Fillmore County Court Records Search
MinnesotaCourts.us is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the FCRA and does not provide consumer reports. All searches conducted on MinnesotaCourts.us are subject to the Terms of Service and Privacy Notice.
Fillmore County sits along Minnesota's southern border with Iowa — a largely agricultural county named for the 13th President of the United States. The county seat of Preston is home to the Fillmore County Courthouse, which handles all judicial proceedings and most official record-keeping in the county. A single District Court manages every case type filed here, from traffic infractions to felony prosecutions to complex estate matters, making the courthouse the natural starting point for any court records request.
If you're researching court records in Minnesota, MinnesotaCourts.us can help you find court contact information and navigate the available case search tools. Between the state's official online case search portal, public access terminals at district courthouses, and the Court Administrator's office, there are several ways to locate publicly available case information in Fillmore County.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Fillmore County?
You have three main options for accessing Fillmore County court records: searching online through the state's judicial portal, visiting the courthouse in person, or contacting the Court Administrator's office by phone, fax, or mail.
Online Search
The Minnesota Judicial Branch maintains the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) portal, which gives the public free access to district court case records statewide — including all cases filed in Fillmore County. You can search by party name, case number, or case type, and the system returns case details, hearing schedules, and monetary judgment information for public case types. If a case has been appealed beyond the district court level, the Minnesota Appellate Courts Case Management System (P-MACS) covers appellate dockets, orders, and opinions.
In-Person Access
Public Access Terminals (PATs) at the Fillmore County Courthouse provide on-site electronic access to the same statewide case records available through MCRO. Court staff at the Administrator's office are available during business hours to help with records requests and copy orders.
Fillmore County District Court
Address: Fillmore County Courthouse, 101 Fillmore Street, P.O. Box 436, Preston, MN 55965
Phone: (507) 765-6021
Fax: (507) 765-5228
Court Administrator: Jordan Marcou
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Mail Requests
Written requests for copies of court records can be mailed to the Court Administrator's office at the address above. Include the party names, case number if you have it, the approximate filing date, and a description of the specific documents you need. Copy fees apply and are outlined in the relevant sections below.
Are Court Records Public in Fillmore County?
Minnesota law establishes a broad presumption that judicial branch records are open to the public. Access is governed by the Minnesota Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch, which presume that court records are available to any member of the public for inspection or copying unless a specific rule, statute, or court order restricts access. The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minn. Stat. Chapter 13, provides additional guidance on classifying government records.
Categories of Records Not Accessible to the Public
Despite the general openness of Minnesota courts, the following categories of records are exempt from public inspection in Fillmore County:
- Juvenile court records and proceedings
- Mental health, chemical dependency, and civil commitment records
- Active criminal investigation reports and grand jury materials
- Domestic abuse petitions, Orders for Protection, and related case records where confidentiality is court-ordered
- Sealed and expunged records — once expunged, a criminal record is removed from public access under Minn. Stat. § 609A
- Financial affidavits, income verification documents, and Social Security numbers in family and dissolution cases
- Child custody evaluations, psychological assessments, and related expert reports
- Internal court administration records
Under Rule 4 of the Rules of Public Access, a court may restrict access to specific public case records only upon making findings required by law, court rule, or established case precedent. If you need access to sealed or restricted materials, you'll generally need to obtain a court order first.
Copy Fees
| Copy Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Uncertified copy of any instrument | $0.00 |
| Certified copy of any instrument | $14.00 |
| Exemplified and certified copy | $28.00 |
| Case management report (1–50 pages) | $5.00 |
| Case management report (51+ pages, per 50 pages) | $25.00 |
| Fax transmission (per 50 pages) | $25.00 |
Fillmore County Criminal Court Records
The Fillmore County District Court has original jurisdiction over all criminal matters filed in the county, including misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, and felonies. Criminal case files held by the Court Administrator include charging documents, complaints, warrants, plea entries, sentencing orders, probation records, and case dispositions. These records are generally public once charges are formally filed, except for materials sealed by court order or those involving juvenile defendants.
Searching Criminal Records Through MCRO
The MCRO case search portal allows public searches of criminal case dockets by party name or case number. Keep in mind that MCRO is designed for general case information — it won't return sealed or expunged records, and it isn't a substitute for a formal background check.
Statewide Criminal History — Minnesota BCA
For broader criminal history searches, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) maintains the state's criminal history system, which includes records of arrests for felony, gross misdemeanor, and certain misdemeanor offenses. The BCA offers free public online access to conviction data through the Minnesota Public Criminal History Search at chs.state.mn.us. Searches require the subject's first name, last name, and date of birth. Certified printed copies of criminal history records carry fees that vary by requester type; written requests to the BCA must be signed, dated, and notarized, and must include the subject's full name and date of birth.
