenile Delinquency Felony 16, and civil commitment cases are off the web entirely. The Minnesota Judicial Branch links the access rule from the Rules of Public Access.
The PDF explains how each MCRO restriction maps to a court rule.
Public Access Framework
Ramsey County court records sit under the Minnesota Rules of Public Access. The default rule is public, but family, juvenile, OFP, HRO, and civil commitment files have their own carve-outs. The general open-data law is at Minnesota Statutes § 13.03. Law-enforcement data is at section 13.82. Criminal history data is at section 13.87. Juvenile delinquency records are at section 260B.171.
Note: MCRO records are not certified. The Minnesota Judicial Branch does not certify online court records or search results, so they cannot be used as official proof.
For employment, tenant, or insurance background checks, the Minnesota Judicial Branch points users to the BCA Minnesota Public Criminal History Search. The fingerprint-linked site is at chs.state.mn.us. The court structure overview is at mncourts.gov/about-the-courts.
The page covers the Judicial Council, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, and the District Court.
Records That Are Sealed or Confidential
Sealed and confidential Ramsey County court records are not returned by an MCRO search. Sealed records can include expunged criminal files under Chapter 609A, juvenile delinquency files under section 260B.171, sealed adoption files, and any case sealed by a judge. Expunged records still exist in the court file room but are blocked from public view. A judge of the Ramsey County District Court must order any release. Read more on the arrest records page for the expungement path.
Some active files are partly redacted online: party street addresses, comment fields, and victim information stay hidden. To petition for access, file a motion with the case judge through the Self-Help Service Center or with help from a Volunteer Lawyers Network clinic.
Ramsey County Appeals and Higher Court Records
Most Ramsey County District Court appeals go to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. The intermediate court has 19 judges and three-judge panels. By statute, it must rule within 90 days of oral argument or the scheduled conference date. The court's role is at the Minnesota Court of Appeals page.
The page covers the 1983 creation of the court and panel rules.
Discretionary review goes to the seven-justice Minnesota Supreme Court, which also hears first-degree murder appeals and election cases without an intermediate step. The court's overview is at mncourts.gov/supremecourt.
The page lists the justices, rule-making role, and appeal path.
In-Person Ramsey County Court Records Requests
The District Court Records office sits in Room #72 of the main courthouse. Walk-in users get cash, check, money order, or card service. The office accepts mail and phone orders too. The main courthouse building hours run Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The county's building page gives the address, tour information, and the secure drop box rules.
The page also notes that cash, child support, court documents, and gun permit applications should not go in the drop box.
Ramsey District Court Records
Main Courthouse, Room #72
15 W. Kellogg Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55102
651-266-8237
Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.