How to Find and Access Minnesota Arrest Records

Minnesota arrest records and apprehension data is available at the state or county level as well as with the various state law enforcements. Information on these arrest records is available from 1985 through the present date. Apart from these records any additional data on arrests and apprehensions can be accessed on terms and essential stipulations as per the state of Minnesota laws. These terms and caveats are essential for the accurate interpretation of the available data on the arrest records.

Where to Find Minnesota Arrest Records

For queries and assistance on MN arrest and apprehension data or if you wish to know about the Minnesota Uniform Crime Reporting, please contact the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (MDPS), or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at:
 
Bureau of Criminal Apprehension,
Minnesota Department of Public Safety,
1246 University Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55104-4197
Phone: 651-642-0610
Website:http://www.dps.state.mn.us/bca/http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/bca.html

Or

Federal Bureau of Investigation,
935 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20535-0001
Phone: 202-324-3000
Website:http://www.fbi.gov/

 

Information in the Arrest Records

The key objective of the arrest records is to build a complete criminal history of an individual residing in the State of Minnesota. These records are used essentially for identification, to help find suspects in a current criminal investigation, aid in the prosecution of the criminals and for enhanced sentencing purposes.

Accessing Minnesota Arrests from the Police Reports

An individual can request police reports on arrest records from Minnesota in person, through email, fax or telephone. Police reports on arrest records are available from 1990 to the present day. These reports are processed on the basis of the Minnesota Data Privacy and Practices law and the policies of the State Police Department.

The State of Minnesota does not usually charge a fee for records and reports which are e-mailed to the requestor. However, if the requests require a large amount of data or involve extensive research or time, then an individual will be charged $.25 per page. If a fee is applicable for processing your records, then the Records Information Unit will contact you about it. To view the Police reports in person, you can visit Room 31 and access your records through a public computer terminal for free. Any printed documents will require you to pay a fee of $.25 per page.

For more information, please contact the Minnesota Police Department’s Records Information Unit at:

Minnesota Police Department Records Information Unit
Minneapolis City Hall
350 5th St S, Room 31
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone: (612) 673-2961
FAX: (612) 673-2239
Email: datapractices@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

To access the form go to:

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/forms/mpd-publicdata/

The Records Information Unit is open to business between 7:30am and 3:30pm. It is not open on weekends and state holidays.
 

Clearance Letters

A Clearance Letter is an important official document which indicates that an individual does not have any arrest record. An individual can request a Clearance Letter from the Minneapolis Police Department. A Clearance Letter is essential for overseas work, immigration, employment, to acquire U. S. Citizenship, for adoption purposes, and for applying for a student visa.

You can request a Clearance Letter through mail or visit in person to make a request. To request a Clearance letter in person you, would need to carry with you $6.25 in cash, money order or check, a valid identity such as a driver’s license, passport or a state identity, and visit the Minneapolis Police department at:

Minneapolis Police Department
Records Information Unit
350 S. 5th Street, Room 31
Minneapolis, MN 55415
 
To do so through mail, you would need to include a photo identity, along with a money order or a check for $ 6.25 payable to the City of Minneapolis, in a stamped envelope that is self-addressed. It usually takes 3 to 5 business days to process a request. Send this written request to:


Minneapolis Police Department
Records Information Unit
350 S. 5th Street, Room 31
Minneapolis, MN 55415

Download the necessary form from:

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/records/clearanceletter.asp#TopOfPage

This Clearance Letter is valid for Minneapolis arrests. For other areas in the state, you need to send your request to either of the following addresses:

For County Clearance:

You can contact the Hennepin County Sheriff at:

The Public Safety Facility,
401 South 4th Avenue, Suite 100,
Minneapolis, MN 55415,
Phone:(612) 348-5112.


Minnesota Clearance:

You contact the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at:

Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
1430 Maryland Ave. East
St Paul. MN 55106
Phone: 651-793-7000
Lobby hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Website:http://www.bca.state.mn.us/http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/ContactUs.html