Goodhue County Police Records Search

Goodhue County police records are maintained by the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office in Red Wing and cover arrest data, incident reports, and law enforcement files for this southeastern Minnesota county along the Mississippi River. Records can be requested in person or by mail, court cases are searchable through Minnesota Court Records Online at no cost, and statewide criminal history is available through the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. This page covers how to request Goodhue County police records, what data Minnesota law requires agencies to release, and what rights you have under the Government Data Practices Act.

Goodhue County Sheriff's Office

The Goodhue County Sheriff's Office is located in Red Wing, the county seat of this southeastern Minnesota county that runs along the Mississippi River. The county has roughly 47,000 residents and includes both Red Wing and several smaller communities. The Sheriff patrols unincorporated areas of the county, maintains the county jail, and holds police records for incidents handled by county deputies.

Red Wing has its own police department that handles calls within city limits. Red Wing Police records stay with that department and are not held by the Sheriff. Cannon Falls and other cities in the county also maintain separate departments. Always confirm which agency responded to an incident before submitting a request. The Sheriff's Office can confirm which records it holds if you are not sure.

The Goodhue County homepage at co.goodhue.mn.us links to the Sheriff's Office and all other county departments, along with current contact details.

How to Request Goodhue County Police Records

The Goodhue County Sheriff's Office takes public records requests in person and by mail. In-person requests go to the office in Red Wing. For mail, send a written request to the Sheriff's Office at the Red Wing address and direct it to the Records Division.

No specific form is required. A clear written statement describing what you need is enough to open a request. Include a case number if you have one. That single piece of information makes it much easier for staff to find the right file. Without a case number, give the date and location of the incident and the names of anyone involved. Vague requests without identifying details may need clarification before the office can respond.

Under Minn. Stat. 13.03, in-person review of public records is free. Paper copies are 25 cents per page for the first 100 pages. Electronic records may carry a fee based on the actual cost to produce them. Every denial must be in writing and must cite the specific statute that makes the data nonpublic. A denial that fails to name a statute is not valid under the Government Data Practices Act.

Response timelines are set by law. Data subjects get 10 business days. Third-party requesters get 30 days. If you do not receive a response by the applicable deadline, follow up in writing and reference the statutory requirement.

What Goodhue County Police Records Are Public

All Minnesota law enforcement agencies are required to follow Minn. Stat. 13.82, which defines what police data must be released on request. The Goodhue County Sheriff's Office and every city department in the county are bound by these rules.

Public arrest data includes the time and date of the arrest, the location, and the name, age, sex, and home address of any adult taken into custody. The charges filed, whether a weapon was used, and whether the person was held or released are all public from the moment of arrest. You do not need to explain your purpose when requesting this data.

Incident data is also public. That means the type of call, where it happened, and which agency was on scene. Booking photos are public data under Minnesota law. 911 call transcripts are public. The audio recording of a 911 call is private, but the written transcript is not.

Private data includes juvenile records, victim identity in sexual assault and domestic violence cases, and information tied to active criminal investigations. When a case closes, some previously confidential data may become accessible. If you believe an investigation has ended and are still being told it is active, you can ask the agency directly whether it remains open. The agency must respond to that question.

Search Goodhue County Records Online

Two free state tools let you search records tied to Goodhue County from any internet-connected device without visiting Red Wing or filing a formal records request.

Minnesota Court Records Online is at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us. No account is required. Goodhue County cases are handled in the 1st Judicial District. Search by name or case number to see charges, case status, court dates, and final dispositions. MCRO does not show the full police report, but it gives you the case structure and the case number you need to make a specific records request to the Sheriff.

The BCA handles statewide criminal history. Visit the background checks page at dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca/Pages/background-checks.aspx or call 651-793-2400, option 7. The BCA database covers all Minnesota agencies, so a search pulls Goodhue County records alongside data from other counties in one query. Additional BCA services are listed at dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca.

Data Rights Under Minnesota Law in Goodhue County

The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act provides the legal foundation for public records access across every level of state and county government. The default is in Minn. Stat. 13.025: all government data is public unless a specific statute classifies it otherwise. The Goodhue County Sheriff's Office must have a valid legal basis for any denial.

The access and fee rules come from Minn. Stat. 13.03. Inspection is free. Copies are 25 cents per page up to 100 pages. Denials must be in writing and must name the statute. Response deadlines are 10 business days for data subjects and 30 days for third parties.

If you are the person the data is about, Minn. Stat. 13.04 gives you the right to find out what private data the government holds about you. When a government entity collects private data from you directly, it must issue a Tennessen Warning describing what is collected, why, who can see it, and the consequences of not providing it.

You can challenge data you believe is wrong. If the agency agrees, it corrects the record. If it does not, it must note your objection. Criminal history records follow additional access rules under Minn. Stat. 13.87, limiting who can obtain them and for what purpose. The Department of Public Safety at dps.mn.gov oversees statewide data programs and BCA services.

Court Records and Other Sources in Goodhue County

Police reports and court records are two separate things. The Sheriff holds police reports. The Court Administrator in Red Wing holds case filings and records for 1st Judicial District cases. If an arrest in Goodhue County led to charges, use MCRO to get the case number before you contact the Sheriff. A specific request with a case number processes much faster than a general one without it.

City police departments in Goodhue County, including Red Wing and Cannon Falls, maintain their own records. For incidents that happened within a city, contact that city's department directly. The Sheriff's Office does not hold city department files and cannot fulfill those requests on behalf of another agency.

For research that spans multiple subjects or multiple counties, the BCA is a more efficient tool than contacting each county separately. For a single incident in Goodhue County, the Sheriff or the relevant city department is where to start.

Cities in Goodhue County

Red Wing is the county seat and largest city in Goodhue County. Cannon Falls is another notable community in the county. No cities in Goodhue County meet the qualifying population threshold for individual city pages on this site. For police department contacts in Red Wing, Cannon Falls, and other communities, visit the Goodhue County website.

Nearby Counties

Goodhue County borders four other Minnesota counties. Police records for those areas are covered on their own pages: