How to Search Washington County Court Records
Most public Washington County court records sit inside Minnesota Court Records Online, also called MCRO. The Minnesota Judicial Branch runs the portal and offers four search tabs. Case Search runs lookups by party name, business name, attorney name, case number, citation number, or attorney bar number. Document Search pulls public PDFs by case number. Hearing Search lists scheduled hearings. Judgment Search finds docketed money judgments by debtor name.
Before you start, decide what you hold. A case number gives the most precise result. A citation number works for payable traffic and minor matters. A name works for a broad search, though pending criminal cases with no conviction will not return by defendant name. The MCRO overview on the Judicial Branch site explains the tabs, the document rules, and the public-access warnings.
That overview also lists which document types post online based on case category and filing date.
- Open MCRO Case Search and accept the terms after reading the warnings.
- Pick a tab. Case Search for the broadest run, Document Search when you have a case number, Hearing Search for court dates, or Judgment Search for money judgments.
- Open Court Locations, switch from Statewide to County, find Washington in the list, and check the box.
- Set the case categories. Civil, Criminal, Family, and Probate or Mental Health all start checked. Uncheck any you do not need.
- Enter Last Name and First Name for a person search. Add a middle name, date of birth, or filing date to narrow common names. Use Sounds Like when spelling is uncertain.
- Click Search, then open a case to read the Register of Actions, hearings, parties, and public PDFs.
- If a case is sealed, family, juvenile, or pending criminal, search by case or citation number, or call Court Administration at 651-413-8030, option 6.
MCRO is free, but the Judicial Branch warns that it is not the official, certified court record.
Washington County Court Records Search Fields
MCRO Case Search exposes a long set of fields. Each tab swaps in slightly different inputs. Person-name search uses Last and First Name. Business-name search swaps in a business name. Attorney search takes an attorney name or a Minnesota license number. The table below lists the main fields and how they behave for a Washington County search.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search tab | Tab | Yes | Name, Case Number, Citation Number, Attorney. |
| Name type | Tab | Conditional | Person or Business. |
| Sounds Like | Checkbox | No | Returns similar names; wildcards not allowed with it. |
| Last Name | Text | Yes | Required for person-name search. |
| First Name | Text | Yes | Required for person-name search. |
| Middle Name | Text | No | Narrows common names. |
| Date of Birth | Date or range | No | On exact date or range; MM/DD/YYYY. |
| Date Filed | Date or range | No | On exact date or range. |
| Case Category | Checkboxes | No | Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate or Mental Health. |
| Case Status | Dropdown | No | All, Active, Inactive. |
| Court Locations | Radio plus checkboxes | No | Statewide or County; Washington carries value 196. |
Document Search needs only a case number and a click on Find Documents. Hearing Search takes the same name and case inputs and adds a judicial officer filter. Judgment Search takes a debtor name.
Document Search is the fastest way to pull a specific public PDF when you already hold the case number.
Types of Washington County Court Records
Washington County District Court holds the file on every state trial matter for the county. MCRO sorts the cases into four broad categories. Some matters do not show online at all, and some only show court-prepared documents.
Documents filed on or after July 1, 2015, are online for major and minor criminal and civil cases and for formal probate, other probate, guardianship and conservatorship, and trust cases. Family cases show only orders, opinions, and court notices online. The right office depends on the record type, so use the page links below for depth.
- Civil cases: lawsuits, conciliation court (small claims), evictions, name changes, and money judgments.
- Criminal cases: petty misdemeanor, misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, and felony filings with charges, dispositions, and sentences. See arrest records.
- Family cases: divorce, custody, child support, and paternity. Remote document access is limited.
- Probate cases: formal probate, other probate, guardianship, conservatorship, and trust files. See probate records.
- Traffic cases: citations and payable matters processed in District Court. The traffic court records page covers them in depth.
- Juvenile cases: delinquency and child protection files; many are blocked from MCRO.
