THIS IS A PRIVATELY OWNED WEBSITE THAT IS NOT OWNED OR OPERATED BY ANY STATE GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

Hennepin County, MN Courts and Public Records

Table of Contents

The Hennepin County District Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction in Hennepin County, hearing criminal, civil, family, probate, juvenile, and traffic cases.

FieldDetails
Court NameHennepin County District Court (Minnesota Judicial Branch)
Websitemncourts.gov/find-courts
HandlesCriminal (felony and misdemeanor, including traffic), civil, family, probate, and juvenile matters
Does NOT HandleFederal cases (U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota), parking tickets (issuing city or agency), and appeals (Minnesota Court of Appeals)
Online Case SearchAccess Case Records (statewide)
Pay Traffic Tickets OnlinePay Fines (statewide)

How to Search Hennepin County Court Records

Before you search Hennepin County court records, have the full name, the case number if you know it, and the approximate dates ready.

Online

Go to Access Case Records to search statewide court case information.

Search by name or case number to find public case details.

Confirm results with the court, since some records are restricted.

Best for: Quick case status lookups

In Person

Go to the Hennepin County courthouse listed on Find Courts.

Bring the case number and party names if you have them.

Ask the Court Administrator's office which division holds your case.

Best for: Records and copies not available online

By Phone

Go to Find Courts to get the court's current phone number.

Have the case number or party names ready before you call.

Ask how to request copies of court records.

Best for: Confirming case details and filing locations

Search by Name on MinnesotaCourts.org

Go to MinnesotaCourts.org and enter a full name.

Search across record types without a case number.

Confirm results with the court, since they are not official court records.

Best for: Finding leads without a case number

Hennepin County Court Statistics (CY 2024)

Hennepin County courts handled an estimated 274,750 new cases in CY 2024 and disposed of an estimated 269,255. The estimate scales Minnesota statewide totals by the county's share of state population.

~274,750

Total filings in CY 2024

~269,255

Total dispositions in CY 2024

~4,293

Filings per judicial position (64 estimated positions)

~-1.6%

Change in total filings vs CY 2023

MetricCY 2024CY 2023Change
Total Filings~274,750~279,146~-1.6%
Total Dispositions~269,255~273,563~-1.6%
Criminal Filings~175,840~178,038~-1.2%
Civil Filings~39,564~40,663~-2.7%
Family Law Filings~13,188~13,408~-1.6%
Probate Filings~5,495~5,495~+0.0%
Mental Health Filings~2,638~2,638~+0.0%
Juvenile Filings~2,638~2,638~+0.0%
Authorized Judicial Positions~64~64~0.0%

The largest category movement was in criminal filings. Figures marked with ~ are estimates: Minnesota statewide figures scaled by Hennepin County's 21.98% share of the state population.

How Have Court Filings Changed in Hennepin County?

Estimated total filings in Hennepin County moved up over the last five years; dispositions are estimated at a similar level.

Fiscal YearTotal FilingsTotal DispositionsYoY Filing Change
CY 2024~274,750~269,255~-1.6%
CY 2023~279,146~273,563~+2.4%
CY 2022~272,552~267,101~+5.1%
CY 2021~259,364~254,177~+7.3%
CY 2020~241,780~236,944~+7.3%

Estimated filings changed +13.6% between CY 2020 and CY 2024, from 241,780 to 274,750. The largest annual change was +7.3% in CY 2021. The latest change of -1.6% reflects statewide Minnesota trends. Figures marked with ~ are estimates: Minnesota statewide figures scaled by Hennepin County's 21.98% share of the state population.

What Types of Cases Are Filed in Hennepin County?

Criminal cases are estimated to be the largest category in Hennepin County, at about 64.0% of filings in CY 2024.