Arrest Records and Sheriff's Office
Arrest records and law enforcement incident reports are maintained separately from court filings by the Fillmore County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff John DeGeorge, is located at 901 Houston Street NW, Preston, MN 55965, and can be reached at (507) 765-3874, option 1, during its standard hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Fax: (507) 765-2703). Submit records requests in writing to the Records Division; photo identification is required for any requests involving private data. Records tied to active investigations cannot be released.
A daily updated in-custody jail roster is publicly available through the Fillmore County Sheriff's Office jail page, showing current inmate bookings, charges, and bail information.
Expungement
Criminal expungement petitions are filed with the Fillmore County District Court. The filing fee is $315.00 (base fee $310 plus a $5 law library fee), under authority of Minn. Stat. § 357.021, subd. 2(1). Once granted, expunged records are sealed from public view but are not destroyed — they remain accessible to certain law enforcement and government agencies.
Fillmore County Civil Court Records
The Fillmore County District Court handles all civil litigation in the county, including contract disputes, personal injury claims, property disputes, debt collection, consumer protection matters, and small civil claims. Larger civil claims and equity matters are heard under the court's general civil jurisdiction; smaller disputes can be resolved through Conciliation Court, which generally handles monetary claims up to $20,000.
Civil Filing Fees — Fillmore County District Court
| Action | Fee (including $5 law library fee) |
|---|---|
| Plaintiff/Petitioner – First Paper Filed (civil action) | $315.00 |
| Party Requesting Jury Trial at Time of First Filing | $415.00 |
| Request for Trial by Jury (filed separately) | $100.00 |
| Motion or Response to Motion (civil or family) | $100.00 |
| Issuing All Writs / Filing Return | $55.00 |
| Name Change Petition | $315.00 |
| Eviction Action | $315.00 |
| Rent Escrow or Emergency Tenant Remedies Action | $65.00 |
| Conciliation Court – First Paper Filed | $65.00 |
| Conciliation Court – Appeal/Removal to District Court | $315.00 |
Certified copies of civil instruments cost $14.00 per document; exemplified and certified copies are $28.00. Uncertified copies are available at no charge, per Minn. Stat. § 357.021, subd. 2(2).
Searching Civil Records
Civil case dockets, including conciliation court filings, are searchable through the MCRO portal by party name or case number. In-person review of case files is available at the Court Administrator's office during regular business hours. Ask the Court Administrator's staff which documents are available electronically and which require an in-person visit to review.
Property Records
Real property records — including deeds, mortgages, contracts, easements, liens, and plats — are maintained by the Fillmore County Recorder's Office. The Recorder provides two online searchable archives: IDoc Market (for all documents from 1964 to present) and Arca Search (covering deeds from 1853 to 1963). Plat maps are accessible through the county's Online Plat Search tool. Property and tax information is searchable through the Fillmore County Property & Tax Information Portal.
Fillmore County Recorder's Office
Address: 912 Houston Street NW, Suite 3, Preston, MN 55965 (Mailing: 101 Fillmore Street, P.O. Box 466, Preston, MN 55965)
Phone: (507) 765-3852
Email: rkraling@co.fillmore.mn.us
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
County Recorder: Roxane Kraling
The Recorder accepts payment by check, cash, money order, or credit card (a 3% finance charge applies to credit card transactions).
Fillmore County Family Court Records
Family law matters in Fillmore County — including dissolution of marriage, child custody, parenting time, child support, paternity, legal separation, annulment, Orders for Protection, and harassment restraining orders — are handled by the Fillmore County District Court's family division. Case files are maintained by the Court Administrator and are generally subject to the same public access rules as civil records, though specific confidential components are protected from disclosure.
Family Court Filing Fees
| Action | Fee (including $5 law library fee) |
|---|---|
| Dissolution of Marriage (with or without children) | $395.00 |
| Legal Separation or Annulment | $365.00 |
| Custody, Paternity, Parenting Time, Registrations | $315.00 |
| Child Support – First Paper Filed | $365.00 |
| Modification of Child Support Motion | $50.00 |
| Motion or Response to Motion (family cases) | $100.00 |
| Order for Protection (Petitioner) | No fee |
| Harassment Restraining Order – First Paper Filed | $315.00 (may be waived) |
| Dissolution Forms Packet | $10.00 |
Divorce case records are public, but specific documents — including financial affidavits, Social Security numbers, tax filings, child custody evaluations, and sealed settlements — are withheld from routine public access under Minnesota court rules. You can search divorce records through the MCRO portal; in-person requests for certified copies go to the Court Administrator's office at $14.00 per certified copy.
Marriage Licenses and Certificates
Marriage licenses in Fillmore County are handled by the Fillmore County Auditor/Treasurer's Office. Couples can begin the application process through the Minnesota Official Marriage System (MOMS), the state's online marriage license application and record search platform. The standard marriage license fee in Fillmore County is $115.00; a reduced fee of $40.00 applies when applicants provide a qualifying Premarital Education Statement. Both applicants must appear in person to complete the process.
Certified copies of existing Fillmore County marriage certificates cost $9.00 each and may be requested through MOMS or directly from the Fillmore County Recorder's Office. For marriage license inquiries, contact the Fillmore County Auditor/Treasurer's Office at (507) 765-3811.
Birth and Death Records
Vital records — birth and death certificates — are managed by the Fillmore County Recorder's Office. Birth records are confidential under Minn. Stat. § 144.225, with access limited to authorized requesters: the subject of the record (if 16 or older), a parent named on the record, a legal guardian or legal representative, individuals with a court order, and authorized government entities. Anyone may access birth records dated before 1900. Death records less than 30 years old are also restricted to immediate family members, authorized legal representatives, and those demonstrating a legitimate and tangible interest.
Vital Records Fees (Fillmore County):
| Record | Fee |
|---|---|
| Birth certificate — first certified copy | $26.00 |
| Birth certificate — each additional copy (same record) | $19.00 |
| Death certificate — first certified copy | $13.00 |
| Death certificate — each additional copy (same record) | $6.00 |
| Non-certified death certificate — first copy | $13.00 |
| Birth verification | $9.00 |
Applying in Person: Visit the Fillmore County Recorder's Office at 912 Houston Street NW, Suite 3, Preston, MN 55965 with valid photo identification. Applicants without ID may have a witness attest to their identity per Minnesota Rules, part 4601.2600, subpart 6.
Applying by Mail: Download and complete the applicable form — Certified Birth Certificate Application, Non-Certified Birth Certificate Application, Certified Death Certificate Application, or Non-Certified Death Certificate Application as appropriate. Mail requests must be signed and dated before a notary public, accompanied by a photocopy of valid government-issued photo ID and a check or money order. Mail to: Fillmore County Recorders, 101 Fillmore Street, Preston, MN 55965. Contact: (507) 765-3852 or birthanddeathrecords@co.fillmore.mn.us. Alternatively, the Minnesota Department of Health Office of Vital Records (P.O. Box 64499, St. Paul, MN 55164-0499; Fax: (866) 416-1357) can process requests for records outside of Fillmore County's holdings.
For birth records older than 100 years, the Minnesota People Records Search maintained by the Minnesota Historical Society provides a searchable database of historical vital records.
Fillmore County Probate Court Records
The Fillmore County District Court's probate division handles all matters involving the administration of deceased persons' estates — including the validation and execution of wills, intestate succession proceedings, trust administration, court-ordered guardianships for minors and incapacitated adults, conservatorships, and civil commitments. Probate case records are generally public, though materials filed under seal or involving confidential medical or financial information may be withheld from routine inspection.
Probate Filing Fees
| Action | Fee (including $5 law library fee) |
|---|---|
| Estates, Trusts, Guardianships, Conservatorships — First Paper Filed | $315.00 |
| Deposit of Will for Safekeeping | $27.00 |
| Trust Accounts (Partial, Final, or Annual) | $55.00 |
| Certified copy of probate instrument | $14.00 |
Note that wills deposited with the probate court for safekeeping during the testator's lifetime are not public records under the Minnesota Rules of Public Access and will not be disclosed before the testator's death.
Searching Probate Records
Public probate case records — including formal probate proceedings, guardianship and conservatorship filings, and trust matters — are accessible through the MCRO portal. You can search by decedent name, case number, or case type. For documents that haven't been digitized or aren't available through MCRO, visiting the Court Administrator's office in person is the most reliable option.
To request certified copies of probate documents, contact the Fillmore County District Court Administrator at (507) 765-6021 or visit the courthouse at 101 Fillmore Street, Preston, MN 55965 during regular business hours. Written requests may also be mailed to P.O. Box 436, Preston, MN 55965. To help staff retrieve the file quickly, include the decedent's full name, approximate date of death, and any known case number.