Blue Earth County Court Records

Minnesota statutes define Blue Earth County Court Records as any recorded information gathered, created, received, maintained, or distributed by a court or court administrator, regardless of the material's physical form or storage method. Blue Earth County Court records include everything in the court file, such as the progress docket and other similar documents created to track case activity and transcripts kept on file with the clerk.

Blue County court records are vital to the county's judicial establishment. They reference completed and ongoing judicial proceedings and help track the progress of ongoing matters. Court records also indicate a person's run-ins with law enforcement and the judicial system.

Are Court Records Public in Blue Earth County?

Yes, court records are public in Blue Earth County per the Minnesota Data Practices Act (Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13), which grants data subjects and members of the public access rights to records. Blue County court records are kept and archived per the Minnesota Official Records Act (Minnesota Statutes section 15.17), which states that county courts must make and preserve all documents necessary for a complete and accurate knowledge of their official activities. However, rule 4 of the Minnesota court rules describes specific categories of court records inaccessible to the general public. Some of these include:

• Domestic abuse and harassment records
• Court services records
• Juvenile appeal cases
• Medical records
• Will deposited at a probate court
• Information that names a victim who was underage at the time of the alleged offense
• Adoption records

Blue Earth County Court Records Search

Interested persons can perform a Blue Earth County case search through the following avenues:

• At the court administrator's office of any Blue County court
• Using the public access terminals at any county court
• Using the Minnesota court records online (MCRO)
• Using the Minnesota Appellate Courts Case Management System (P-MACS)
• Making use of third-party web resources

Blue Earth County Courts

The Blue Earth County Court, which is part of Minnesota's Fifth Judicial District, is the sole court in the county's judicial system. All civil, family, probate, juvenile, criminal, and traffic cases filed in Blue Earth County are under the original jurisdiction of this district court. The county's district court is located thus:

Blue Earth County District Court

Physical Address:
401 Carver Rd.
Mankato, MN 56001

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 3366
Mankato, MN 56002-3366
Phone: (507) 594-3055
Fax: (507) 304-4700

Blue Earth County Criminal Records

Minnesota state statutes allow members of the public to access Blue County criminal records. A Blue Earth County criminal record is a document that comprehensively describes a person's criminal history within the jurisdiction. The primary custodian of Blue County criminal records is the records department of the county sheriff's office. The department collects and keeps records from all Blue Earth County, Minnesota law enforcement agencies, including the Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force, Eagle Lake, Madison Lake police department, Mapleton law enforcement, and Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office. They ensure that all records are processed in compliance with the sheriff's office and MNJIS (Minnesota Justice Information Systems) regulations.

Interested persons can obtain Blue County criminal records by visiting the records department of the sheriff's office. Requestors are required to provide the subject's name so that sheriff staff can search for criminal records in their internal CIBRS (Comprehensive Incident-Based Reporting System) and RMS (Records Management System). The public may also get criminal records by contacting the Records Division, which is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. They can do this by sending an email to Records@blueearthcountymn.gov or by phoning (507) 304-4814.

The cost of obtaining Blue Earth County criminal records depends on the type of records requested. The sheriff's fees schedule provides information on costs.

A statewide search for criminal records can be conducted by visiting or writing to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) or using the BCA criminal history search portal.

Get Blue Earth County Civil Court Records

A civil action lawsuit deals with non-criminal issues such as civil rights, money, property restitution, harm, or damages. Typically, civil lawsuits assert that the defendant (the party sued) has unpaid invoices for goods or services, has violated a contract, or has taken other actions that have caused harm to the primary plaintiff.

A division of the Blue Earth County district court handles civil matters. Most civil case records are public; hence the district court allows persons to request these records. Interested individuals can get Blue Earth County civil court records any of the following means:

• The district court public access terminal: Public access terminals in the Earth County District Courthouse provide electronic access to statewide public civil case records. Users can search for case records using a court file number or the name on the document.
• Using the Minnesota court records online: This portal allows remote access to court records in Minnesota, including those from Earth County. To search for case records, users must navigate to the portal, select "Blue Earth County" under court locations, and select "civil" under the case category option. To locate a case record, users can start a search using the Name (Person or Business), Case Number, Citation Number, or Attorney (Name or Bar Number) options.
• Individuals can also obtain Earth County civil case records over the counter from the district court office staff. Requestors must complete the court records request form with details describing the case records of interest.

