Hiring a new employee is one of the most common reasons for using Minnesota public records. A small business may prefer to take advantage of the free information available online instead of hiring another company to perform this service.

Finding an applicant with the right job qualifications is only part of the hiring process. Background checks should be essential because the employer can be held responsible for an employee’s actions on the job. Free minnesota court records can help identify individuals that could be a poor choice due to their credit or criminal history. Employers must also specifically check people who will be working with children or the elderly for any history of abuse.

There are three types of public records of particular interest when performing background checks:

1. Credit reports that show current lines of credit, payment histories and Minnesota bankruptcy records.

2. Public records in Minnesota that show past convictions, births or divorces. These may also be useful in determining criminal history, residency requirements and alimony payments.

3. Registered sex offender lists. Minnesota requires convicted sex offenders to be kept on a list for a specified period after their conviction.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use a Minnesota public record to get general information on individuals

A Minnesota record can include information on births, deaths and divorces. Many cities and counties in Minnesota have websites with this information that is freely available to the general public.

I recommend: The Recorders Office for Sherburne County maintains a variety of records including real estate transactions, birth and death records. The Assessors Office for Benton County allows various levels of access to property records.

Use Minnesota criminal records to get information on criminal history

Law enforcement agencies keep criminal records which may be publicly available. Laws vary widely by state as to the specific information you will be able to obtain. Some government agencies may also charge fees.

I recommend: The Minnesota Predatory Offender Registry maintains a list of registered sexual offenders that is accessible by the public. e-renter.com performs background checks for renters in Minnesota as well as other screening services.

Use MN criminal records to conduct background checks

There are many sites dedicated to performing background checks for prospective employees. These checks can also include Social Security number verification, education verification and reference checks.

I recommend: The McDowell Agency performs a variety of investigative services in Minnesota including background checks. Payroll Control Systems is based in Minnesota and offers background checks among many other employer services.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Tip 1You will first need to obtain some basic information on the individual you are seeking free Minnesota public records for. Job applicants will need to provide this information on the application form or on a separate form for the background check. Individuals must also grant permission for a background check in most cases.

Before you hire a new employee in Minnesota, you should include a search of Minnesota public records as part of your background check on the new candidate. A quick search of MN public records can reveal a potential employee's criminal past, financial problems such as bankruptcy or foreclosures, and even divorce filings in Minnesota.

Remember, the law can hold you responsible for actions taken by your employees. Thus, it is imperative to conduct a comprehensive background examination that includes public records searches—especially if your business is in an industry that has high risks involving security or legal liability. A thorough search will include:

1. Minnesota criminal records

2. Minnesota bankruptcy records

3. Minnesota foreclosure records

4. Minnesota divorce records

5. Minnesota arrest records

6. General MN public records

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Conduct a free Minnesota public records search

Free Minnesota court records are available, but you should view the information on free sites with caution. Many of them claim to offer free Minnesota arrest records, divorce records, bankruptcy records, and other types of public records information. However, it is very important to validate any free information found, because you could be subject to legal liability if you wrongly deny someone employment based on false records.

I recommend: Use RhinoReviews to find a reputable, reliable public records search site.

Search local government sites for free Minnesota court records

Under both the Federal and Minnesota versions of the Freedom of Information Act records of all public agencies in the state, including those related to criminal and civil court proceedings, are public records that must be made available to those who request them. Thus, you should be able to find common court records like Minnesota criminal records and Minnesota bankruptcy records because all courts keep records of their cases.

I recommend: Not all county court records are available online. You will probably have to look at each county's site to determine how to obtain those records. State court information is available at the LawMoose Legal Reference Library website.

Use a paid online service to find Minnesota public records

Online services can save you tons of time and effort. The fee is usually worth it, as these sites can save you from having to contact the courts directly and from spending time attempting to validate information you may have found on free sites. Of course, not all online services provide the same information, so choose wisely before spending your money.

I recommend: Intelius and IntegraScan each offer comprehensive searches for a nominal fee. These sites provide instant results and include records from both state and federal repositories.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Individual counties often charge fees for accessing and copying Minnesota Public Records. Find out fees before requesting records. Online services that display the records automatically might cost you less.
• •  Don't rely only on public records. Compare information discovered in MN public records searches with the information disclosed by the job applicant.
• •  School records are not public records, so ask applicants to provide transcripts of high school and/or college coursework.

