MN · Warrant guide
Is there an online warrant search in Minnesota?
Partly — some Minnesota counties publish an online warrant search, but there’s no single statewide one.
Official source
Open an official county search Opens an official county site in a new tab. Coverage varies by county — a name that isn’t listed does not rule out a warrant in another county or court.Last verified 2026-07-23Coverage Some countiesJurisdiction Minnesota
The official online lookup
Minnesota has no statewide public warrant search.
Some county sheriffs publish an online 'most wanted' or warrant list — for example, the Hennepin County Sheriff posts a Most Wanted page — but these are curated lists of selected fugitives, not a searchable database of all outstanding warrants.
Even Hennepin County directs people who think they have a warrant to call the district court and the sheriff's warrant office rather than search online.
Minnesota Court Records Online (publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us) shows case records but is not a definitive warrant-status tool.
How to find out if you have a warrant in Minnesota
Warrants are issued by courts and served by sheriffs — so the surest way to confirm one is to ask the source directly. Work down this list.
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Call the district court in the county where the case is filed
Bench and failure-to-appear warrants are issued by the court. Contact the district court administration for the county where you believe a case exists and ask whether an active warrant is on file; provide your full name and date of birth. In Hennepin County the district court number is 612-348-6000. Court directory is on the Minnesota Judicial Branch site.
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Contact the county sheriff's warrant office
County sheriffs hold and serve warrants. In Hennepin County the sheriff's warrant office is 612-348-2000 and can explain how to address a warrant, including any bail amount.
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Search Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) to check for a case
This statewide portal shows district-court case records. It confirms whether a case exists but does not reliably show active-warrant status; treat it as a case lookup, not a warrant check.
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Request a Minnesota criminal-history check (BCA)
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension provides public criminal-history record checks. This shows record history but is not a definitive pending-warrant tool.
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Check a county sheriff's most-wanted list where published
Some sheriffs post a most-wanted list online (e.g., Hennepin County). These cover only selected fugitives, not routine warrants.
Open official site
Types of warrants in Minnesota
Not every warrant means the same thing. These are the common types.
- Bench warrant
- issued by a judge for failure to appear at a hearing or failure to comply with a court order
- Warrant for arrest
- issued on a complaint supported by probable cause to take a named person into custody
- Search warrant
- authorizes a search of a place or property; a police tool, not a public lookup
What happens if a warrant is ignored
An unserved warrant generally stays active until the court recalls it or the matter is resolved; warrants do not expire on their own.
While it is outstanding you can be arrested during any law-enforcement contact, such as a traffic stop.
The court may set or raise bail.
In some traffic or citation matters, a failure to appear can be reported to the driver-licensing agency and affect your license, depending on the case.
What you can do
Procedural steps only — no outcome is predicted.
Confirm whether a warrant exists and get its details by contacting the district court or the county sheriff's warrant office: ask for the case or warrant number, the charge, whether a court date is set, and any bail amount.
Note any scheduled court date and plan to appear.
If you decide to resolve it, ask the court or sheriff how to proceed (for example, requesting a hearing to recall a bench warrant, posting bail, or surrendering during business hours with photo ID).
Your rights. You have the right to talk to a lawyer about your situation, and if you cannot afford one, you can ask the court about a public defender.
Common questions about warrants in Minnesota
Is there an online warrant search in Minnesota?
Some Minnesota counties publish an online warrant search, but there’s no single statewide one.
How do I find out if I have a warrant in Minnesota?
Contact the clerk of the court that issued the warrant or the county sheriff’s records or warrant division. Call the district court in the county where the case is filed; Contact the county sheriff's warrant office; Search Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) to check for a case.
What happens if a warrant is ignored in Minnesota?
An unserved warrant generally stays active until the court recalls it or the matter is resolved; warrants do not expire on their own. While it is outstanding you can be arrested during any law-enforcement contact, such as a traffic stop. The court may set or raise bail. In some traffic or citation matters, a failure to appear can be reported to the driver-licensing agency and affect your license, depending on the case.
What should I do about a warrant in Minnesota?
Confirm whether a warrant exists and get its details by contacting the district court or the county sheriff's warrant office: ask for the case or warrant number, the charge, whether a court date is set, and any bail amount. Note any scheduled court date and plan to appear. If you decide to resolve it, ask the court or sheriff how to proceed (for example, requesting a hearing to recall a bench warrant, posting bail, or surrendering during business hours with photo ID).
Sources & official links
Everything on this page links out to official government sources. We don’t store or search records.
Last verified 2026-07-23 · 6 official sources