Benton County Criminal History Lookup
Benton County criminal history records are kept by the Sheriff's Office and the District Court in Foley. The county is part of the 7th Judicial District in central Minnesota and has about 40,000 residents. If you need to search a criminal case, confirm an arrest, or find out about a person's record in Benton County, this page covers the agencies and online tools that make that possible.
Benton County Overview
Benton County Sheriff and Criminal History Search
The Benton County Sheriff's Office is at 581 Minnesota Avenue in Foley. The main number is (320) 968-7201. The Sheriff provides law enforcement for the county and maintains records on arrests and incidents. The department's website is at co.benton.mn.us. If you need to ask about a criminal record or confirm whether someone was arrested in Benton County, calling the Sheriff during business hours is a reasonable first step.
Minnesota's open records law at Minn. Stat. § 13.82 makes arrest data public. The Sheriff can release the name of a person arrested, the date, the location, and the charges. Information that is part of an active or sensitive investigation may be held back. For more detailed records or for certified criminal history reports, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is the right office. The BCA is at bca.dps.mn.gov and can be reached at (651) 793-2400.
For criminal history data on a specific individual, the BCA's background check service at dps.mn.gov is the official source. This is the most complete database for Minnesota criminal records and includes cases from Benton County going back many years.
Note: The Sheriff's Office handles arrest records and incident data. Formal certified criminal history reports come from the BCA, not the local sheriff.
Benton County District Court Criminal Records and MCRO
The Benton County District Court is at 615 Highway 23 in Foley and can be reached at (320) 968-5205. It is part of the 7th Judicial District. All criminal cases filed in Benton County go through this court. Case files here include charges, court orders, hearing dates, and final outcomes. You can request copies in person or search online using the state's free portal. The court is open Monday through Friday during regular business hours.
Minnesota Court Records Online, or MCRO, is free to use and covers Benton County criminal cases. You can search at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us by name or case number. The system shows charges, docket entries, case status, and how the case ended. Not every document in the file is available online, but MCRO is a solid starting point. Sealed records and juvenile cases do not appear in the public system.
The MCRO portal is shown below. It covers Benton County along with every other county in Minnesota.
Search Benton County criminal cases for free at Minnesota Court Records Online.
| Court | Benton County District Court - 7th Judicial District |
|---|---|
| Address | 615 Highway 23, Foley, MN 56329 |
| Phone | (320) 968-5205 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | mncourts.gov - Benton County |
The Benton County court listing on the Minnesota Courts site is shown below with local hours and contact details.
Visit the Benton County court page on mncourts.gov for full court contact details and resources.
Inmate Search and Custody Status in Benton County
VINE Link provides free public access to custody status information for Benton County. This national service tracks jail and prison populations across Minnesota, including Benton County's facility. You can search by name at vinelink.com. VINE Link also lets you register for notifications, so you get an alert when someone's custody status changes. This is helpful if you are following up on a release date or monitoring a specific person's incarceration status.
For direct questions about the Benton County jail, call the Sheriff at (320) 968-7201. Staff can confirm whether someone is currently in custody and provide basic booking information. If you are looking for someone in state prison, use the Minnesota DOC Offender Locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us instead of the county jail line.
The VINE Link portal for inmate tracking is shown below.
Use VINE Link to check custody status for people held in Benton County and sign up for release notifications.
Expungement of Criminal History in Benton County
If you have a criminal record in Benton County, Minnesota law may allow you to have it sealed. The main law covering expungement is Minn. Stat. § 609A.02. The statute lists what types of offenses qualify, what waiting periods apply, and what the court considers when deciding whether to grant a seal. Lesser offenses like petty misdemeanors typically have shorter waiting periods. More serious felonies require a longer wait and are harder to seal.
To start the process in Benton County, you file a petition at the District Court at 615 Highway 23 in Foley. The court sends notice to all agencies that have a copy of the record, and those agencies can object. After a hearing, the judge decides. Some cases qualify for automatic sealing under Minn. Stat. § 609A.015. If your case was dismissed or you were acquitted, you may not need to file a full petition at all.
Self-help guides for expungement are at mncourts.gov. Regional legal aid offices can also walk you through the process and help you determine whether you qualify before you spend time filing paperwork.
Cities in Benton County
Benton County is in central Minnesota with the county seat in Foley. All criminal cases from cities and townships throughout the county are handled at the Benton County District Court.
No cities in Benton County meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. Residents of all cities and townships within the county access criminal records and case information through the county-level offices and tools described above.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Benton County. If a case was filed in a neighboring county, contact that county's court or sheriff for records.