What Washington County Court Records Show
Each case file in MCRO opens with a header. It carries the case number, case caption, filing date, court location, case category, and case status. The Register of Actions lists every event in date order. Washington County case numbers usually start with the county code 82, then the case type, the filing year, and a sequence number, such as 82-CR for criminal or 82-PR for probate.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Court-issued ID, like 82-CV-YY-#### for a Washington County civil case. |
| Case Caption | Party names, such as State of Minnesota vs. Defendant or Petitioner vs. Respondent. |
| Filing Date | Date the case opened in District Court. |
| Case Category | Civil, Criminal, Family, or Probate and Mental Health. |
| Register of Actions | Date list of every filing, order, and event. |
| Hearings | Date, time, courtroom, and judicial officer when public. |
| Charges or Claims | Criminal counts with statute and level, or the civil claim type. |
| Disposition | Outcome on each charge or claim. |
| Judgment | Money judgment amount and any satisfaction. |
| Documents | Public PDFs available based on case type and filing date. |
Street addresses, Social Security numbers, account numbers, and many comment fields are redacted from the public view. Sealed, expunged, and protected case types do not appear. The full file and certified copies stay with Court Administration.
Public Access Framework for Washington County Court Records
Two systems drive record access in Washington County. County and Sheriff records sit under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Chapter 13. Court files sit under the Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch, adopted by the Supreme Court. The split is the reason a sheriff report request and a court document request follow different paths.
The default rule is access. Minn. Stat. § 13.03 opens public government data for inspection and allows reasonable copy fees. The court's Rules of Public Access govern court files, and Rule 8 limits what is available remotely. Courthouse public access terminals hold more complete electronic files than the remote portal does.
Note: Online court records are not the official court record; verify case details with Court Administration before relying on them in a filing.
The full text of the Data Practices Act sets out classifications, request rights, and remedies. Chapter 13 is the starting point for any non-court county record.
Section 13.90 confirms that judiciary records follow court rules rather than the Data Practices Act framework.
Records That Are Sealed or Confidential in Washington County
Several record types are off-limits to remote search. Civil commitment public documents, harassment orders, domestic abuse orders, child protection, and felony delinquency for ages 16 and older are blocked from MCRO. Juvenile delinquency files fall under Minn. Stat. § 260B.171. Adoption files are sealed under Minn. Stat. § 259.61. Expunged criminal files are sealed under Chapter 609A.
To seal a criminal record, a person files a petition in the case of origin and serves the agencies that hold copies. The Judicial Branch Criminal Expungement help topic walks through petition-based, automatic, mistaken-identity, prosecutor-agreed, and cannabis expungement. A sealed file drops out of public view, but expungement is never allowed where predatory offender registration applies.
Certified Copies and Court Records Fees
MCRO downloads cost nothing, but they are not certified. For a document a court will accept, order a certified copy from Court Administration. A certified copy of a Washington County court document is $14, and it can be made only from a file held in Washington County. Plain, uncertified copies are listed as no charge. Most requests are filled at the time of the request unless they involve many files or microfilm.
Court filing fees vary by case type and are set by the state, not the county. The Minnesota Judicial Branch posts the current schedule for district, appellate, and service fees.
Call Court Records at 651-413-8030, option 6, to confirm a copy charge and the accepted payment methods before you visit or mail a request.
Federal Court Records for Washington County
State court files and federal court files are separate. Federal cases from Washington County are heard by the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, and many local litigants use the federal courthouse at 316 North Robert Street in St. Paul. Federal records are searched through PACER, the national public access system, which covers district, appellate, and bankruptcy dockets.
PACER requires a free account, and the judiciary charges per-page fees that can change, so check the current rate before a long search. The PACER court lookup helps you find the right court.
The U.S. District Court site posts local rules, forms, and judge information for the District of Minnesota.
Electronic filing and case information for the district run through CM/ECF. The court information page lists the help desk at 866-325-4975.
Bankruptcy filings have their own court. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota handles consumer and business bankruptcy cases.
Appeals from the federal district court go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, which covers Minnesota and six other states.
For most everyday court records questions, MCRO and Court Administration are the right start. Use the federal tools only when the matter is a federal case.
In-Person Court Record Requests
For files that are not online, or for certified copies, visit Court Administration at the Washington County Courthouse. Counter staff can help with paper records, public access terminal use, and copy orders. Carry a government photo ID for private data tied to a named person. Most copy requests are completed while you wait.
Court Administration
Washington County Courthouse
14949 62nd Street North
Stillwater, MN 55082
651-413-8030, option 6
Mon-Fri 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
The mailing address for court filings and requests is Washington County Courthouse, 14949 62nd Street North, P.O. Box 3802, Stillwater, MN 55082. Call ahead to confirm the current fee before mailing payment.