Minnesota Inmate Search

Inmate records in Minnesota are regarded as public records under the Minnesota Freedom of Information Act. The various correctional departments create these records; the Minnesota Department of Correction provides access to state inmate records, whereas the federal Bureau of Prisons creates and provides access to federal inmate records. The county sheriff provides access to inmate records on the local level.  

These records help you learn information about an inmate, such as their full names, where they are incarcerated, court and arrest records, and physical description.  

State Prison Offender Search  

The MNDOC offers a platform that interested individuals can utilize to find their inmates. To find an inmate, visit the MNDOC Offender Locator to search inmates by their full names. You can also click on the "advanced search" option to locate them by their date of birth, race, height, MNDOC number, charges, or incarceration date.  

Note that offender information on this website is maintained regularly, and if you cannot find an inmate if you believe they are in the state prison system, you can reload after a few hours or days to check if you will find them. If you still need help finding them, contact MNDOC by phone or email or visit their headquarters at 1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 200, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55108. 

County Jail Inmate Search 

Inmates in the county jails are under the supervision of the county sheriff's departments. Minnesota has 82 county jails in 87 counties that incarcerate pretrial and short-term sentences persons.  

You can find inmates incarcerated in the county jails in Minnesota using the inmate roster usually provided by the county sheriff's office. The inmate roster is available on the sheriff's website in many counties or on the county jail's website. The inmate roster may be arranged alphabetically or a searchable database that allows interested searchers to find their inmates by their names, date of incarceration, or arrest.  

Federal Inmates Lookup 

Federal inmates in Minnesota are housed in the three federal facilities managed by the North Central Regional Office of the Bureau of Prisons. You can locate federal inmates in Minnesota using the inmate locator system on the official BOP website. There are two ways of finding federal inmates: 

• Locate them by their official first and last names 
• Locate them by their INS, DCDC, FBI, or BOP register numbers  

Each federal inmate has a specific number on the whole federal inmate's database; thus, you can locate an inmate solely using the inmate number. If you cannot locate them, you can contact the Federal Bureau of Prisons and request the whereabouts of your inmate. 

Minnesota VINE 

Victims of crime may register with Minnesota VINE to receive updates on their offenders. VINELink is a free resource for all victims or individuals affected by a crime to help them keep track of their offender throughout the court and incarceration process. 

After you register, you will be able to receive the updates of your offender in case: 

• There is a prison escape 
• They have been transferred to another prison 
• They are placed in isolation for disciplinary issues 
• They are nearing release from prison 
• Any changes in their incarceration status