Case TypeFilings CY 2024Share of TotalYoY Change
Criminal~175,840~64.0%~-1.2%
Civil~39,564~14.4%~-2.7%
Family law~13,188~4.8%~-1.6%
Probate~5,495~2.0%~+0.0%
Mental health~2,638~1.0%~+0.0%
Juvenile~2,638~1.0%~+0.0%

Probate cases are estimated as the fastest-growing category and civil cases as the fastest-falling. Figures marked with ~ are estimates: Minnesota statewide figures scaled by Hennepin County's 21.98% share of the state population.

How Does Hennepin County Compare With Minnesota Overall?

Hennepin County is estimated to account for about 21.98% of the 1,250,000 cases filed in Minnesota courts in CY 2024.

MetricHennepin CountyMinnesotaComparison
Total filings~274,7501,250,000~21.98% of statewide filings
YoY change in filings~-1.6%-1.6%Same as state (estimate)
Filings per judicial position~4,2934,325Estimated at the state level
Dispositions per judicial position equivalent~4,2074,239Estimated at the state level
Criminal share of filings~64.0%64.0%Same as state (estimate)
Civil share of filings~14.4%14.4%Same as state (estimate)
Family law share of filings~4.8%4.8%Same as state (estimate)

These county values are estimates built from statewide Minnesota figures, so they track the state mix by design. Actual county dockets may differ. Figures marked with ~ are estimates: Minnesota statewide figures scaled by Hennepin County's 21.98% share of the state population.

Hennepin County Crime Statistics (2025)

These figures are Minnesota statewide totals as reported to the FBI, not counts for Hennepin County. Agency reporting may be incomplete, and county crime counts are not available here. Statewide violent and property crimes combined fell 11.7% from 2024 to 2025. In 2025, reporting agencies covered about 99.8% of Minnesota's population, so year-over-year changes can partly reflect which agencies reported.

13,177

Violent crimes, Minnesota statewide, 2025

83,199

Property crimes, Minnesota statewide, 2025 (includes arson)

226.0

Violent crime rate per 100K, Minnesota statewide, 2025 (population 5,830,405)

-11.7%

Change in total violent plus property crimes, Minnesota statewide, 2025 vs 2024 (96,376 vs 109,143)

Offense2025Rate per 100K2024YoY Change
Murder1352.3173-22.0%
Rape2,23338.32,242-0.4%
Robbery2,06535.42,844-27.4%
Aggravated assault8,744150.09,754-10.4%
Violent crimes total13,177226.015,013-12.2%
Burglary9,414161.510,792-12.8%
Larceny-theft63,6201,091.270,354-9.6%
Motor vehicle theft9,659165.712,394-22.1%
Property crimes total (includes arson)83,1991,427.094,130-11.6%

Rates use the Minnesota 2025 population of 5,830,405. County-level rates are not published, so this section does not compare Hennepin County with the state. The property crimes total includes arson, so it is larger than the sum of the property offenses listed above.

Hennepin County Courthouse Locations

Hennepin County court proceedings are held at the Hennepin County Government Center. Check your notice or case paperwork to confirm the courthouse assigned to your case before you go.

CourthouseAddressPhoneVerified Services
Hennepin County Government Center300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487612-348-6000See location page

Addresses and phone numbers come from public directory listings and may change, so confirm them with the clerk before you visit.

Which Court Handles Your Case in Hennepin County?

Most criminal, civil, family, probate, and juvenile matters in Hennepin County are heard in District Court. Some matters go to other agencies or courts.

Your SituationGo ToKey Details
Traffic ticketDistrict Court, Hennepin CountyTraffic citations are handled by District Court, so check your ticket for the court date.
Parking ticketIssuing city or agencyParking tickets are not handled by District Court.
MisdemeanorDistrict Court, Hennepin CountyMisdemeanor charges are heard in District Court.
FelonyDistrict Court, Hennepin CountyFelony cases are heard in District Court.
DUIDistrict Court, Hennepin CountyDUI charges are heard in District Court as criminal or traffic matters.
Domestic violenceDistrict Court, Hennepin CountyCriminal charges and orders for protection are heard in District Court.
Civil lawsuitDistrict Court, Hennepin CountyCivil lawsuits are filed in District Court.
Small claimsDistrict Court, Hennepin CountySmall claims disputes are heard in District Court.
EvictionDistrict Court, Hennepin CountyEviction actions are filed in District Court.
DivorceDistrict Court, Hennepin CountyDivorce cases are heard in District Court.
Child custody or supportDistrict Court, Hennepin CountyCustody and support matters are heard in District Court.
Probate or estateDistrict Court, Hennepin CountyProbate and estate matters are heard in District Court.
Juvenile caseDistrict Court, Hennepin CountyJuvenile delinquency and dependency matters are heard in District Court.
AppealMinnesota Court of AppealsAppeals from District Court decisions go to the Court of Appeals.

