Access Koochiching County Criminal History

Koochiching County criminal history records are held by the Sheriff's Office and the District Court in International Falls, Minnesota. The Sheriff's Office maintains a publicly available jail roster that is updated regularly and includes mugshots and charges. In early 2026, Koochiching County opened a new $20 million jail facility with a 40-bed capacity, replacing the previous detention infrastructure. Court case records are available for free through the Minnesota Court Records Online system. This page covers how to find criminal records in Koochiching County, how to use the jail roster, how to get a statewide background check through the BCA, and what the expungement process looks like for cases filed in this county.

Koochiching County Sheriff Criminal Records

The Koochiching County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the county, led by Sheriff Perryn Hedlund. The office is at 715 4th Street in International Falls. The main phone is (218) 283-4416. The fax is (218) 283-7004. The Sheriff's Office handles all arrests, incident reports, and local criminal history records for Koochiching County. It is the first place to contact for questions about arrests or who may be in the county jail.

Koochiching County maintains a public jail roster available as a PDF at parcelinfo.com/pidatafiles/koochiching/JRR/KCJ_Jail_Roster.pdf. The roster is updated regularly and includes current inmates with mugshots and charge information. This gives a real-time look at who is being held in the county jail. If you need to confirm custody between updates, call the Sheriff's Office directly.

In early 2026, Koochiching County opened a new $20 million jail facility with a 40-bed capacity. The new facility replaces older infrastructure and brings improved conditions and capacity for the county's detention needs. This is a notable update for anyone tracking criminal justice operations in Koochiching County.

Under Minnesota Statute 13.82, law enforcement must disclose the name of any person arrested, the arrest date, the charges, and the arresting agency. The Koochiching County Sheriff's Office will provide this information upon request. Records tied to active investigations or juvenile defendants may be withheld.

Koochiching County Court Records and MCRO

The Koochiching County District Court handles all criminal cases filed in the county and is part of the 9th Judicial District. The court phone is (218) 283-4424. For court contact details, filing information, and hours, visit the Minnesota Courts website. The clerk's office can assist with locating cases and accepting requests for certified copies of court documents.

Criminal case records in Koochiching County are searchable for free through Minnesota Court Records Online. MCRO lets you search by name or case number and shows charges, hearing dates, case status, and disposition. Under Minnesota Statute 13.87, criminal history held by courts is public for up to 15 years. Sealed or expunged records will not appear. For cases not found online, or when you need official copies, contact the District Court clerk in International Falls directly.

The Minnesota Courts website provides location and contact details for the Koochiching County District Court.

Visit mncourts.gov/Find-Courts/Koochiching.aspx for court contact information, hours, and filing details for the Koochiching County District Court in International Falls.

The Minnesota Courts site also provides self-help resources and forms applicable to criminal cases in Koochiching County.

MCRO is the free search tool for all criminal case records from the Koochiching County District Court.

Use Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) to search Koochiching County court records by name or case number at no cost.

MCRO is the standard free tool for court case records in Koochiching County and all other Minnesota counties.

Background Checks and BCA Criminal History

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension manages the statewide criminal history database. A BCA background check pulls data from courts, law enforcement agencies, and corrections facilities across all Minnesota counties, including Koochiching. The free public search is at cch.state.mn.us and shows only the public portion of a record. A complete certified background check costs $15 and is available at dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca/Pages/background-checks.aspx.

The $15 certified report is the standard for licensed jobs, volunteer work with children, and other regulated positions. Individuals can also request their own BCA criminal history to review it before a job or housing application. The BCA covers Koochiching County as part of the statewide database, giving a broader result than the jail roster or MCRO alone. The BCA is particularly useful here because Koochiching County borders Canada, and some individuals may have records from multiple jurisdictions that the local tools will not capture.

For people who may be in a DOC facility rather than the Koochiching County jail, the Minnesota Department of Corrections offender locator is at coms.doc.state.mn.us/publicviewer/. This covers state prison facilities only.

Expungement in Koochiching County

Expungement seals a criminal record from public access in Minnesota. The governing statute is Minnesota Statute 609A.02, which defines who can petition and what cases qualify. For a Koochiching County criminal record, the petition is filed at the Koochiching County District Court in International Falls. The process requires a formal petition, notice to the BCA and all agencies holding the record, and a court hearing where a judge decides the outcome.

Minnesota also has an automatic expungement process under Minnesota Statute 609A.015. Certain case outcomes trigger automatic sealing without any action from the defendant. This applies to cases that ended with a stay of adjudication, a diversion completion, or a dismissal. If your case qualifies, the court handles the sealing automatically. Serious offenses are excluded. Expungement forms and instructions are at the International Falls courthouse or on the Minnesota Courts website. After expungement, the record is removed from MCRO and most public background check systems.

Victim Notification: VINE Link

VINE Link is a free service that tracks custody status in Minnesota jails and prisons, including the new Koochiching County jail facility opened in 2026. It sends automatic alerts by phone, email, or text when an inmate is released, transferred, or changes status. Register at vinelink.com or call 1-877-664-8463. No explanation is required. VINE covers Koochiching County alongside all other Minnesota detention facilities.

VINE is shown below and is a reliable alternative to manually checking the jail roster PDF for custody status changes.

Visit VINE Link to register for free custody alerts for anyone held in a Minnesota facility including Koochiching County.

VINE alerts are sent the moment a custody change happens, covering the new Koochiching County jail as well as all DOC facilities.

Cities in Koochiching County

Koochiching County is a large, remote county in northern Minnesota along the Canadian border. International Falls is the county seat and the location of both the courthouse and the Sheriff's Office. No cities in Koochiching County exceed the population threshold for individual city pages. All criminal cases from across the county are handled by the Koochiching County District Court in International Falls.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Koochiching County. Each has its own Sheriff's Office and District Court handling criminal records in their area.