St. Paul Arrest Records

St. Paul arrest records are part of the public safety documents maintained by the city, serving multiple purposes within the community. These documents are generated by the St. Paul Police Department and maintained by the records unit. Arrest records document the arrest of an individual. Arrest records may become part of Minnesota court records, as they are used as evidence in the prosecution process. Inmates in St. Paul are housed at the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center, as this facility serves as the primary correctional facility for the city and the county.

Are Arrest Records Public in St. Paul?

Under Minnesota law, specifically the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Ch. 13, arrest records are public records in St. Paul, and any person may request access to these records. However, under Minnesota law, there are exemptions to the public's access to arrest records. Exemptions include:

• Information about an arrest only becomes public after the investigation is inactive
• The age or date of birth of an arrestee may be redacted, with just the year provided
• Data from active investigations
• Booking photos, incident narratives, or other investigative details under specific subdivisions
• 911 audio, juvenile records, and victim information

To view exempted records, the requester must be the subject of the record, such as the arrestee, the victim, a legal representative, or a person authorized legally, primarily for law enforcement purposes.

A person interested in police reports, such as incident and arrest records in St. Paul, can visit the St. Paul Police Department for more information on accessing these records.

St. Paul Police Department
367 Grove Street
Saint Paul, MN 55101

St. Paul Arrest Statistics

The St. Paul Police Department is a contributor to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting portal. Data from the Crime Data Explorer shows that the department made 4,325 arrests in 2023. These arrests comprised 3,371 males and 954 females. There were 1,207 arrests for violent crimes, which included:

• Simple assault - 667
• Aggravated assault - 365
• Robbery - 100
• Homicide offenses - 30

In the same period, there were 992 property crimes, which included:

• Larceny - 351
• Stolen property offenses - 134
• Burglary - 133
• Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property - 131

Find St. Paul Arrest Records

Ramsey County offers an online inmate tool through the Adult Detention Center - Jail Roster, providing access to information on arrest booking details and arresting charges in St. Paul. Arrest records are also accessible in person at the county sheriff's office located at:

Ramsey County Sheriff's Office
Adult Detention Center
425 Grove Street
Saint Paul, MN 55101

Record seekers may also access St. Paul arrest records using the Minnesota Department of Corrections Inmate Locator. The database contains information, including arrest details, on persons currently incarcerated or recently released from prison.

Similarly, the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator provides access to a national database of individuals serving federal sentences, including those arrested on federal charges in St. Paul. Additionally, interested individuals can access St. Paul arrest information through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).

St. Paul Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Although arrest records and criminal records both document a person's interaction with law enforcement and the courts, they serve different purposes and contain distinct information. St. Paul arrest records are created the moment someone is taken into custody. Arrest records reflect that a detention occurred; they do not indicate guilt, conviction, or the outcome of the case. St. Paul arrest records typically contain:

• The date, time, and location of the arrest
• Arresting officer's name and badge number
• Charges alleged and relevant statutes
• Booking information, including mugshot, fingerprint scans, and bail and bond amounts

A criminal record is a comprehensive document that details the processing of each arrest through the justice system. Criminal records document the timeline of legal events from arrest to conviction, showing whether the charges were substantiated and penalties received. Criminal records in St. Paul typically include the following information:

• All arrests, regardless of the outcome
• Formal charges
• Case dispositions, including convictions, acquittals, dismissals, and deferred prosecutions
• Sentencing details

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Generally, under Minnesota law, arrest records remain visible indefinitely unless the record holder takes specific action to seal or expunge them. However, recent reforms under Minnesota's Clean Slate Act enable the automatic sealing of eligible arrest records within 60 days, typically for arrests without convictions. Under specific conditions, including:

Arrests with convictions require a waiting period before they may be sealed. The waiting periods before petitioning are generally:

• Summary offenses: 2 years after final discharge
• Gross misdemeanor: 3 years
• Felonies: 5 years

St. Paul Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant in St. Paul is a judicial order empowering police to lawfully take a named individual into custody. A warrant may only be issued if the judge or magistrate finds probable cause that a specific person committed an offense. In St. Paul, this means an affidavit, usually drafted by a police investigator, must describe the facts giving rise to that belief.

An arrest warrant in St. Paul typically contains the suspect's full name, known aliases, physical description, charge description, date and location of the alleged crime, issuing judge's name, court designating, and issuance date.

Arrest warrants are issued in St. Paul under three circumstances:

• Criminal charges based on probable cause
• Court order violations, such as failure to appear for a hearing or probation violations
• Suspect is a flight risk or is a threat to public safety

Do St. Paul Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants issued in St. Paul remain active indefinitely until they are either executed, formally quashed, or recalled by the court. While there is no expiry date on an arrest warrant, a warrant may be voided if:

• Charges are dismissed or never filed
• Procedural defects are discovered
• A court determines that enforcement is no longer appropriate

Expunge St. Paul Arrest Records

Under Minnesota law, St. Paul arrest records may be automatically sealed or petition-sealed under Chapter 609A of the Minnesota Statutes, effectively hiding them from public view. A petition is not required to seal arrest records if your case ended in dismissal, nolle prosequi, or acquittal. The arrest record is automatically sealed within 60 days of receiving the court's notice of disposition.

To expunge arrest records where there was a conviction or deferred adjudication, St. Paul requires the following eligibility:

• No pending charges
• Completion of all sentence terms
• No new felony convictions during the waiting period

The process of expunging arrest records requires filing a petition with the court where the arrest occurred. Deliver a copy of the petition to all relevant agencies, including the prosecutor's office, the BCA, and any other listed agencies. The judge may hold a hearing 63 days or more after filing the petition to determine if it's in the public's best interest to expunge the record. If the petition is granted, the court signs an order. Agencies must seal the arrest records within 60 days of the order.