Find Woodbury Police Records

Woodbury police records are public under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, and Woodbury Public Safety -- the department that handles both police and fire services -- processes requests for arrest data, incident reports, and other law enforcement documents for this Washington County city. Most basic arrest information is open to the public by state law, while active investigation data stays confidential until a case closes. This page explains how to request Woodbury police records, what they typically contain, and how to use statewide tools like MCRO and the BCA to search court records and criminal history data.

Woodbury Public Safety

Woodbury operates a combined public safety department that handles both police and fire services. This is sometimes called the Woodbury Police Department or Woodbury Public Safety depending on context. For records requests, contact the department through the city's main website or visit in person.

• City Website: www.woodburymn.gov

Use the city website to find the Public Safety section, which will have the department's address, phone number, records request hours, and any online intake forms for data practices requests. The site is updated regularly and is the best source for current contact details.

Woodbury City Website

The image below shows the Woodbury city homepage, which links to the Public Safety department and other city services. Start here to find police department contact information and data request options.

From the homepage, navigate to Departments and then Public Safety to find police records request information. The city may also list a direct phone number or email for data practices requests on that page.

How to Request Woodbury Police Records

Minnesota law gives any person the right to request public police records without explaining why. Here are the main ways to request records from Woodbury Public Safety.

In Person

Visit the Woodbury Public Safety building during business hours. Bring a photo ID. Staff will help you fill out a data practices request form. For basic arrest records or a specific incident report, in-person requests are often processed the same day if the case is closed. Bring any details you have, such as a date range or case number.

By Mail

Send a written data practices request to the Woodbury Public Safety department. Include the type of record, relevant dates or a case number, and your return address. If you are requesting records about yourself, include a copy of your ID. Check the city website for the current mailing address before sending your request.

Online

Go to www.woodburymn.gov and look for a data practices or records request form. Some Minnesota cities use shared platforms for online request intake. If Woodbury has an online option, it will typically generate an automated confirmation and allow you to track the status of your request.

Fees follow Minn. Stat. 13.03. Inspection of records is always free. Copies cost $0.25 per page for up to 100 pages. Requests over 100 pages may be billed at actual cost. You cannot be charged a search fee for routine records requests.

What Woodbury Police Records Include

Minnesota law is specific about what police must release. Under Minn. Stat. 13.82, the following data is public for any arrest or detention made by Woodbury Public Safety:

• Name of the arrested person
• Age, sex, and last known address
• Charges filed
• Date, time, and location of arrest
• Booking photo
• Whether the person was released or held

Incident reports may contain more detail, including officer narratives, witness contact information, and property descriptions. Parts tied to an active investigation are confidential until the investigation closes. Once a case is referred for prosecution or closed, most of the report becomes accessible.

Remember that an arrest record is not a conviction. To find out what happened in court, you need to check court records through MCRO or at the Washington County courthouse. Charges can be dropped, dismissed, or result in acquittal -- none of which shows on a basic arrest log.

Court Records: MCRO and the 10th Judicial District

Woodbury is in the 10th Judicial District, which covers Washington County and several other eastern Minnesota counties. Criminal cases filed in connection with Woodbury arrests go through Washington County District Court. You can search those cases for free using the Minnesota Court Records Online system at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us.

MCRO shows case filings, charges, hearing dates, and outcomes for cases across Minnesota. Search by name or case number. For documents not yet online, visit the Washington County Courthouse in Stillwater, which is the county seat. Court staff can pull physical case files and provide copies at the standard per-page fee.

Washington County is one of the faster-growing counties in Minnesota, and the courthouse in Stillwater handles a large volume of cases. If you are researching a recent case, it may take a few weeks before all documents appear in MCRO.

BCA Criminal History Checks

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension holds statewide criminal history data covering all Minnesota law enforcement agencies and courts. A BCA check is more comprehensive than a local records request because it includes arrests and convictions from anywhere in the state.

Under Minn. Stat. 13.87, criminal history records are private. The subject can access their own record. Certain employers and licensed organizations have specific access rights under state law, but general public access to another person's full history is not permitted.

To request a check, call the BCA at 651-793-2400, option 7, or visit the BCA background checks page online. The BCA processes both name-based and fingerprint-based checks. If you need the most accurate result, fingerprint checks are the better option because they do not depend on name spelling consistency across records.

Your Rights Under Minnesota Data Practices Law

The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act governs how agencies like Woodbury Public Safety handle public data. Under Minn. Stat. 13.025, government data is presumed public unless a specific law classifies it as private or confidential. This means you start from a position of access, and the department must justify any denial.

Under Minn. Stat. 13.03, you can inspect public records at no charge during normal business hours. Copies cost a small per-page fee. If the records are about you, Minn. Stat. 13.04 gives you the additional right to know what data the department holds, how it uses that data, and who else has access. You can also challenge data you believe is inaccurate. Disputes about denied requests can be taken to the Minnesota Department of Administration.

Washington County Resources

Woodbury is in Washington County, which also has a sheriff's office that handles law enforcement in unincorporated parts of the county. If an incident occurred outside the Woodbury city boundary, the Washington County Sheriff may hold the relevant records. The sheriff's office is in Stillwater, the county seat.

Washington County is directly east of the Twin Cities metro and shares a border with Wisconsin. For cases that cross state lines or involve federal agencies, check with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota or search the federal court system through PACER at pacer.gov.

Washington County Police Records

Woodbury is in Washington County. Criminal cases from Woodbury arrests go through the Washington County District Court in the 10th Judicial District. County records can supplement what the city's public safety department holds, particularly for cases that went through the court system.

Nearby Cities

Other qualifying Minnesota cities near Woodbury have police records pages with local contact information and request procedures.