Rock County Criminal History Records
Rock County criminal history records are held by the Sheriff's Office in Luverne and the 5th Judicial District Court. Rock County sits in the far southwest corner of Minnesota, bordering South Dakota and Iowa. All criminal matters for the county are handled through the Rock County Courthouse in Luverne. This page explains how to find arrest records, court case data, and state background check tools for Rock County, whether you are searching online or contacting local offices directly.
Rock County Overview
Rock County Sheriff and Arrest Records
The Rock County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the county. The office handles patrol, arrests, and jail operations, and it keeps records tied to those activities. The address is 1000 N. Blue Mound Ave., Luverne, MN 56156. The phone is (507) 283-5000 and the fax is (507) 283-5003. For questions about a specific arrest or person with ties to Rock County, calling the Sheriff is the right starting point. Staff can tell you what records the office holds and how to request them.
Under Minn. Stat. § 13.82, arrest data is public in Minnesota. Names, arrest times, charges, and locations of arrest are releasable on request. Data may be withheld only in narrow cases, such as when release could interfere with an active investigation or when a court order restricts access. For most requests, the basic arrest record is available through the Sheriff's Office without issue.
Rock County is a small rural county with limited online tools for criminal records. The Sheriff's Office does not appear to publish a public jail roster or warrant list online. For current inmate status, calling the jail directly at (507) 283-5000 is the most reliable method. VINE Link is also an option for checking custody status remotely. For court case records, MCRO gives statewide online access including Rock County cases.
| Office | Rock County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | 1000 N. Blue Mound Ave., Luverne, MN 56156 |
| Phone | (507) 283-5000 |
| Fax | (507) 283-5003 |
| District Court | Rock County Courthouse, Luverne, MN 56156 |
The Rock County District Court page on the Minnesota Courts website shows court hours, contact details, and resources for people looking up criminal cases in the county.
Visit mncourts.gov/Find-Courts/Rock for Rock County court information and contacts in Luverne.
District Court Records and MCRO Access
The Rock County District Court is part of the 5th Judicial District. The court manages criminal case filings and keeps official records for the county. All criminal charges filed in Rock County have their case files at the courthouse in Luverne. Court staff can take records requests during business hours. Because Rock County has limited online tools for local records, MCRO is often the most practical first step for anyone searching remotely.
Minnesota Court Records Online, known as MCRO, gives free public access to court cases across the state, Rock County included. You search by name or case number at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us. The system returns party names, charges, case status, and docket entries. Juvenile records, sealed cases, and some active investigation files are not available to the public. Most adult criminal cases going back many years are viewable at no cost. For Rock County, MCRO is the primary online tool for checking criminal case history.
Under Minn. Stat. § 13.82, certain criminal justice data is public. MCRO makes that data searchable from anywhere with internet access. For a county with limited local online tools, MCRO fills a significant gap.
The MCRO search interface is shown below. This is the tool you will use when searching Rock County criminal case records online.
Use Minnesota Court Records Online to search Rock County criminal cases free of charge.
BCA Background Checks for Rock County
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension manages the state's official criminal history database. The BCA collects records from courts and law enforcement statewide, Rock County included. Two public tools are available. The free access site at cch.state.mn.us shows conviction data for most adults with a Minnesota criminal record. A certified background check costs $15 and is available at dps.mn.gov. Certified checks use fingerprints and give more complete results than a name search alone.
Under Minn. Stat. § 13.87, criminal history data held by law enforcement is private in most situations. The BCA can release a person's own record on request. Third-party access is more restricted under state law. If you need a certified report or want to check your own record, the BCA is the right channel. Rock County courts do not issue official background reports, but MCRO provides public access at the case level.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections Offender Locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us covers people in state prison or on DOC supervision. This is a separate system from the county jail. If the person you need to find is in a state facility, the DOC locator is where to check. Both the BCA and DOC tools are free and publicly accessible.
Expungement of Rock County Criminal Records
Minnesota law lets people petition to seal certain criminal records. Minn. Stat. § 609A.02 covers who qualifies and which types of charges or convictions are eligible for sealing. Expungement does not erase a record. It limits public access. Law enforcement can still see sealed records in many cases, but public systems like MCRO will no longer show the case data. That matters for people who want to move past an old arrest or conviction.
To start the process in Rock County, you file a petition with the District Court in Luverne. The court reviews the charges, how long ago the case was closed, and whether sealing the record is in the interest of justice. You must meet waiting periods that vary by offense type. Under Minn. Stat. § 609A.015, some cases qualify for automatic sealing after a set time, with no petition required. The Rock County court clerk can help you figure out whether your case might be eligible for automatic sealing or whether you need to file a formal petition.
Legal aid organizations serve southwest Minnesota and can help with expungement paperwork. The Minnesota Courts self-help center at mncourts.gov has guides and forms for people who want to handle the process on their own.
VINE Link and Inmate Custody Status
VINE Link is a free national service for tracking inmate custody status at county jails and state facilities across Minnesota. You can search by name at vinelink.com to find out if someone is in custody in Rock County. VINE also lets you register for notifications when an inmate's custody status changes, including releases and transfers. For a small county without a public online jail roster, VINE is often the most convenient way to check custody status without calling the Sheriff directly.
The VINE interface for Rock County is shown below. This is what the site looks like when you begin a search or set up custody alerts.
Use VINE Link to search Rock County inmate status or register for custody change alerts.
Cities in Rock County
Rock County is a rural county in far southwest Minnesota. The county seat is Luverne, and other communities in the county include Hardwick, Hills, and Magnolia. All criminal cases in the county are filed and managed at the Rock County District Court in Luverne.
No cities in Rock County meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All county residents use the county-level courts and Sheriff's Office listed on this page.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Rock County. If you are not sure which county holds a record, check where the incident took place or where the person was living when the case was filed.