How to Check for a Warrant in Ramsey County
Begin with the sheriff's tool. The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office Online Warrant Search is linked from the county's arrest warrant page. It covers active arrest warrants issued by Ramsey County District Court within the last ten years. The form is simple. Type a first name and a last name. A blank Ramsey County result means the name did not match within that scope, not that no warrant exists anywhere.
- Open the county's arrest warrant page and accept the public-service disclaimer.
- Run the search by first and last name in the Online Warrant Search form.
- If nothing shows, call the Ramsey County Warrant Office at 651-266-9320.
- Pull the case docket through MCRO or a courthouse terminal for dates and terms.
- If a warrant is active, talk with an attorney before you appear in person.
Note: A Ramsey County warrant older than ten years never shows up online, so call instead of guessing.
The Ten-Year Boundary on the Sheriff's Online Warrant Search
Ramsey County draws its scope plainly. The Online Warrant Search covers active arrest warrants from Ramsey County District Court inside a ten-year window. Everything else falls outside. Warrants from other counties, federal warrants, older matters, and anything served, recalled, or resolved never appear there. That boundary is why a blank Ramsey County result proves nothing.
| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First name | Text | No | Up to 30 characters |
| Last name | Text | No | Up to 30 characters |
| Search | Button | Yes | No date-of-birth field exists |
The Ramsey County Online Warrant Search uses two name fields. That is the entire interface, and anything beyond a name match, like release terms, comes from the court docket.
Types of Warrants in Ramsey County
Minnesota runs one unified district court. So most Ramsey County warrants come from a single trial court, not a patchwork of city benches.
| Warrant Type | How It Arises | Who Issues It |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest warrant | Probable cause on a complaint, or a violated court order | A district court judge |
| Bench warrant | Missed date, unpaid obligation, or supervision violation | The judge on the case |
| Traffic warrant | Nonappearance or nonpayment on a citation | A district court judge |
| Search warrant | Probable cause to search a place or device | A district court judge |
| Sign-and-release warrant | A qualifying first failure to appear | A district court judge |
Minnesota never says capias. That word belongs to another state's paperwork. In Ramsey County, the equivalent for a failure to appear is a bench warrant or, in narrow first-time cases, the sign-and-release warrant.
Kellogg, Grove, and White Bear: Three Ramsey County Counters
Ramsey County splits its warrant work across three buildings. The main Ramsey County courthouse keeps the case files and the violations counter. The Law Enforcement Center is a separate stop. That building houses the Sheriff's operations and the jail. Ramsey County Suburban Court hears eligible non-felony and traffic matters for every city except St. Paul, so know which door you need before driving.
| Location | What It Handles | Best Used For |
|---|---|---|
| 15 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul | Courtrooms, Room 72 records, Room 130 violations | Case records and certified copies |
| 425 Grove St., St. Paul | Warrant Office and jail intake | Status, bail, voluntary surrender |
| 2050 White Bear Ave., Maplewood | Non-felony and traffic calendars | Suburban case and citation answers |
The courthouse holds the record. Grove Street runs the operations. A Ramsey County warrant check usually starts at one of those two desks. Note: Room 72 is the records counter and Room 130 serves violations, so ask which door applies before traveling.
What a Ramsey County Warrant Record Shows
Ramsey County publishes no sample result screen. Read the docket instead. There, the register of actions carries the charge, the judge and orders, hearing events, and the release terms the court set.
| Warrant or case number | The Ramsey County case number retrieves the docket; the search form shows no separate warrant number field. |
|---|---|
| Subject name | The name on the court file, matched by the first and last name you enter. |
| Charge | Felony, gross misdemeanor, misdemeanor, petty misdemeanor, or ordinance violation. |
| Issuing court | Ramsey County District Court, Second Judicial District. |
| Release terms | Bail, supervision, conditions, or custody until review. Terms are case-specific. |
| Status | Active, served, recalled, or resolved. |
No redacted sample ever came from Ramsey County. The honest answer about a single warrant comes from the Warrant Office itself.
Ramsey County Warrant Terms, Translated
In a Ramsey County warrant file, a handful of words carry most of the meaning a reader needs.
- Active
- Current status according to the office holding the record. Confirm it with the Ramsey County office, because updates lag.
- Arrest warrant
- A court order directing an authorized officer to arrest a person.
- Bench warrant
- The everyday label for a court-issued warrant after nonappearance or noncompliance.
- Sign-and-release warrant
- A statutory route for qualifying first failures to appear. It does not authorize arrest.
- Recall
- A court action withdrawing a warrant. Confirm it on the docket first.
- Forfeiture
- A court action affecting bail or bond after a missed appearance.
Bail and bond differ too. That gap matters most when money changes hands. Note: Ramsey County District Court issues the warrants in the public search, so its docket is the authority to check.
Who Issues and Serves Ramsey County Warrants
Ramsey County's court issues the warrants. A district court judge signs one once a complaint establishes probable cause. The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office then serves it or tracks it afterward. A court administrator can also issue a summons in an authorized fine-only misdemeanor, and that paper is not a warrant. The split explains why the sheriff can confirm a Ramsey County warrant is active while the court controls the amount and conditions. Each office answers only its own half.
Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, Warrant Office
425 Grove St., St. Paul, MN 55101
651-266-9320
Want the structure? The division page shows where the warrant unit sits within the office, and Minn. Stat. 629.32 covers what happens when a warrant is served.
Sheriff Bob Fletcher leads the office. The Ramsey County Sheriff's Court and Security Services division runs the warrant unit beside court security and criminal history work.
Who Can Answer Which Ramsey County Warrant Question
Four Ramsey County numbers cover nearly every warrant question. Each desk specializes, so calling the wrong one is the usual reason a question stalls for a day.
Sheriff's Warrant Office
Status, service, release
651-266-9320
Ramsey Criminal and Traffic Court
Dates, hearings, court terms
651-266-1999
Criminal Court Records Office
Copies and certified records
651-266-8237
Adult Detention Center
Anyone in custody, bail, release
651-266-9350
The Ramsey County District Court page lists the administrator, the judges, and the courthouse.
Court Administrator Heather Kendall oversees the administrative side of Ramsey County's courts. County record requests go to the Records Office.
What to Do If You Have a Ramsey County Warrant
An active Ramsey County warrant does not improve with age. An attorney will lay out the choices. You can appear voluntarily, post bail or bond if the court allows it, or ask the court to recall the warrant. Ramsey County's self-surrender route runs through the Adult Detention Center at 425 Grove St. That entrance stays open around the clock. Arrive before 4 a.m. Monday through Thursday, and the jail has the best chance of reaching the next calendar. The first date still depends on the case.
Important: Talk with a lawyer before you turn yourself in. A pending Ramsey County warrant can lead to an arrest during any traffic stop.
Only the issuing court clears a Ramsey County warrant. Neither a website nor a payment alone does it, and the steps for resolving an arrest warrant cover the surrender checklist.
Bail, Bond, and the Exact-Cash Window in Ramsey County
Ramsey County takes bail and bond at the Adult Detention Center lobby, and that window never closes. Exact cash only. No cards, checks, or money orders. The Sheriff's Office will not recommend a bonding agency, so pick your own if you need one. Before traveling, confirm with the Warrant Office that bail or bond is available on that particular warrant.
| Item | What to Know |
|---|---|
| Bail | Cash posted to secure an appearance |
| Bond | A guarantee through an approved bonding agency |
| Payment | Exact cash, 24-hour lobby window |
| Terms | Set by the court on each case |
| Missed date | Can lead to forfeiture of the amount posted |
Ramsey County's bail and bond release page walks through posting for someone in custody. It also covers turning in on a warrant.
Public Access to Ramsey County Warrant Records
Minnesota law presumes the public can see government data. The Government Data Practices Act, chapter 13, keeps records open unless another law classifies them otherwise, while court files follow the Minnesota Rules of Public Access. Ramsey County sheriff data and a court file travel two separate request routes. Neither one is a warrant search. Neither can make an agency build a list that does not exist.
Key Rules:
Minn. Stat. 13.03 presumes government data is public.
Public Access Rule 4 lists public and nonpublic court records.
Minn. Stat. 260B.171 keeps most juvenile records private.
Minnesota Statute 629.32 governs warrant execution in Ramsey County. It makes officers show the warrant on request.
Rule 33.04 lets a court limit disclosure of an unexecuted Ramsey County warrant. The reason is that notice might help someone flee.
Why a Blank Ramsey County Search Is Not a Clearance
An empty result is not an all-clear. The Ramsey County search has a stated scope, and a name can be missing from it for ordinary reasons.
- Warrants older than ten years stay outside the list, even on active cases.
- Another county or a federal court keeps its own separate records.
- Served, recalled, and resolved warrants are outside the list.
- An unexecuted warrant may be restricted under court rules.
When a result looks wrong either way, the fix is a phone call. Contact the Ramsey County Warrant Office or the issuing court.
Warrant Records by City in Ramsey County
Ramsey County runs no separate municipal court system. A city warrant question there routes back to the district court and the Sheriff's Office.
St. Paul Warrant Records
311,527 (2020 Census) · City fines route to Ramsey District Court.
Maplewood Warrant Records
42,088 (2020 Census) · Police records and Suburban Court serve the city.
Roseville Warrant Records
36,254 (2020 Census) · Two nonemergency numbers; no city warrant portal.
Shoreview Warrant Records
26,921 (2020 Census) · The county sheriff provides police protection.
New Brighton Warrant Records
23,454 (2020 Census) · Public Safety handles city records.
Each city page covers the local police route. It also maps the Ramsey County channels that control warrant status.
Ramsey County Warrants After a Missed Date
A missed appearance is the most common way a Ramsey County warrant starts. Call the Ramsey County criminal and traffic court at 651-266-1999. Calling early matters more than calling perfectly. On a single file, a judge can order a warrant, suspend a license on a traffic case, certify an unpaid account, and release a posted bail amount. Not every missed date means an arrest warrant. Minnesota Statute 629.415 created a sign-and-release warrant for a defined group of qualifying first failures to appear. That warrant does not authorize arrest. Eligibility is narrow, so nobody should assume it applies.
Note: Call the Ramsey County criminal court before sending payment on a case with a missed date, because payment can be treated as a plea.