Scott County Court
Scott County Arrest Records

Scott County, Minnesota Arrest Records

Scott County arrest records show the highlighted details of a suspect’s apprehension within the county. It is usually created at the point of custody by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office or by local police departments like Shakopee Police Department and the Prior Lake Police Department (the two largest cities in Scott County). Arrest records grants citizens the freedom to inspect law enforcement activities and hold them accountable, which is its primary public interest purpose.

Citizens are allowed to view arrest records in Scott County by the authority of Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13 . Minn. Stat. 13.82 specifically highlights the category of arrest information that must be made public. Another statute provision that applies to arrest records in Scott County is the Minnesota Statutes Chapter 299C that governs the criminal offender data maintained by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Scott County, Minnesota?

Arrest records are considered as public records that should be available to any member of the public, not limited to Scott County residents. Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minn. Stat. 13.82 authorizes law enforcement to ensure the public disclosure and availability of arrest data. The statute mandates the disclosure of details such as time, date and place of the action, any resistance faced by the arresting agency, or the charge and arrest warrants for the action.

Individuals can request for arrest records by submitting a request to the Record Unit at the Scott County Sheriff’s Office through its online data request portal. However, a valid means of identification would be required only when the record requested is not classified as public e.g., information on an active investigation.

What Do Public Scott County Arrest Records Contain?

The moment a person is booked into custody and an arrest record is created, information on such a person's apprehension becomes a public record. The following are the elements found in a Scott County arrest record:

Mugshot
Full name of arrestee
Master Number Index (MNI) number
Sex
Age
Booking number
Intake date
Charges

While arrest records are generally considered public records, certain information pertaining to arrests are withheld from public viewing. They include:

Active investigation data is protected under Minn. Stat. 13.82
Audio recording of 911 call
Domestic abuse data protected under Minn. Stat. 629.341, subdivision 4
Juvenile records are generally confidential
Sealed or expunged records are undisclosed under Minn. Stat. 609A.03
Jail maintained information about the medical and mental health of inmates are private under Minn. Stat. 13.3805

Scott County, Minnesota Arrest Search

State and federal resources are made available for persons searching for Scott County arrest information. Asides county resources, the following state and federal resources exist:

1. State Resources

Minnesota Public Criminal History Search: The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) manages the Public Criminal History Search that enables users to search state records on criminal conviction. Search can be done by last name, first name, and date of birth.
Minnesota Department of Corrections: This is another state criminal data resource that individuals can use to locate inmates currently held and supervised by the Department of Corrections. Users can look up inmates by full name or by MNDOC Offender ID.
Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO): This also provides a statewide criminal database for criminal and civil case information

2. Federal Resources

Federal Bureau of Prisons: At federal level, the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Inmate Locator provides information on currently incarcerated inmates in federal facilities in the state and the entire country.

Scott County Inmate Locator

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office website hosts a jail roster for citizens to access Scott County arrest records online. The jail roster displays information on individuals that are currently in custody at the Scott County Jail. So inmates cannot be searched automatically, they can only be viewed on the list. A more accurate and recent report can be obtained in person at the Scott County Sheriff’s Office at:

Scott County Sheriff’s Office

301 Fuller Street South,

Shakopee, MN, 55379

Phone: (952) 445-1411

(952) 496-8314 (Jail and Warrants)

Individuals can send requests through the Sheriff’s Online Data Request Portal in case they don’t find a booking record.

Active Warrant Search in Scott County

When a judge or law enforcement agency has probable cause to believe a crime has been committed or is about to be committed, an arrest warrant is the authorization issued by the court to take the alleged offender into custody. In Scott County, the Sheriff’s Office executes arrest warrants after it has been issued by the judges of the First Judicial District Court.

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office website doesn’t provide online details on warrants. For information on Scott County warrants, persons can call (952) 496-8314, or mail (letgsupport@co.scott.mn.us). The staff on duty can confirm the status of a warrant. Warrant information can also be obtained via the Minnesota Courts Case Search. Scott County arrest warrant contains information like the offender’s full name, date of birth, case number, and county of issuance.

