| District Court Administration | Stearns County District Court Administration |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Stearns County Courthouse, 725 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud, MN 56303 (civil, family, juvenile, jury). Criminal, traffic, and fine payments: 815 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud, MN 56303 |
| Phone | (320) 656-3620 (main); fax (320) 656-3626 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | No fee for an uncertified (plain) copy of a court document (Minn. Stat. § 357.021, subd. 2(2)) |
| Certified copy fee | $14.00 per document, certified or exemplified (Minn. Stat. § 357.021, subd. 2(2) and 2(14)) |
Stearns County, anchored by St. Cloud in central Minnesota, is part of the Seventh Judicial District, a ten-county district that runs from the St. Cloud area northwest toward Moorhead. As in every Minnesota county, a single unified District Court handles civil, criminal, traffic, family, probate, and juvenile matters, and the District Court Administrator in St. Cloud keeps all of those files.
Court administration in Stearns County is split between two buildings on Courthouse Square in St. Cloud. The historic Stearns County Courthouse at 725 Courthouse Square houses civil, family, juvenile, and jury services, while 815 Courthouse Square handles criminal, traffic, and fine payments. Both share the same main phone and fax numbers, so a records request for a criminal file and one for a divorce decree go to different counters but the same office.
Note that St. Cloud itself straddles three counties — Stearns, Benton, and Sherburne — so a case that arose in the St. Cloud area is not necessarily a Stearns County case. Case numbers in Stearns County begin with the prefix 73; if a case number starts with 05 (Benton) or 71 (Sherburne), it belongs to a neighboring county's court.
Search Stearns County court records online
District Court Administration
Stearns County District Court Administration
- Cost
- Free case search on MCRO; no fee for plain copies, $14 per document for certified copies
- Coverage
- All Seventh Judicial District case types filed in Stearns County — civil, criminal, traffic, family, probate, and juvenile
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
Court Administrator is George Lock. Civil, family, juvenile, and jury are at 725 Courthouse Square; criminal, traffic, and fine payments are at 815 Courthouse Square.
What is available online
Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) covers Stearns County civil, criminal, family, and probate case information statewide, with documents generally available for cases filed on or after July 1, 2015. Domestic abuse, harassment, CHIPS, and serious juvenile-delinquency cases are excluded from MCRO regardless of filing date and must be checked directly with court administration. Stearns County posts its own court forms page and courtroom assignment list on its court website, and a county-specific court fee page that reflects any local law library fee added to the state base amounts.
Which clerk has your record
In Minnesota, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Minnesota page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| District Court (10 judicial districts) | Felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other family cases; Civil suits of any amount, including business and property disputes | District Court Administrator of the county |
| Conciliation Court (small claims division of District Court) | Small claims up to the statutory limit; Individual and business disputes without an attorney | District Court Administrator of the county |
Request records in person or by mail
Stearns County clerk offices
Stearns County Courthouse, 725 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud, MN 56303 (civil, family, juvenile, jury). Criminal, traffic, and fine payments: 815 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud, MN 56303
Phone: (320) 656-3620 (main); fax (320) 656-3626
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
In person. Go to the counter that matches the case type. Civil, family, juvenile, and probate files are at the Stearns County Courthouse, 725 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud; criminal and traffic files are at 815 Courthouse Square. Both are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and closed on state court holidays (including the day after Thanksgiving in lieu of Columbus Day). Plain copies are free; certified copies are $14 per document, paid at the counter.
By mail. Write to Stearns County Court Administration, 725 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud, MN 56303. Include the case number (or the parties' names and approximate filing year), the document you need, whether you want a plain or certified copy, and a check or money order payable to "District Court Administrator." Call (320) 656-3620 first to confirm the total, since Stearns publishes its own fee page that may include a county law library fee.
Online. Search MCRO for case information and download available documents at no cost. Stearns County also maintains a court-forms page for local forms and a courtroom-assignment page that shows which judge sits in which courtroom, both linked from the county court page.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | No fee for an uncertified (plain) copy of a court document (Minn. Stat. § 357.021, subd. 2(2)) |
| Certified copy | $14.00 per document, certified or exemplified (Minn. Stat. § 357.021, subd. 2(2) and 2(14)) |
Base fees are set by Minn. Stat. § 357.021 and published in the Minnesota Court Fees catalog; individual counties may add a law library fee on top of the state base fee, so the total at a specific courthouse can be slightly higher. Confirm the county total before mailing payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Minnesota court records are open to the public under the Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch, but several categories are not available in any public search:
The Minnesota guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I go for a Stearns County criminal case file?
Criminal, traffic, and fine-payment matters are handled at 815 Courthouse Square in St. Cloud, not the main courthouse at 725 Courthouse Square, which houses civil, family, juvenile, and jury services. Both share the main line at (320) 656-3620.
Is my St. Cloud case in Stearns County?
Not necessarily. St. Cloud spans Stearns, Benton, and Sherburne counties. Stearns County case numbers start with 73; a number starting with 05 is Benton and 71 is Sherburne, each with its own court administration office.
Can I search Stearns County court records online for free?
Yes. Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) is free and covers most civil, criminal, family, and probate cases filed in Stearns County. Confidential case types such as juvenile and domestic-abuse matters are excluded.
How much is a certified copy of a Stearns County court record?
Generally $14 per document under Minn. Stat. § 357.021, with no fee for plain copies. Stearns County publishes its own court fee page; confirm the total with court administration before mailing payment.
Sources
- Stearns County District Court — https://mncourts.gov/find-courts/stearns
- Stearns County District Court — Court Fees — https://mncourts.gov/find-courts/stearns/court-fees
- Minnesota Courts — Copy Requests — https://mncourts.gov/help-topics/copy-request
- Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) — https://publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/CaseSearch
- Minnesota Judicial Branch — About the Courts — https://mncourts.gov/about-the-courts
- Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) — Overview — https://mncourts.gov/access-case-records/mcro
- Minnesota BCA Public Criminal History Search — https://chs.state.mn.us/
- Minnesota Appellate Courts Case Management System (P-MACS) Public Search — https://macsnc.courts.state.mn.us/ctrack/publicLogin.do
- Clerk of the Appellate Courts — https://mncourts.gov/clerk-of-appellate-courts
- Minnesota Courts — District Court Fees — https://mncourts.gov/Help-Topics/Court-Fees/District-Court-Fees.aspx
- Minn. Stat. Chapter 609A — Expungement — https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/609A/full
- Minn. Stat. § 357.021 — Court Administrator Fees — https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/357.021
- United States District Court, District of Minnesota — https://www.mnd.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Minnesota counties.