How to Look Up Arrest Records in Pope County, Minnesota

There is no single place to see every arrest in Pope County. You check three official sources, each covering a different stage: the jail roster for recent bookings, the courts for charges and outcomes, and the state for convictions. All three are free.

Last reviewed October 31, 2026

1. Check whether someone is in jail right now

• Pope County doesn't post an online jail roster. Call the sheriff's office at 320-634-5411. Office hours are weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and dispatch is always staffed.

Without an online roster, the phone is the fastest way to confirm a recent arrest. Have the person's full name and date of birth ready. If charges were filed, the court case is the next place to look.

2. Search the court case

OfficialMinnesota Court Records Online (MCRO)

Once charges are filed, the case moves to Pope County District Court. MCRO is the Minnesota Judicial Branch's free statewide search. It covers Pope County along with every other district court in the state, so one search finds cases filed anywhere in Minnesota.

• Case Search finds cases by name or case number and shows the register of actions: charges, hearings, and how the case ended.
• Hearing Search shows upcoming court dates.
• Document Search pulls public filings, but only when you have the case number.

One big limit: a pending criminal case won't come up when you search the defendant's name online. Name searches only find criminal cases that ended in a conviction. For an open case, search by case number (it's on the citation or charging paperwork), or use the public access terminals at the courthouse in Glenwood, which search statewide records and show more than the website does.

3. Check conviction history

OfficialMinnesota Public Criminal History Search (BCA)

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension runs the state's free public criminal history search. You need the person's first name, last name, and date of birth. It shows convictions, the court, the sentence, and the level of offense (felony, gross misdemeanor, and so on).

It does not show arrests that never led to a conviction, juvenile records, out-of-state or federal cases, or convictions where the sentence ended more than 15 years ago. That is why a clean BCA result does not mean a person was never arrested.

Booking photos (mugshots)

Under Minnesota law, booking photos are generally public data, though an agency can hold one back temporarily if releasing it would hurt an active investigation (Minn. Stat. § 13.82, subd. 26). Arrest Registry does not post booking photos. To request one, contact the Pope County Sheriff's Office directly.

What an arrest record does and doesn't tell you

An arrest means police had probable cause to take someone into custody. It is not a finding of guilt. Plenty of bookings end with charges dropped, reduced, or dismissed, so read the court record before drawing conclusions.

Minnesota's Clean Slate Act, in effect since January 1, 2025, also seals many records automatically, including dismissed cases and certain lower-level convictions after a crime-free waiting period. Once a record is expunged it drops out of public view. See our guide to Minnesota expungement for who qualifies.

Helpful guides

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