Crow Wing County Court Records

The term "court record" in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, encompasses all materials submitted by parties of a court action and those generated by the court during legal proceedings. In other words, records maintained in connection to a case filed in Crow Wing are considered the Crow Wing County court records. These records include orders, judgments, motions, complaints, responses, affidavits, documentary exhibits, transcripts, docket entries, jury lists, electronic recordings, calendars, and stenographic tapes of depositions or other legal proceedings.

One chief objective for preserving court records in Crow Wing is to support public education concerning the law and its ramifications. In turn, this open accessibility promotes accountability within the legal system, as it will be impossible for the public to know what transpired in a civil or criminal matter or find out the results of a court proceeding otherwise.

Court records facilitate the efficient handling and tracking of a case from start to finish. Moreover, these records aid research into judicial precedents, which can help determine later judgments.

Are Court Records Public in Crow Wing County?

Yes, court records are publicly available in Crow Wing County. The Minnesota (MN) Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch governs public accessibility to all court records, enabling anyone to approach a court to inspect or duplicate a court record.

However, this access is not without some limitations. To secure the administration of justice and prevent the disclosure of sensitive information, the general public cannot see certain court records. These include:

• Any record deemed confidential by federal or state statute or regulation
• Records relating to artificial insemination
• Juvenile child protection case records
• Adoption records
• Medical records
• Pre-sentence investigation reports
• Judicial work product and drafts
• Sealed or expunged records
• Records of civil commitment cases involving juveniles
• Wiretap warrants
• Juvenile appeal cases
• Minor victim identifying information
• Domestic abuse and harassment records

Elaborate lists of restricted court records can be found in the Access to Case Records Table and under Rule 4: Accessibility to Case Records of the MN Rules of Public Access to Judicial Branch Records.

Crow Wing County Court Records Search

Anyone who wishes to inspect or reproduce a Crow Wing court record has various options, including reviewing a file at the local courthouse, accessing official case search portals, and submitting a written application to the court via mail. Furthermore, there are several reputable third-party websites where a person can conduct a Crow Wing County court records search.

These research channels provide requesters with varying categories of information, and payment may be levied for access, as discussed below.

Crow Wing County Courts

Crow Wing County has a single district (trial) court that hears all legal disputes or matters brought to the county's justice system. The court's address and contact information are listed below.

Crow Wing County District Court
Crow Wing County Judicial Center
213 Laurel Street
Suite 11
Brainerd, MN 56401
Phone: (218) 824-1310
Fax: (218) 824-1311

Crow Wing County Criminal Records

Individuals seeking Crow Wing County criminal records maintained by law enforcement can start by contacting the Sheriff's Office Records Unit. This unit provides Crow Wing arrest records and other information on Crow Wing County incidents. One may also contact an independent police department that made an arrest in Crow Wing for associated records.

Another way to retrieve Crow Wing criminal records is through the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), a Minnesota Department of Safety division. Admittedly, a record inquiry will retrieve not only Crow Wing County arrest records but also other Minnesota criminal history record information (CHRI) preserved by the BCA.

Parties who wish to obtain another person's public criminal record can access the BCA's Minnesota Public Criminal History Search portal, where free searches can be performed with an individual's first and last name and date of birth. They can also visit the BCA office at 1430 Maryland Avenue East, St. Paul, MN 55106, to look up such records for free at public computer terminals. The office can be found on the southeast corner of Maryland Avenue and Phalen Boulevard in Saint Paul.

Individuals who require a copy of their full criminal history record can write to or visit the BCA office, as directed on the agency's website. The record will include both public and private criminal history information.

Get Crow Wing County Civil Court Records

Crow Wing County's civil court records include all formal documentation about a non-criminal proceeding tried or resolved in the local district court. Individuals who wish to see these records can go to the Crow Wing County Judicial Center or Minnesota State Law Library during normal business hours to use public access computers. Searches on these terminals bear no charge. However, a case party name or case number will be needed for a search.

Alternatively, a person can request plain(uncertified), certified, or exemplified copies of civil case records at the courthouse public counter. They may also complete the statewide copy request form or draft a request letter and mail it to the Crow Wing County District Court. The form or letter can also be submitted through the Minnesota eFile and eServe System.

It should be noted that the local district court does not assess a fee to obtain an uncertified copy. However, requesters must pay for certified and exemplified copies (see fee schedule). Certified copies bear the court's raised seal and can be used for official purposes. Meanwhile, exemplified copies are photocopies bearing the judicial officer and court administrator's signatures to confirm the validity of a document. The exact ordering guidelines for copies of civil court records are available on the Minnesota Courts' Copy Requests page.

Finally, members of the public can access the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) application, which provides access to many public civil court records and documents maintained in the district court. Access to the MCRO is free of charge, whether a person is viewing case events or a court document.

Crow Wing County Marriage Records

According to Chapters 13 and 517 of the Minnesota Statutes, marriage records are open to the public. As a result, anyone can obtain these records from the local registrar's office in Crow Wing County (i.e., the Land Services Department), so long as the relevant marriage license was issued in Crow Wing.

Members of the public can submit a mail or in-person request to the Land Services Department to obtain a certified copy of a Crow Wing County marriage certificate. Below is the address to send these record requests:

Physical Address

322 Laurel Street
Suite 15
Brainerd, MN 56401
Phone: (218) 824-1010
Fax: (218) 824-1126
Email: landservices@crowwing.gov

Mailing Address

Crow Wing County Land Services
Vital Records
322 Laurel Street
Suite 15
Brainerd, MN 56401

Each certified copy costs $9, and a request can be made using the department's Certified Marriage Certificate Request Form. However, the fee is only payable by personal check or money order when applying by mail. Parties who visit the Land Services Department during regular business hours can pay by cash or debit/credit card at the vital records counter.

