Hennepin County Arrest Records

Hennepin County arrest records are official documents generated by law enforcement agencies that provide information about an arrest, the arrested person, and the alleged crime committed. An officer can arrest persons with warrants or take them into custody without warrants as long as there is probable cause that they committed a crime. In line with federal and state laws, these people may be detained with or without charges, released, or taken to see a judge.

Once arrested, suspects are usually booked into the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility (county jail). Therefore, while the arresting body creates and files arrest records, related arrest information may be available in other records like inmate or jail records, criminal records, and warrant details in Hennepin County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Hennepin County?

Yes, arrest records in Hennepin County are considered public records in line with the Minnesota Data Practices Act or public records law. Generally, anybody may access these records upon proper request from the appropriate custodian, usually the arresting body. However, some arrest records or enclosed information may be exempted from public disclosure, such as:

• Most juvenile records
• Private or confidential data like social security numbers
• Information relating to ongoing criminal investigations
• Other records restricted by law, court order, expungement orders, or other legal reasons

Accessing private data or exempted records may require signed consent from the record subject or a court order permitting access to the record.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Publicly available information contained in an arrest record may include:

• The arrestee’s full name and known aliases
• Arrestee’s sex, race, and physical descriptions
• Photograph or mugshot
• Date of birth and age
• Date, time, and location of arrest
• Charges
• Court date
• Name of the arresting and booking agency
• Bond or release details

Hennepin County Crime Rate

The 2022 Minnesota Uniform Crime Reports show that violent crimes in Hennepin County comprised 99 homicides, 643 rape cases, 2,288 robberies, and 4,203 aggravated assaults. On the other hand, property crimes in the same year consisted of 4,323 burglaries, 29,519 larcenies, 8,290 motor vehicle thefts, and 198 arson cases.

Compared to the 2021 report, all violent crimes, excluding aggravated assaults, reported varying degrees of decreased crime rates, whereas arson and burglary were the property crimes that recorded a decrease between 2021 and 2022.

Hennepin County Arrest Statistics

The FBI Crime Data Explorer indexes arrests reported by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office. According to this data, there were 65 arrests for crimes against property, 137 drug abuse, sale, and possession arrests, 138 crimes against persons, and 560 crimes against society.

Crimes against property included vandalism, larceny-theft, fraud, and motor vehicle theft, while crimes against persons consisted of simple assaults, aggravated assaults, and manslaughter. Meanwhile, crimes against society comprised DUIs, weapon possessions, disorderly conduct, drunkenness, liquor law violations, and other offenses.

Find Hennepin County Arrest Records

To access information on persons incarcerated in state and federal prisons, record seekers can use the inmate lookup tools provided by the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). With these tools, individuals can find current and old inmates by conducting searches according to the inmate's name, number, year, and so on.

Free Arrest Record Search in Hennepin County

The Hennepin County Sheriff is responsible for operating the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility and maintaining its records. This office provides inmate information through the online jail roster, where individuals can find current or recently released inmates by conducting searches according to the inmates' names or custody statuses. Users may obtain the following details:

• Full name
• Age
• Booking and PAK number
• Mugshot
• Arrest date and arresting agency
• Reason for arrest
• Housing location
• Custody status and dates
• Case Summary
• Bail information
• Charge description

Persons interested in inspecting or obtaining copies of inmate records may also send data request forms to:

Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office
Data Practices Requests
350 South 5th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Email: SheriffsOfficeDataRe@hennepin.us
Fax: (612) 596-7696

Additionally, record seekers can conduct free arrest record searches through third-party resources. However, search results may not be accurate or verifiable.

