Lincoln County Criminal History Records

Lincoln County criminal history records are maintained by the Sheriff's Office and the District Court in Ivanhoe, Minnesota. Lincoln County is a small, rural county in southwestern Minnesota, and its criminal records are handled by a compact local Sheriff's Office and court system. The Sheriff's Office manages arrest records and jail bookings. Court case records are available for free through Minnesota Court Records Online. This page explains how to find Lincoln County criminal records, how to get a statewide background check through the BCA, and what the expungement process requires for cases filed in this county.

Lincoln County Sheriff Criminal Records

The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office is led by Sheriff Bob Bushman. The physical office is at 322 N. Wallace St. in Ivanhoe. The mailing address is 319 N. Rebecca, PO Box 79, Ivanhoe, MN 56142. The main phone number is (507) 694-1664. The fax is (507) 694-1325. The Sheriff's Office can be found online at co.lincoln.mn.us/departments_agencies/sheriff/index.php. The office handles all arrests, incident reports, and law enforcement criminal history for Lincoln County.

The Lincoln County jail was built in 2001 and has capacity for up to 15 inmates. It is operated by the Sheriff's Office. For the most current information on who is in custody at the Lincoln County jail, call the Sheriff's Office directly at (507) 694-1664. There is no public online inmate roster for Lincoln County, so a phone call is the best way to check custody status for a specific person.

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

Lincoln County Court Records and MCRO

The Lincoln County District Court handles all criminal cases filed in the county and is part of the 5th Judicial District. The court phone is (507) 694-1529. For court contact details, hours, and filing information, visit the Minnesota Courts website. The clerk's office can help you locate a specific case by name or case number and can accept requests for certified copies. For older cases not yet in the online system, contact the clerk's office directly in Ivanhoe.

Criminal case records in Lincoln County are searchable for free through Minnesota Court Records Online. MCRO lets you look up cases by name or case number and returns 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 official copies are needed, contact the District Court clerk in Ivanhoe.

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

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

The Minnesota Courts site also lists forms and self-help resources that apply to criminal cases filed in Lincoln County.

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

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

MCRO is updated by court staff and covers all Minnesota counties including Lincoln County, with results that include charges and case status.

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 Lincoln. 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.

For a county as small as Lincoln, the BCA is especially valuable because it gives a statewide view that covers activity in other counties where the person may have lived or had contact with law enforcement. The $15 certified report is needed for licensed occupations, volunteer positions with children, and similar roles. Individuals can also order their own BCA criminal history to review what appears before applying for work or housing. The BCA report covers Lincoln County as part of the statewide record, so a single BCA check is more thorough than searching only the local court or Sheriff.

For people who may be in a DOC facility rather than the Lincoln 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 Lincoln County

Expungement seals a criminal record from public access in Minnesota. The main statute is Minnesota Statute 609A.02, which defines who can petition and what cases qualify. For a Lincoln County criminal record, the petition is filed at the Lincoln County District Court in Ivanhoe. The process requires a formal petition, notice to the BCA and all agencies that hold the record, and a court hearing where a judge decides whether to grant the request.

Minnesota also provides automatic expungement under Minnesota Statute 609A.015. Cases that ended with a stay of adjudication, a diversion completion, or a dismissal may be sealed automatically without the defendant needing to file anything. Serious offenses are excluded from both the automatic process and the petition process. After expungement, the record is removed from MCRO and most public background check systems. Expungement forms are at the Ivanhoe courthouse or on the Minnesota Courts website. If you are not sure whether your case qualifies, consult with a legal aid attorney or a private attorney familiar with Minnesota expungement law.

Victim Notification: VINE Link

VINE Link is a free statewide service that tracks custody status in Minnesota jails and prisons, including the Lincoln County jail. 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. Registration is free and does not require explanation. VINE covers Lincoln County alongside all other Minnesota detention facilities.

Because Lincoln County does not maintain a public online jail roster, VINE is especially useful for anyone who needs to track custody status without making repeated calls to the Sheriff's Office.

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

VINE sends alerts the moment custody status changes, making it a reliable way to stay informed about someone's location in a Lincoln County or state facility.

Cities in Lincoln County

Lincoln County is a rural county in southwestern Minnesota. No cities in the county exceed the population threshold for individual city pages. Ivanhoe is the county seat and the location of both the Sheriff's Office and the District Court. All criminal cases filed in Lincoln County are processed by the District Court in Ivanhoe as part of the 5th Judicial District.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Lincoln County. Each maintains its own criminal records through a local Sheriff's Office and District Court.