Houston County Police Records
Houston County police records include arrest logs, incident reports, and law enforcement data held by the Sheriff's Office in Caledonia. State law gives you the right to inspect public records for free and to get copies at a set cost per page.
Houston County Overview
Houston County Sheriff's Office
The Houston County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the county and the main custodian of police records in the area. It serves a rural southeast Minnesota county bordered by Wisconsin and Iowa. Caledonia is the county seat where the Sheriff's main office is based.
Incidents that take place in the cities of Houston, La Crescent, Caledonia, and Spring Grove may involve city police in addition to the Sheriff. For records from those incidents, you may need to contact the city police department directly. The Sheriff handles most calls in unincorporated areas of the county.
| Address | 304 South Marshall Street, Caledonia, MN 55921 |
|---|---|
| Phone | See Website |
| Website | co.houston.mn.us/departments/sheriffs-office |
Visit the county's main site for current contact information, office hours, and links to all county departments.
The Houston County website connects you to the Sheriff's Office, Court Administration, and other offices that may hold records you need.
The county site lists all departments and direct contact information for records requests.
How to Request Houston County Police Records
You can request Houston County police records in person or by mail. Walk-in requests go to the Sheriff's Office at the Caledonia address. Mail requests to the same office and note that they are for the Records Division. Be as specific as you can.
A case number is the single most helpful piece of information you can include. It lets the office pull the right file fast. If you don't have a case number, give the date and location of the incident, the full names of people involved, and the type of call. Without this detail, a search can take longer or may return no results if the data is filed under a different name or date than you expect.
Under Minn. Stat. 13.03, you can inspect public government data at no cost. Paper copies cost 25 cents per page for the first 100 pages. If the agency denies your request, they must put it in writing and cite the specific statute that classifies the data as private or confidential. A vague refusal is not enough. You have ten days for a response if you are the subject of the data, and 30 days if you are not.
If you disagree with a denial, you have the right to challenge it. The Minnesota Department of Administration's Information Policy Analysis Division handles complaints about data practices violations and can issue formal opinions.
Houston County Arrest Records and What They Contain
Minnesota's Minn. Stat. 13.82 defines what law enforcement data is public across the state. Houston County follows these rules the same as every other county. Understanding what is public and what is not helps you know what to expect when you request records.
Public arrest data includes the date, time, and place of an arrest. It also includes the arrested person's name, age, sex, and address, along with the charges filed and whether a weapon was involved. Incident reports are public. You can see what type of incident took place, the general location, and which agency responded.
Booking photos are public data in Minnesota. You can request them from the Sheriff's Office. Active investigation records are confidential. Once a case becomes inactive, much of the data in it can be released. If you believe the case you are asking about has closed, state that in your request and ask whether the data has become public.
911 call transcripts are public. The audio recording is not. Juvenile records are protected. Victim identities in sexual assault and domestic violence cases are also protected and will not be released.
Note: Houston County police records for incidents handled by city police departments must be requested directly from those agencies, not the Sheriff's Office.
Houston County Court Records Online
Court records for Houston County cases are separate from Sheriff's Office records. The county is in the 3rd Judicial District. Court Administration for Houston County is in Caledonia at the courthouse. Court records cover criminal cases, civil disputes, and other matters heard in district court.
The Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) system is the public portal for searching court case indexes. You can search by name or case number. MCRO shows hearing schedules, case status, and some filed documents. Not all documents appear online. Some cases are sealed. For full access to a case file, go to Court Administration in person.
MCRO gives public access to court case indexes for Houston County and all Minnesota district courts.
A criminal case often produces both a Sheriff's Office arrest record and a court file. These are two different records held by two different offices. If you want the full picture, you may need records from both. Start with MCRO for the court side, then contact the Sheriff for the law enforcement side.
BCA Criminal History Checks for Houston County
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) holds the state's central criminal history database. This covers the entire state, not just Houston County. It includes convictions and dispositions from courts statewide.
Request a background check through the BCA background check program. You can call (651) 793-2400, option 7, or visit the BCA site for forms and current fees. Individuals can request a personal name-based record check to see what the state holds about them.
The BCA is part of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Its records are statewide, making it a useful tool when you are unsure which county a case was filed in or when you need a complete history that goes beyond one county.
Criminal history rules are set by Minn. Stat. 13.87. Access to some criminal history data is limited to authorized users. Public access is more restricted than for basic arrest data held by local agencies.
Minnesota Data Practices Act Rights in Houston County
The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA) gives every person the right to inspect and copy public government data. Minn. Stat. 13.025 sets the baseline: all government data is public unless a law says otherwise.
If you are the subject of a record, Minn. Stat. 13.04 gives you more rights. You can ask what data is held about you. You can request a correction if it is wrong. You have the right to get a Tennessen Warning when an agency collects data about you. That warning explains what the data will be used for and who will see it.
If the Houston County Sheriff's Office denies your request, ask for the denial in writing with the specific statute cited. If you believe the denial is wrong, file a complaint with the Minnesota Department of Administration. That office has the power to issue opinions that carry legal weight. Most issues resolve without formal proceedings, but escalation is an option if needed.
BCA Background Checks: Statewide Police Records
The BCA is the best resource for a statewide criminal history check. It covers cases from across Minnesota, including Houston County. This is useful when a person has records in more than one county or when the county of a case is not known.
The BCA background check portal handles both name-based and fingerprint-based requests for state criminal history data.
Fingerprint-based checks need an appointment with the BCA or an approved vendor. Name-based checks can often be done by mail. The BCA site has current fee schedules and turnaround time estimates. Processing times vary by volume and request type.
Nearby Minnesota Counties
Houston County borders Winona and Fillmore counties. Incidents near county lines may involve more than one agency. Contact the right Sheriff's Office for each jurisdiction.