Minnesota Court Records
The Minnesota Judicial Branch is a three-tiered hierarchy consisting of District Courts in each of the state's ten judicial districts, the Minnesota Court of Appeals, and the Minnesota Supreme Court. The Minnesota Court Records website is designed to help citizens understand this tiered structure and navigate the public-record retrieval system.
The District Court is the primary trial court in the state, handling all cases down to the municipal level, as Minnesota is one of the few states without a municipal court at the city level. Municipal courts previously existed in the state but were removed when the court system was consolidated into a single tier of trial courts in 1982. The Court of Appeals and Supreme Court are appellate-level courts that review trial court decisions for legal errors.
Minnesota courts are open for public inspection under the state judiciary's Rules of Public Access to Records. However, some records are considered confidential and excluded from public access. Members of the public typically need court authorization to access such records. This website's content is not a substitute for legal advice and should not be considered official records.
Minnesota Sources
- Minnesota Court System
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Minnesota Association for Justice
- Minnesota Judge Directory
- Minnesota Jury Service Page
- National Center for State Courts
- Minnesota Docket Search
- Minnesota Specialty Court (Treatment Courts)
- Minnesota Judicial Branch Homepage
- Find Courts
- Minnesota District (Trial) Courts
- Access Case Records
- File a Case
- eFile in a District (Trial) Court
- Appellate eFiling
- Forms & Instructions
- Minnesota Guide & File
- Self-Help Centers
- Supreme Court
- Court of Appeals
- Minnesota Tax Court
- Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals
- State Law Library
- U.S. District Court - District of Minnesota
- U.S. Court of Appeals - Eighth Circuit