Blue Earth County Marriage Records

Blue Earth County marriage records are vital records created and maintained at the Blue Earth County Licence Centre. The office maintains marriage licenses, marriage certificates, premarital education certificates, marriage verification documents, and marriage indexes. People can locate Blue Earth County records of marriage applications filed from 1865 to the present at the license center. All marriage records before 1997 are considered "public" records per local laws. Information after 1997 is classified as confidential and needs to be slightly restricted before being viewed by the public.

Interested persons can request Blue Earth County marriage records by visiting the county license center in person or sending a request through mail. Applicants' names before marriage and the marriage date are required to get a marriage record.

For mail requests, individuals need to Fill out a Certified Copy of the Marriage Request Form and mail it to:

Blue Earth County Vital Records,
P.O. Box 3524,
Mankato, MN 56002-3524

A $9 fee for each certified or non-certified copy requested must be included with mail-in requests.

Blue Earth County Divorce Records

Certified copies of a divorce decree can be obtained from the county courthouse where the divorce was granted, the district court in Blue Earth County. Individuals can search for the records using the names of any spouse involved in the divorce proceeding to find plain copies of recent divorce records via Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO).

Blue Earth Birth and Death Records

Blue Earth County birth and death records can be obtained from the Blue Earth County license center. Since 1870, the Blue Earth County License Center has kept certified copies of all vital records for the county. A certified birth or death certificate can only be obtained by requesters with a legitimate interest in the sought certificate, according to Minnesota Statutes, Section 144.225, Subdivision 7. Those who are eligible to receive a birth and death certificate from the Blue Earth County License Center are:

• The owner of the record
• The subject's spouse, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, legal guardian, or custodian.
• A personal attorney representing the subject's estate

Certified birth or death certificate requests can be made by mail or in-person visit to the Blue Earth County License Center. Anyone can make mail requests by printing and filling out the Death Record Request Form or the Birth Certificate Request Form. After notarizing the form, it should be mailed along with payment to:

Blue Earth County-Vital Records
410 S. 5th St.
P.O. Box 3524
Mankato, MN 56002-3524

An initial certified certificate for a birth record costs $26, and each additional certificate issued costs $19. The first certified certificate of a death record costs $13, and each additional certificate of the same record issued at the same time costs $6.

Blue Earth County Probate Court Records

The county's district court houses the Blue Earth County Probate Court. The Probate Court hears cases concerning guardianships, conservatorships, wills, trusts, and the deceased's property. According to Minn. R. Pub. Access 8, subd. 2. Probate court records are confidential documents that are not remotely accessible. Only persons who are involved in a probate matter can obtain case records. The sole method to acquire these records is to go to the district court in person and make a request for them. Before obtaining records, requestors must demonstrate their eligibility by presenting a legitimate identification document.

Blue Earth County Property Records

Blue Earth County property records can be obtained at the office of the Property and Environmental Resources Department. The departments maintain property records, real estate records, property tax records, property ownership information, maps, land sale history, and property valuation records. Most Blue Earth County property records are publicly available to every interested citizen.

To obtain Blue Earth County property records, individuals can visit the services and records division of the Property and Environmental Resources Department. Visitors can view and copy documents at the office without making an appointment; open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Third-party tools described on Blue Earth Real Estate Recorder's webpage also offer online access to the county's real estate records. Individuals who seek a copy of a record and know its document number can submit a written request to the office via mail, together with the necessary payment.

Blue Earth County Court Records Online

Blue Earth County court records may be easily accessed through third-party online resources like minnesotacourtrecords.us. These platforms save time and effort for those unable to visit the courthouse in person by providing benefits, including simple accessibility from any remote location with an internet connection. Additionally, third-party platforms might provide intuitive user interfaces that let users quickly look up certain cases or people. These platforms, however, are run independently of any government organization.