Individuals can also look up Crow Wing County marriage records by accessing the Minnesota Official Marriage System (MOMS). A marriage record search on MOMS can be conducted by specifying the issuing county and at least the last name of one of the spouses. The system provides the following results:

• The county that issued the marriage license
• The marriage certificate number
• The marriage date
• The full names of both spouses

Upon locating the desired marriage record, the inquirer can select "Request Copy" to order a certified copy from the Crow Wing Land Services Department.

Crow Wing County Divorce Records

Crow Wing County divorce records can be obtained from the local district court. This court presides over family cases, including divorce, and maintains the corresponding records.

Interested individuals can stop by the Crow Wing district court to examine proceedings from a divorce case on public access computer terminals. They can also access the Minnesota Court Records Online system to look up a divorce case or order available documents. Copies of divorce documents can also be retrieved from the Crow Wing County district court during regular business hours or by completing the statewide copy request form and submitting it via mail.

Generally, the court does not charge a fee to inspect divorce case proceedings or obtain an uncertified copy of a divorce document, such as the decree. However, a certified or exemplified copy costs $14, respectively.

Crow Wing Birth and Death Records

The Land Services Department in Crow Wing serves as the Crow Wing County Vital Records Office and issues uncertified and certified copies of birth and death certificates. Certified copies are available to those with a "tangible interest" in a certificate, and proof of identity is required. Anyone who cannot state a tangible interest may request an uncertified birth or death certificate.

Generally, members of the public can obtain a birth or death record from the Land Services Department in person or via mail.

An eligible individual can complete and sign the Birth Certificate Application Form to obtain a certified copy of a Crow Wing County birth certificate. This form can be delivered in person at the department's vital records counter or by mail. In-person requesters will need to provide identification, while mail requesters must notarize the application. It costs $26 to order a certified Crow Wing County birth certificate, plus $19 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.

Those not qualified to obtain certified Crow Wing birth records can fill out and submit the Non-Certified Birth Record Application Form instead. A non-certified birth record costs $13, and additional copies purchased at the same time for the same record cost $6 each.

On the other hand, parties can obtain a copy of a Crow Wing death certificate by filling out and submitting the Death Certificate Application Form (for a certified copy) or Non-Certified Death Record Application Form (for an uncertified copy). Whether certified or not, a Crow Wing death record costs $13 for the first copy and $6 for each extra copy ordered at the same time for the same record.

Similar to the ordering procedures for Crow Wing County birth records, each requester of a certified death record must present valid identification at the Land Services Department if ordering in person or notarize the application form if ordering by mail.

Birth and death records in Crow Wing County are official legal documents that can be used to obtain driver's licenses, apply for passports, enroll in school, access financial accounts, and so on. These records are also important for vital statistics within the region, supporting research into birth deficiencies, teenage birth rates, leading causes of death, and other population trends or dynamics.

Crow Wing County Probate Court Records

The District Court holds original jurisdiction over probate cases filed in Crow Wing County. These cases pertain to the administration or settlement of a person's estate after death, including paying off debts and distributing assets to the appropriate parties. The court also handles wills, trusts, conservatorships, guardianships, and civil commitments.

To obtain a probate court record from the Crow Wing District Court, a person may visit the Crow Wing County Judicial Center to use a public access terminal. Alternatively, they may seek remote access by inputting a case party's name or court file number (case number) into the Minnesota Court Records Online system and selecting the relevant case category (i.e., Probate/Mental Health). Admittedly, courthouse terminals offer the most comprehensive access to electronic records.

Courthouse visitors can view probate cases on public computers and request uncertified, certified, or exemplified copies from the records staff. No fee is assessed to acquire an uncertified copy, but requesters will need to pay for certified or exemplified copies. Also, some probate documents may be downloaded or printed from the MCRO system for free.

Crow Wing County Property Records

Real estate (property) records in Crow Wing County reveal ownership data, encumbrances (like liens), easements, surveys, mortgages, sales histories, and other important information about properties within the locality. These records are considered part of the Crow Wing County public records and can be obtained from the local Land Services Department.

The Land Services Department offers online access to Crow Wing County property records through a searchable database. Users can perform title searches and obtain document copies of recorded documents since 1857, but they will require a subscription.

Alternatively, a person can visit the Public Research Room situated on the lower level of the Land Services building at 322 Laurel Street, Brainerd, to look up real estate records dating back to 1857. Individuals can also request copies of real estate documents by mail, via fax, in person, or by email from the department. The relevant copy fees are outlined in the agency's fee schedule under Miscellaneous Fees.

The Land Services Department also provides an online Property/Tax Information portal, which can be searched by owner name, parcel ID, or street address to find comprehensive Crow Wing property information. Visitors to the department's website can also find other online property resources, such as the Property Document Search Page for researching plats, survey documents, tax documents, and more.

Crow Wing County Court Records Online

Crow Wing court records are accessible online through government sources as well as private vendors like Minnesotacourtrecords.us (commonly referred to as third-party aggregator websites). One advantage of utilizing a third-party website over a court-run database is that consumers can retrieve other information besides the court records, so long as the information is publicly available and matches the search criteria. Moreover, third-party websites offer instantaneous results (typically within a few minutes of a query), thereby allowing users to bypass lengthy processing times and miscellaneous expenses associated with formal court records requests. However, vendors may impose fees for their services, and certain limitations may exist regarding the accuracy or completeness of the data provided.