In St. Louis County, Minnesota, the process for being issued an arrest warrant differs from most counties. When law enforcement suspects a crime has been committed, the supporting evidence is forwarded to the county prosecutor to decide whether to issue a criminal complaint. A criminal complaint charges the individual with a crime and sets a hearing date. In St. Louis County, MN, this is called a Rule 5 appearance. If the court date is missed, the judge will issue a warrant for that person’s arrest. As in all other counties, an arrest warrant in St. Louis County, NM, must be signed by a judge and the officer and must recite the facts leading to the issuance of a criminal complaint.
If you missed your court date and suspect there may be a warrant issued for your arrest, public use computers are available to search for active warrants at the St. Louis County Courthouse. The court administration will take “walk-ins” to turn yourself in on outstanding warrants on certain days of the week and times. Please check https://www.stlouiscountymn.gov/departments-a-z/sheriff/warrant-division for specific information. Specific times are set to allow the court administration to try to fit you in on the court docket for that day. Most counties have a warrant search available online, but St. Louis County does not offer that service.
If you find that you have a St. Louis County outstanding warrant for your arrest, you should know that any police officer may take you into custody. They are only allowed to use force if you flee or in other serious situations defined by the Minnesota Statutes. If you are looking to find your arrest records from a previous arrest in St. Louis County, you can contact the Sheriff’s Department.
How do you get information about St. Louis County warrants and arrests over the phone? (Updated in 2021)
- 218-726-2345 -The St. Louis County Jail to find out more about arrests and inmates.
- 218-726-2340 (Duluth), 218-262-0134 (Hibbing), 218-749-7134 (Virginia)-The Records Unit for police reports, accident reports, and criminal arrest records.
- 218-726-2323 (Duluth), 218-262-0158 (Hibbing), 218-749-7101(Virginia)- Victim Services for victim-witness assistance
- 218-221-7560 (Duluth), 218-274-6007 (Hibbing), 218-305-7021 (Virginia)-The Office of the Clerk of Court for judicial records, case search and inquiries related to warrants
Crime statistics of St. Louis County
The criminal complaints handled by St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department decreased by 13% in 2019 as compared to the prior year. In contrast, to the annual average of 712 events in 2018, around 616 cases were reported in 2019. Over 566 of the complaints were for property offenses, while over 50 were for violent crimes.
From 1999 to 2008, the crime rate has shown a trend of steady increase. Violent crime in St. Louis County has increased by a quarter since 1999. Violent crimes are murder, rape, robbery, assaults, and burglary of occupied dwellings. This type of crime usually represents a small percentage of total crime, with various property crimes making up most of the statistics.