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    Court Records

    Trial Court Documents

    • District (county) Court files include pleadings/documents filed by the parties to the case and orders and findings from the court.
    • The public can review many district court records and determine what documents are available online through the Minnesota Judicial Branch Access Case Records page.  You will need to know the names of the parties or the court file number to pull up the court files online. 
    • The public can also access court documents from public access computer terminals at any Minnesota district (county) courthouse or at the Minnesota State Law Library. 
    • The availability of court records is governed by the Minnesota Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch.
    • Time periods for keeping court records and protocols for the transfer and/or destruction of court records is addressed in the District Court Retention Schedule. 

    Appeals Courts Documents

    • Court records from Minnesota Court of Appeals and Minnesota Supreme Court include pleadings/documents filed by the parties to the case (including petitions, statements of the case, and briefs) and orders and opinions from the court.
    • Online access to the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Minnesota Supreme Court opinions and case records is available through the public view of the Minnesota Appellate Courts Case Management System (P-MACS).
    • Documents that are not currently available on P-MACS may be viewed online using a public access computer terminal at any Minnesota district (county) courthouse or at the Minnesota State Law Library. 

    NOTE: By law or court order, some documents in a court file may be "confidential," "expunged," or "sealed" and cannot be viewed or copied.

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