Are Hennepin County Court Records Public?

Yes, most Hennepin County court records are public, with exceptions under the Minnesota Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch.

Public records

Many District Court case files in Hennepin County are open to the public, including dockets, filings, and orders in criminal, civil, family, and traffic cases.

Restricted or confidential records

Confidential cases and records are not publicly available. Examples include juvenile, some family, adoption, mental health, sealed or expunged matters, and cases not remotely accessible under Minn. R. Pub. Access 8.

Online access

Search statewide case information at Access Case Records. Online results show case information, not every document, and restricted cases are not shown.

In-person access

Visit the Hennepin County District Court listed on Find Courts to view or request records.

Fees

No fees are listed on this page. Ask the Court Administrator's office about copy costs before you request records.

How to Search Hennepin County Court Records Online

Use the statewide Access Case Records search to look up Hennepin County cases, and ask the court for documents that are not online.

  1. Identify the case type, such as criminal, traffic, civil, small claims, family law, probate, or juvenile.
  2. Open Access Case Records to search Minnesota public court case information.
  3. Search by party name or case number, and note the case number from the results.
  4. Review the case details for status, parties, and scheduled dates.
  5. Contact the Hennepin County District Court Court Administrator at the court contact on Find Courts to request documents that are not online.
Case TypeWhere to SearchWhat You'll FindLimits
CriminalAccess Case RecordsCase information and statusDocuments may require the court
TrafficAccess Case Records; pay at Pay FinesCase status and docket entriesPayment is separate from record search
CivilAccess Case RecordsCase information and partiesRestricted filings are not shown
Small claimsAccess Case RecordsCase information and partiesDocuments may require the court
Family lawAccess Case RecordsCase informationConfidential details are restricted
ProbateCourt Administrator's officeEstate case informationConfirm coverage with the court
JuvenileNot in the public searchNot publicly availableJuvenile records are confidential

How to Pay Fines & Citations in Hennepin County

Pay Hennepin County traffic citations and criminal fines through the options below, and contact the court with payment questions.

  1. Online: Pay fines through the statewide Pay Fines page.
  2. Court contact: Find the Hennepin County District Court phone number on Find Courts and ask about payment options.

Parking tickets are handled by the city or agency that issued them, not by the District Court.

Hennepin County Court Records FAQ

How do I search Hennepin County court records?

Use Access Case Records to search by name or case number, or find the court contact on Find Courts.

Are Hennepin County court records public?

Yes, most are, under the Minnesota Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch, but confidential and juvenile records are restricted.

How do I find a criminal case?

Search by name in Access Case Records or contact the court to confirm where the case is filed.

How do I find a court date?

Check your notice or ticket, or look up the case in Access Case Records.

How do I pay a traffic ticket?

Pay through the Pay Fines page, or contact the court for payment options.

How many cases are filed in Hennepin County each year?

Court filing counts for Hennepin County are not published on this page. The county population was 1,284,784 in 2025.

What is the most common type of case?

Case-type filing shares for Hennepin County are not published on this page. The District Court hears criminal, civil, family, probate, and juvenile cases.

Is crime rising or falling?

County crime counts are not available here. Statewide, reported violent crimes fell 12.2% to 13,177 in 2025 from 15,013 in 2024, and property crimes fell 11.6% to 83,199 from 94,130, as reported to the FBI. These are Minnesota statewide figures, and reporting coverage changed between years.