Minn. Stat. 13.82 makes warrants public information in Scott County. However, public accessibility of warrants depends on the type of arrest warrants, e.g., pending arrest warrants are exempted from public inspection. The following are the criteria to look up active arrest warrants:

Full name
Date of birth
Crime
Court of issuance

Agency / Resource	Purpose	Search Methods	Notes
Scott County Sheriff’s Office	Serves and maintains active arrest warrants in Scott County	In-person: 301 Fuller Street South, Shakopee, MN, 55379 Phone: (952) 496-8314	It doesn’t have a live online warrant database. Call or visit the Warrants unit
Scott County District Court (1st Judicial District)	Issues warrants and keeps records of court case files	Online: Via the MNCIS case search In-person: 200 Fourth Ave. W, Shakopee	Case search is available at Minnesota Court Records Online
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA)	Hosts statewide criminal history record and warrant	Online: Through Minnesota Public Criminal History Search (CHS) Phone: (651) 793-2400	Search by last name, first name, and Date of birth. Also, fingerprint search is available for verified access
Minnesota Courts Case Search	Online access to statewide or county court filings	Online case search by name, date of birth, case category	Not specifically for warrants, but can be used to find criminal convictions

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Scott County

Members of the public are permitted under Minnesota law to inspect public arrest records at no cost. It can be done in-person and online:

Online Free Resources

Scott County Jail Roster: This is the most direct free tool that displays recently booked inmates. It also displays their charges, bail amounts and type. Users can just scroll through and find their intended names.
Minnesota Public Criminal History (CHS) Portal: Persons can use this statewide lookup portal that offers a name-based search for inmates held and supervised by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Users can search by last name, first name, and date of birth.

In-person Free Resources

Scott County Sheriff’s Office: Individuals can request to inspect arrest records for free at Scott County Sheriff’s Office during business hours. Only record copying fees apply. Below is the directory:

Scott County, Minnesota Sheriff’s Office

301 Fuller Street South,

Shakopee, MN, 55379

Phone: (952) 445-1411

Scott County District Court (1st Judicial District): Searchers can visit the Scott County District Court to inspect arrest reports during opening hours to inspect criminal records for free.

Scott County Courthouse

200 Fourth Avenue W.

Shakopee, MN 55379

Phone: (952) 496-8200

Scott County Arrest Report

An arrest record is a summary entry created in the agency’s custodial or case management system at the time of booking. It highlights key data points such as name, charges, arrest date, booking number, and bail amount. An arrest report on the contrary, is a narrative document authored by the arresting officer in the immediate aftermath of an arrest. It details the officer’s observations, the circumstances that led to the arrest, witness statements, evidence collected, and the probable cause determination.

In Scott County, copies of arrest reports must be obtained separately from the Scott County Sheriff’s Office Records Unit via its Online Data Request Portal, or from the relevant municipal police department (such as the Shakopee Police Department).

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Scott County

Minnesota law provides multiple pathways for expunging or sealing arrest records, all of which apply in Scott County. Expungement is governed by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 609A. Minnesota expungement does not destroy records, it seals them so they are no longer accessible to the public or most employers, as stated in Minn. Stat. § 609A.01.

The 2023 Minnesota Clean Slate Act (Minn. Stat. § 609A.015), effective January 1, 2025, introduced automatic expungement for qualifying records, eliminating the need to petition the court in many cases. The BCA reviews eligible records annually. Waiting periods vary. Dismissals and not-guilty outcomes carry no waiting period, petty misdemeanors and certain misdemeanors carry a one-year wait, gross misdemeanors carry two years, and eligible felonies carry five years from discharge of sentence.

For records not covered by automatic expungement, individuals may file a petition with the Scott County District Court under Minn. Stat. § 609A.02 and Minn. Stat. § 609A.03. The filing fee is currently $322, though waivers are available for those at or below 125% of the federal poverty level.

How Do You Remove Scott County Arrest Records From the Internet?

Expunging a record through the court does not automatically erase it from third-party websites or internet-based databases. The most effective approach is to begin with the formal legal remedy: obtain a court-ordered expungement or sealing under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 609A. Once an expungement order is granted, the BCA removes the record from its public-facing Criminal History System.