What are Minnesota Bankruptcy Records?

Bankruptcy records in the State of Minnesota are court filings that contain the financial details of individuals and corporations looking to clear outstanding debts they are unable to pay. Information that can be seen on bankruptcy records include bank account statements, income sources, and other documents used during the court proceedings.

Individuals and organizations file under different bankruptcy chapters, depending on their situation. Chapter 7 is a common type of bankruptcy, and it involves the liquidation of the assets of debtors to repay some or all of their unsecured debts. Chapter 13 bankruptcy allows debtors with a consistent income to set up a repayment plan for their debts, which may be paid in an installment to the creditors over a while.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota handles bankruptcy cases within the state’s jurisdiction. The court has four locations within the state that cater to different counties.

Bankruptcy records are typically generated from the court proceedings and managed by the courthouse where the case was filed. The courthouses provide options that interested individuals may obtain available records from. Alternatively, interested persons may obtain bankruptcy records through third-party sites that offer such services.

What do Minnesota Bankruptcy Records Contain?

Minnesota bankruptcy records contain the collation of both the personal and financial information of individuals or corporations who file for bankruptcy. It also contains documents used during the court proceedings. Some of the information that may be seen on such records include:

• Names of the debtors
• Case name
• Case number
• Docket number
• Gross income of the individual/business filing for bankruptcy
• Source(s) of the petitioner’s income
• Creditors’ names, addresses, and amount owed to each
• A list containing the assets of debtors
• Financial statements

Are Bankruptcy Records Public Information?

Yes, Bankruptcy records are public information and are therefore available to persons who are eligible to access them. The Minnesota Data Practices Act guarantees that anyone may request public information maintained by government agencies, such as bankruptcy records. The act also mandates custodians of records to provide platforms through which requests for records may be processed. However, some information is confidential and hence unavailable for copying or inspection. Section 13.355 of the Minnesota statutes classify individuals’ social security numbers, whether in part or fully, as private information that must not be displayed on public records.

Records that are considered public may also be accessible from some third-party websites.Such platforms, which operate independently of any state, county, or local agency, may make the search process easier because they are not geographically constrained. Third-party platforms may also have search engines that might be useful when conducting a search for a specific or many records. 

How to Get Minnesota Bankruptcy Records

Typically, interested parties may obtain Minnesota bankruptcy records electronically or request copies of the records from the custodian’s office. Bankruptcy cases filed with the U.S Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota from 1999 till present are available on the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) service. Individuals that want to obtain desired bankruptcy records on the PACER system generally require a registered account to access them. Following the fee schedule, there is a $0.10 per page fee for access to desired records.

However, if a user does not exceed $15 (150 pages) in a calendar quarter, their charges may be waived. Users can conduct searches by the specific court or by going through the national index of federal courts. Users can direct inquiries about the PACER service to the PACER Service Center or to their email - pacer@psc.uscourts.gov.

Querying parties may also opt to obtain electronic bankruptcy records from the public terminals available at the clerk’s offices in Duluth, Minneapolis, and St. Paul. Although the public terminals operate at no cost, there is a fee of $0.50 per page for printing documents. Physical copies may also be obtained from the clerk’s office in-person or a written request conveyed via mail to any of the office locations:

Warren E. Burger Federal Building and United States Courthouse
316 North Robert Street,
Suite 200,
St. Paul, MN 55101
(651) 848–1000

301 Diana E. Murphy United States Courthouse
300 South Fourth Street,
Minneapolis, MN 55415,
(612) 664–5200

404 Gerald W. Heaney Federal Building and
United States Courthouse and Custom House
515 West First Street,
Duluth, MN 55802,
(218) 529–3600

Basic bankruptcy information is available on the Voice Case Information System(VCIS). Access to the VCIS is typically offered at no cost, and the service is available 24 hours a day. Users can access bankruptcy cases by searching with a name, case number, social security number, or tax identification number. To use the VCIS, interested persons can dial 1–866–222–8029 and follow the instructions. Callers may obtain bankruptcy case information, including debtors’ names, case disposition, type of bankruptcy, declared assets, case status, and discharge date.

Archived bankruptcy records are available by requesting desired records online, by mail, fax, or email from the National Archives and Records Administration. Requestors may also request copies of available or destroyed case files from the NARA clerk’s office.

How do I Find Out if My Bankruptcy Case is Closed in Minnesota?

Interested persons may be able to find out if their Minnesota bankruptcy case is closed by checking the case status on platforms that give access to bankruptcy records. The case status typically indicates if a case is ongoing, closed, or dismissed. Alternatively, debtors may use the Debtor Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing (DeBN) at no cost to request delivery of court-generated notices by email. The DeBN is useful for tracking the status of the case and receiving notices issued by the court. Interested persons typically submit requests to the DeBN service by completing the Debtor’s Electronic Noticing Request form and submitting a printed copy to the clerk’s office. Requestors typically receive orders and court-generated notices on the same day they are made.

Can a Bankruptcy be Expunged in Minnesota?

The expungement law in Minnesota does not explicitly outline any process to expunge bankruptcy records. However, eligible parties may contact the clerk’s office to inquire about any provisions made for the expungement of bankruptcy records. Typically, the expungement process removes expunged records from public access and makes them unavailable to requestors of such records. The process involves the filing of a motion to expunge certain records with the court. A judge presides over the hearing and grants or denies the motion, following the state laws.