Search Mower County Criminal History

Mower County criminal history records are held by the Sheriff's Office and the District Court in Austin. If you need to find a criminal case, look up an arrest, or access court filings for someone in Mower County, this page points you to the right offices and online tools. The Minnesota Court Records Online system gives free public access to case data, and the Sheriff's Office can help with questions about local arrests and bookings.

Mower County Sheriff Criminal Records

The Mower County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the county and a main source of local criminal history data. The office is at 201 1st St NE in Austin. Call (507) 437-9400 during business hours. The jail line is (507) 437-9562 and the fax is (507) 437-9563. Deputies handle arrests throughout Mower County and maintain records on bookings and charges. The Sheriff works alongside Austin Police and other local agencies on criminal matters in the county.

Under Minn. Stat. § 13.82, arrest data in Minnesota is public. The name of the person arrested, the date and time, the location, and the charges filed are all required disclosures. Records tied to active investigations or sealed by court order may be withheld. For questions about a specific arrest or to find out what is available, contact the Sheriff's Office directly.

District Court Criminal Records

The Mower County District Court is part of the 3rd Judicial District and sits at 201 2nd Ave NE in Austin. This court handles all criminal case filings for the county, stores official records, and provides access to those records for the public. Every criminal charge filed in Mower County results in a court file kept at this location. Court staff can assist with record searches, copy requests, and questions about how to access specific case materials.

Minnesota Court Records Online, or MCRO, is the state's free public portal for court case data. You can use it to search Mower County criminal cases by name or case number without making a trip to the courthouse. Results include party names, charges, case status, and docket entries. Some records are restricted in the system, including juvenile cases and matters where a judge has entered a confidentiality order. For the large majority of adult criminal cases in Mower County, MCRO provides detailed information going back many years. Search at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us.

The Mower County District Court page on the Minnesota Courts website is shown below, sourced from mncourts.gov.

Visit the Mower County court page on mncourts.gov for hours, contact numbers, and case search links.

The Minnesota Court Records Online search portal is shown below, captured from publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us.

Use Minnesota Court Records Online to search Mower County criminal cases at no cost.

Background Checks and BCA Criminal History

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension manages the state's criminal history database, which includes records from all Minnesota counties, including Mower. Two public tools are available. The free Criminal History Search at cch.state.mn.us shows conviction records and open cases for most adults in Minnesota. For a more thorough certified report, the $15 paid BCA background check is available at dps.mn.gov. That certified report covers more than the free search and is useful when you need an official result.

Under Minn. Stat. § 13.87, criminal history data held by law enforcement is classified as private. People have a right to request their own records from the BCA. Third-party access requires a specific legal basis. MCRO court data is public for case-level searches and does not carry the same restrictions. For people serving state prison sentences, the Minnesota DOC Offender Locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us is free and covers all DOC facilities by name or offender ID. To check the Mower County Jail directly, call the jail line at (507) 437-9562.

Expungement

If you have a criminal record from a case in Mower County, Minnesota law allows you to petition the court to have that record sealed. The governing statute is Minn. Stat. § 609A.02, which sets eligibility rules based on the type of offense, how the case ended, and how much time has passed. Expungement does not delete the record. It limits who can see it. Law enforcement and certain government agencies still have access to sealed records under specific circumstances.

To petition for expungement in Mower County, you file with the District Court at 201 2nd Ave NE in Austin. The court weighs the nature of the offense against the benefit of sealing. Cases dismissed or resolved with a not-guilty finding may qualify for automatic sealing under Minn. Stat. § 609A.015, which does not require a full petition. Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services can help Mower County residents with eligibility questions and filing. The Minnesota Courts self-help page at mncourts.gov has free forms and step-by-step guides.

VINE Link

VINE Link is a free national service for tracking inmate custody status. It covers the Mower County Jail in Austin as well as state prison facilities in Minnesota. Go to vinelink.com and search by name to check current custody status. You can also register to receive automatic alerts when an inmate's status changes, such as a release or transfer. The service is free and notifications are available by phone, text, or email. The VINE Link portal is shown below, sourced from vinelink.com.

Use VINE Link to look up inmate custody status or sign up for release alerts in Mower County.

Cities in Mower County

Mower County is in the southeastern corner of Minnesota. The county seat is Austin, which is the largest city in the county. All criminal cases from communities throughout Mower County are filed and heard at the District Court in Austin.

There are no cities in Mower County that meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All Mower County residents search and access criminal history records through the county-level offices and online tools listed above.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Mower County. If you are looking for a criminal record and are unsure which county holds the case, check where the offense occurred or where the person was living at the time of the arrest.