Stearns County Court Administration
Records Research and Searches
Stearns County District Court maintains an extensive database of legal records and case files. In June of 1984, the District Court began using a computerized case index to keep records (Trial Court Information System, or TCIS). District Court then updated to Minnesota Court Information System, or MNCIS, in February of 2007.
Public computer terminals are available in the Service Center for research on judgments and case files. The Service Center is located in the Stearns County Courthouse, Room 134. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Use of the computer terminals is free of charge; however, records searches and copies done by court staff require a service fee.
Note: If you're interested in data access statutes and rules of the Judicial branch, click to see specifics for vital statistics records or for other records.
Birth Certificates: All birth certificates filed in Stearns County from 1870 to present are located at the License Center, Room 125 in the Stearns County Administration Center. Statewide birth certificates are kept on file from 1935 to present. Access to or copies of birth certificates are restricted according to the guidelines in Minnesota Statute 144.225, subd. 7.
Death Certificates: All recorded death certificates are located at the License Center, Room 125 in the Stearns County Administration Center. The License Center has death certificates filed in Stearns County from 1870 to present, and has records of statewide death certificates since 1997. Access to or copies of death certificates are restricted according to the guidelines in Minnesota Statute 144.225, subd. 7.
Marriage Records: All marriage records are located at the License Center, Room 125 in the Stearns County Administration Center. Applications and certificates of marriage applied for in Stearns County are kept on record from 1865 to present.
Probate (Wills): Access to or copies of probate files are restricted according to guidelines in Minnesota Statute 524.2-515. The Stearns County District Court has maintained files from 1973 to the present. Records from 1864 to 1982 can be found by contacting the Minnesota Historical Society's Research Center.
Minnesota Historical Society Library
345 Kellogg Blvd. West
St. Paul, MN 55102
651.259.3300
Criminal Case Files: Criminal cases are public in Minnesota, with some limited exceptions according to guidelines in Minnesota Rules of Court. People interested in criminal histories are usually looking for statewide information, and so a check with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) usually makes more sense. You can find more information on BCA public inquiries here: www.dps.state.mn.us/bca/CJIS/documents/cjis-intro.html.
For older criminal cases, Stearns County District Court maintains case records from 1946 to present. The Minnesota Historical Society maintains case records from 1858 to 1949, and can be contacted here:
Minnesota Historical Society Library
345 Kellogg Blvd. West
St. Paul, MN 55102
651.259.3300
Civil Case Files: Access to or copies of civil case files, which include divorce records, may be restricted according to guidelines in Minnesota Rules of Court. The Stearns County District court maintains civil case records from 1946 to present. The Minnesota Historical Society maintains civil case records from 1858 to 1949.
Minnesota Historical Society Library
345 Kellogg Blvd. West
St. Paul, MN 55102
651.259.3300
For more information, you can contact the Minnesota Historical Society Research Center by e-mail, or you can visit their website. If the Minnesota Historical Society does not have the record you are look for within the timeframe listed, check back with our Court Service Center. The Stearns County District Court does have some older records on file which are also available.
Minnesota Courts Public Access site
The public may now search for case files in the state of Minnesota. Through Minnesota District Courts' MPA Remote, users may search for any type of case, either by name or by case number. Users must read and accept the MPA Remote terms of usage before accessing records.