Get Hennepin County Criminal Records

Hennepin County criminal records are official documents that summarize an individual’s criminal conviction history. These rap sheets are public in line with state laws and may contain information such as:

• Subject’s full name and known aliases
• Date of birth
• Mugshots
• Physical descriptions (height, weight, race, and body markings)
• Offense and arrest date
• Arresting agency details
• Charges
• Booking details
• Case number and court file number
• Disposition, conviction, or sentencing details

Criminal records are available at county, state, and federal levels. For instance, the Hennepin County District Court provides criminal case information for cases filed in the county. Interested persons may use the public access computers at the courthouse to view information in person, conduct online searches, or send request forms or criminal case history search forms to:

4th District Court - Records Center
Hennepin County Government Center
300 South Sixth Street,
Room A260 Skyway Level
Minneapolis, MN 55487-0332

Requesters should include the subject’s full name, date of birth, or court file number in the request and pay duplication or certification fees when required. For statewide searches, individuals can conduct case searches with the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) portal or direct requests to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). Record seekers can conduct BCA background checks online, view information at onsite terminals, or send request forms, including fees and other requirements, to:

Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
CHA Unit
1430 Maryland Avenue E.
St. Paul, Minnesota 55106

Requests for federal background checks should be directed to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

Hennepin County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records in Hennepin County provide information about an individual’s apprehension and detention by law enforcement agencies in the county. Most information in these records identifies the arrestee, the suspected crime, and booking or detention details.

Hennepin County criminal records, on the other hand, provide information relating to an individual’s criminal history, including arrest, prosecution, and conviction. Depending on the type of background check done, criminal records shall provide extensive criminal information gathered from different criminal justice agencies like local police, sheriff’s offices, courts, and even detention facilities.

Therefore, in scale, criminal records cover more information on an individual’s criminal background, while Hennepin arrest records are limited to certain incidents. This is why only criminal records can be used as proof of criminal conviction.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Hennepin County, an arrest will remain in one’s record permanently unless expunged. As per state laws, the BCA can expunge identifying information and arrest records automatically without any notice or petition from the record subject in the following cases:

• No-conviction arrests that happened due to a case of mistaken identity (Minnesota Statutes 609A.017)
• No-conviction arrests if the BCA determines that the arrested person was not convicted of any gross misdemeanor or felony in the ten years before the arrest or determination. (Minnesota Statutes 299C.10)

If the record is still available, record subjects may only notify the agency in writing that they qualify for expungement under Minnesota Statute S 299C.10. In other cases, the arrest record shall remain on one’s record until the record subject petitions for expungement under applicable laws.

Expunge Hennepin County Arrest Records

Under state laws, expunging criminal information involves sealing the record from public access and destroying identifying information, excluding DNA records. However, these records may still be available to government agencies for investigation or employment purposes.

Eligible individuals can have their no-conviction arrest records expunged automatically by the BCA or may have to otherwise petition the Hennepin County District Court (if charged in the county) for an expungement order.

To qualify for automatic expungement, the prosecutor must decide (before conviction) that the defendant was arrested, indicted, or charged due to mistaken identity. Arrest and conviction records may also be automatically expunged if the BCA deems them eligible for expungement under the Cannabis Act. However, this will not affect records maintained by the Department of Human Services.

If records remain public despite being eligible for automatic expunction, record subjects should notify law enforcement agencies in writing and state the laws under which they qualify for expungement.

Excluding automatic expungement, individuals must file a petition following applicable laws and after the necessary waiting periods. The judge decides whether or not to grant expungement orders. Note that the whole petition and expungement process may take some months.

Hennepin County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is an order for apprehension of persons issued by a judge. Arrest warrants might be required for suspects of serious crimes like assaults, sexual offenses, or murder or in situations when the suspect cannot be located/contacted, or persons fail to show up after a court summons.

As per state laws, Hennepin County arrest warrants should contain the following:

• Defendant’s full name
• Defendant’s photo or identifying information (especially when the person’s name is unknown)
• Judge’s name
• Offense charged
• Set bail amount or conditions for release

Once issued, the receiving agency or agent shall file the arrest warrant, making it available to any officer or to the public.

Hennepin County Arrest Warrant Search

Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office has a page that lists the most wanted suspects with active warrants. Information on each suspect listed includes:

• Mugshot
• Full name
• Charge and warrant details
• Physical descriptions
• Criminal history summary

Alternatively, interested persons can find active warrants by calling the Hennepin County District Court at (612) 543-9768 and providing the search subject’s full name and date of birth. Individuals may also make in-person inquiries at the jail located at:

Hennepin County Public Safety Facility
401 South 4th Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55415

In-person requesters can view records for free or request copies for a fee.

Do Hennepin County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, Hennepin County arrest records do not expire. Generally, an arrest warrant shall remain active unless executed by an officer or quashed by a judge.