Stearns County Court Records

Stearns County court records are official documents received or created during and after legal proceedings on cases decided within the county jurisdiction. These documents are important resources as they preserve legal history—past judgment records influence future cases—and promote transparency in the county legal system. The Clerk of Courts is the custodian of Minnesota court records. Examples of these documents include:

• Complaints
• Petitions
• Motions
• Briefs
• Evidence
• Orders
• Judgements
• Affidavits
• Audio/video records of hearings.

Are Court Records Public in Stearns County?

Yes. Per the Minnesota Rules of Public Access, all case records and records by court administrators should be publicly available for inspection and copying. These include final decisions, court orders, trial transcripts, dockets, and other court-generated documents. Although they are public records, not all court records are publicly available without authorized access. The custodian of court records in Stearns County is the Stearns County District Court.

Examples of records not publicly available include confidential records (some family court records, medical records, educational records, and records containing personal information), domestic abuse cases, federal contracts data, law enforcement proceedings, juvenile records, redacted information, records on ongoing cases, and records describing officers, and witnesses involved in the case. This is to protect the parties involved in the case or the integrity of the ongoing case.

Stearns County Court Records Search

Ways for conducting a Stearns County Court Records Search include:

• Online searches of local, state, and federal databases
• In-person searches
• Mail Requests
• Third-party services.

Stearns County Court Records Search by Name

To conduct a name-based search of Stearn County court records, use the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) tool maintained by the Minnesota Judiciary. To search by name, select the “name” case search, choose whether the name you are entering is for a person or a business, and enter the person or business name, making sure to prioritize fields marked as required. For more exact results, additional information, such as the date of birth, date filed, case category, case status, and court information, can be provided.

Individuals can also visit the Stearns County District Court in person to conduct a name-based search. The courthouse has public computer terminals that can be used to search for records by name. Administrative court staff available may also help with a search if requestors know the case details. However, service fees may apply for conducting record searches or making copies. A valid form of ID may be required from the requester during in-person requests.

Stearns County Courts

Stearns County is part of the Minnesota Judicial District and its general jurisdiction is within the seventh judicial district. It has a cleanly unified trial court system and all its judges have general jurisdiction. The address and contact information of Stearns County District Court is provided below.

Stearns County District Court
725 Courthouse Square
St. Cloud, MN 56303
Phone: (320) 656-3600
Fax: (320) 656-3626

Stearns County District Court Case Search

Stearns County court records fall within the jurisdiction of the Minnesota Seventh Judicial District and primarily consist of District Court records. To conduct a district court record search, use the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) tool. This tool can help retrieve case information, related documents, hearing schedules, and case status.

To complete a case search on MCRO, the searcher must know details about the case regardless of the type of search they are conducting. These details can include the first and last names of parties involved in the case, the business name, and the case number. Additional search details, such as the date of birth, case status, case category, date filed and courthouse help retrieve more precise results. Examples of district court cases that can be retrieved using MCRO include civil, criminal, family, probate, and mental health cases.

Stearns County District Court Records

The Stearns County District Court handles civil, criminal, family, probate, child protection, child support, conciliation, traffic, and juvenile court cases. To obtain Stearns County District Court Records, interested individuals can visit in person and use the Public computer terminals at the Service Center located at the Stearns County Courthouse.

Self-use of the public computer terminals is free but fees may apply if court staff help the requester to perform a record search or copy a record. Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) also provides online access to district court case records of counties in Minnesota including Stearns County.

Stearns County Criminal Records

Interested persons may obtain statewide criminal records from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). To obtain these records, use the subject’s full name to query the public criminal history system. For additional information, contact the BCA using the details below.

Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
Minnesota Justice Information Services
1430 Maryland Ave East
St. Paul, MN 55106
Phone: (651) 793-2400

It is also possible to find other criminal records, such as police reports, incidence reports, motor vehicle reports, and Stearns County arrest records, from the Stearns County Sheriff's Office. To obtain these records, contact the Records Division of the Sheriff’s Office.

Stearns County Sheriff’s Office
807 Courthouse Square
St. Cloud, MN 56303
Phone: (320) 259-3700

Stearns County Criminal Court Case Lookup

Interested individuals can look up Stearns County criminal court case information using the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) online tool. After selecting “criminal” under case type, the searcher also needs to enter more details of the case such as the first and last name of the party and their date of birth. To retrieve federal criminal case records, use the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system.

The Stearns County District Court has general jurisdiction over most cases in the county including criminal cases, so it is also possible to conduct a criminal court case lookup by contacting the courthouse. Service centers with free public access terminals are available for in-person checks of the court’s computerized case records or the interested party can ask court staff available for help. This may, however, attract searching and copying fees.

Get Stearns County Civil Court Records

The Stearns County District Court oversees civil records in the county so individuals can get civil court records by contacting them in person or by mail. The service center at the courthouse also has self-help terminals that can be used for free to search for civil court records or help can be solicited from court staff available. Civil court records between 1858 to 1949 are maintained by the Minnesota Historical Society. To obtain civil records within this time, contact the Minnesota Historical Society Library.

The Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) also provides online access to court records in Stearns County including civil case records. To retrieve only civil cases, the searcher should ensure that only “civil” is checked under the case category. Details of the case such as the party names or business names, date of birth, date filed, and case status must be known to complete a search. Examples of civil cases include contract disputes, torts, defamation, property disputes, consumer protection cases, probate cases, family law cases, employment disputes, and intellectual property disputes.

Stearns County District Court
705 Courthouse Square
St. Cloud, MN 56303-4701
Phone: (320) 656-3600

Minnesota Historical Library
345 Kellogg Boulevard West
St. Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (651) 259-3300

Stearns County Family Court Records

The Stearns County District Court handles family law cases in Stearns County. Examples of family-related cases that it hears include the following:

• Divorce (marital dissolution)
• Alimony (Spousal Support)
• Child Support, custody, and visitation
• Paternity cases
• Domestic violence cases.

Family court records, like other court records, are available through in-person or mail requests to the Stearns County District Court. These records are also available online through the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) portal. In any case, especially during an in-person request, requesters may be required to provide a valid photo ID. For confidential records (records of minors, personal information), a court order may be required before the record can be obtained.

Stearns Dissolution of Marriage Records

The Stearns County District Courthouse oversees most cases in the county including family law cases so it has jurisdiction over dissolution of marriage (divorce cases). The records can be obtained by contacting the courthouse, providing details of the case, and paying the fees necessary for obtaining the record. As the legal termination of marriage also counts as a court proceeding, the case records like other Stearns court records are available online through the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) website.

Stearns County Marriage and Divorce Records

The Stearns County License Center maintains all marriage records including applications and certificates filed in the county from 1865 to the present. To request marriage records, interested parties can contact the License center in person or by phone to obtain a record and provide details such as the couple's names or the date of the marriage. Requesters may be required to provide a form of identification and ensure that applicable fees for obtaining certified copies of marriage records are paid.

The Stearns County District Court is the custodian of divorce records. Divorce records can be obtained in person at their service center. Requesters may be required to provide the names of parties involved in the divorce and pay applicable fees for copying or processing the records.

Stearns Birth and Death Records

The Stearns County Auditor-Treasurer’s Office keeps all local birth, and death certificates issued from 1870 to the present and makes them available upon authorized request. Per the guidelines specified in Minnesota Statute 144.225, subdivision 7, the License center makes these birth records available to eligible individuals. According to the law, the requester must be one of the following people:

• The owner of the vital record
• The child of the record owner
• The spouse of the record owner
• The parent of the record owner
• The grandparent or grandchild of the record owner
• The sibling of the record owner
• The legal custodian, trustee, guardian, conservator, or health care agent of the record owner
• The personal representative of the record owner (must have an affidavit of why they require a certified copy of the vital record
• The successor of the record owner in the event of a death
• An adoption agency (to complete confidential post-adoption processes).

Vital records like birth and death records are important as they serve as proof of legal identities, sources of statistical data and genealogical research, and also a resource to help plan public health trends. Vital records can also be used for government services, healthcare, legal proceedings, research, and social services.

Stearns County Auditor-Treasurer’s Office
705 Courthouse Square, Room 122
Saint Cloud, MN 56303
Phone: (320) 656-3900

Stearns County Probate Court Records

The Stearns County District Court oversees all probate matters within the county. Examples of cases classified as probate cases include the following:

• Estate Administration
• Guardianship and conservatorships
• Trusts
• Wills
• Adoptions.

To obtain probate court records interested individuals can contact the Stearns County District Court. They can complete the record requests in person or by mail to the courthouse, by showing a form of ID and paying applicable fees, Probate court records can also be obtained online through the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) portal.

Stearns County Property Records

The Stearns County Assessor's Office and the County Recorder’s Office are the custodians of property records in Stearns County. The Assessor’s Office keeps records of the assessment of real and personal property. The recorder’s office keeps all historical property records within the county. To obtain these records, interested individuals can contact either the Assessor’s Office or the Recorder’s Office either in person or by mail.

Property records can also be obtained online using the variety of tools made available by the county. The Stearns County Administration Office maintains the Property Search Tool through which individuals can search for property records using Property ID, Mailing address, map, or property address. The Stearns County GIS also offers a variety of other online resources for obtaining property records including the Property Viewer and an assortment of interactive maps.

Stearns County Recorder’s Office
705 Courthouse Square
Room 136
St. Cloud, MN 56303
Phone: (320) 656-3870

Stearns County Assessor's Office
3301 Co Road 138
Room 2500
Waite Park, MN 56387
Phone: (320) 656-3680
Fax: (320) 229-7032

Geographic Information System (GIS)
3301 County Road 138
Waite Park, MN 56387
Phone: (320) 654-4689
Email: GISTeam@stearnscountymn.gov.

Examples of property records include the following:

• Property Assessment
• Property tax records
• Seeds and titles
• Land survey information
• Building permit records
• Inspection records
• Maps.

Stearns County Court Records Online

For individuals interested in obtaining Stearns County court records and other public records from a central database, aggregator sites are useful. Minnesotacourtrecords.us allows record searches by first name, last name, and location to obtain court records from various counties in Minnesota.

Third-party websites have the advantage of allowing multiple searches of multiple counties' court records using a single resource. This way, users save time and can access records from different courthouses. However, the fact that they are not the official records custodian limits third-party resources. In other words, record availability and completeness may not be as accurate as those from official sources.