Making the most of Minnesota public records will require you to have a guide or referral. You can conduct Internet searches of many government agencies for free but you will spend a lot of time looking at irrelevant links and websites if you have no idea where to start.

You will first need to obtain some basic information on the individual or property you are seeking Minnesota criminal records on. For example, if you are seeking information on an individual, it will be helpful to know some addresses where that person has previously lived.

There are three general types of public records in Minnesota:

1. MN criminal records that include files on registered sex offenders, past convictions or current information on current inmates in a particular prison. These records can help you investigate individuals such as prospective employees.

2. Non-criminal public records such as Minnesota bankruptcy records, census records, consumer protection information or legislation minutes. You may find these records helpful when researching a product or political candidate.

3. Real estate records like property appraisals, ownership and taxes. These types of records can be useful when buying or selling a home.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find a Minnesota public record from local government agencies

City and county clerks in Minnesota can frequently provide a great deal of current information on an individual when you know their name and address.

I recommend: The Minnesota Judicial Branch provides contact information for each court in Minnesota and allows you to locate courts by district, zip and county. Minnesota North Star lists links of the websites for the cities in Minnesota alphabetically by city.

Learn more about the laws regarding Minnesota public records

The records that are publicly available vary widely by state. You will want to have at least a general idea of what free Minnesota public records you can expect to find before conducting your search.

I recommend: Minnesota Lawyers discusses the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and provides links to specific Minnesota FOIA. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has extensive information regarding the disclosure of driver information.

Perform searches of specific databases of Minnesota public records

Many cities and counties in Minnesota maintain a variety of records on individuals and property that are freely available to the general public.

I recommend: The County Recorder and Registrar of Titles for Hennepin County provides detailed instructions for viewing the public records within its possession. The Auditor/Treasurer’s Office for St. Louis County allows a search of property records by a variety of criteria.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Exhaust your search for free Minnesota court records. Sites that charge a fee may only provide information you could obtain elsewhere for free. Fortunately, libraries frequently subscribe to services that you would normally need to pay a fee to access. You should also bear in mind that many public records are simply not available online.

Public records are needed for a variety of reasons and are now easy to search for online with the addition of many government databases. Most public information can be found for free, depending on the State, or for a nominal fee through other websites.

Public records can assist in finding important information about a person, including unclaimed property, bankruptcies, unpaid bills, a registered sex offender's address, government jobs as well as birth and death records.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Minnesota Predatory Offender Registry

In 1991, the Minnesota Legislature passed Minnesota's registration law and began the Sex Offender Registration Unit (SOR) at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). It provides the Minnesota Predatory Offender Registry, an online resource that lists offenders guilty of criminal conduct of a sexual nature, kidnapping, felonious indecent exposure and solicitation of a minor to engage in prostitution.

I recommend: Read about the Minnesota Predatory Offender Registry on the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension website.

Unclaimed property

Unclaimed property is defined as asset that has been left unclaimed, inactive or abandoned by its owner. Some examples of unclaimed property are dormant bank accounts, stocks, insurance proceeds, deposits, dividends, credit refunds and uncashed checks.

I recommend: The Minnesota Department of Commerce explains unclaimed property and how to search to see if you have unclaimed property on its website.

Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC)

The Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) provides record of State job openings in counties throughout Minnesota. The State is one of the major employers in Minnesota and offers many different types of career options and training that help to create career security and competitive wages. Those who elect to work within the State system have to meet certain requirements and qualifications which can help the job seeker to choose the best employment choice for them.

I recommend: Read about the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) on its website.

VINELink

The Minnesota Department of Corrections maintains an online resource, VINELink, that allows an individual to search for information regarding current custody status of inmates at local or regional jails. It also gives crime victims free, confidential and accurate information about a specific inmate's escape, release or transfer. This information is available via phone, Internet or email.

I recommend: To access the search option for inmate information for Minnesota, the VINELink website is available 24 hours a day.

Tangible interest

The tangible interest idea protects people born in Minnesota, as well as a person's family of those that have died in Minnesota, against fraud by limiting those people who may have access to a document or certificate that is needed for a legal purposes such as any application for a passport, social security number, or for the settling of a person's estate.

I recommend: To inquire about the issue of tangible interest when requesting a birth or death certificate, access the Minnesota Department of Health's website for details.

Lawyer search

A lawyer search can be done access a great deal of information about Minnesota's attorneys including license number, name, current status, address, admission date, and professional liability insurance information.

I recommend: Access the Minnesota Judicial Branch's website for information about Lawyer Search.