Search St. Paul Bench Warrants

St. Paul bench warrants come from the 2nd Judicial District Court in Ramsey County. When someone misses a court date or breaks a court order, the judge issues a bench warrant. The St. Paul Police Department and Ramsey County Sheriff's Office both handle warrant arrests in the city. You can search for active bench warrants through the Ramsey County warrant search tool or by calling the sheriff's office. St. Paul is the state capital and the second largest city in Minnesota, so the court system here deals with a large number of bench warrants each year across felony, misdemeanor, and gross misdemeanor cases.

St. Paul Police and Warrant Checks

The St. Paul Police Department is based at 367 Grove Street. Officers can arrest anyone with an active bench warrant during a traffic stop, a call for service, or any other contact. The records division is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM. You can request police reports there. Report copy fees are 25 cents per page. Body camera footage costs $30 per CD, and 911 transcripts run $25 per hour of audio.

The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office runs the warrant search for the county. The sheriff's office is at 425 Grove Street in St. Paul. You can call 651-266-9333 to check for active bench warrants. Give them a full name and date of birth. Staff will tell you if a warrant exists. This is one of the fastest ways to find out about a bench warrant in St. Paul.

The Ramsey County jail is at 425 Grove Street, same as the sheriff's office. The jail booking number is 651-266-9350. If you are turning yourself in on a bench warrant, this is where you go.

How to Find St. Paul Bench Warrants

Ramsey County has an online warrant search tool. Go to the Ramsey County Sheriff arrest warrant search page to look up active warrants. This is a free tool that covers all bench warrants in the county, including those issued in St. Paul cases.

You can also use Minnesota Court Records Online to search court cases in the 2nd Judicial District. The system shows party names, case type, and docket entries. Look for entries that say failure to appear. That usually means a bench warrant was issued. The online system does not always flag warrants by name, and some criminal cases have limits on remote access. For a complete check, call the court at 651-266-8266 or the sheriff at 651-266-9333.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension offers a statewide search. This covers past warrants and criminal history across all 87 Minnesota counties. There is a small fee for this search, but it gives you a wider view than checking just one county.

St. Paul Bench Warrant Records

The St. Paul Police Department shares information about search warrants and police procedures on the city website.

Police reports tied to bench warrant arrests are available through the records division at 367 Grove Street. You need to visit in person during business hours. Under Minnesota Statute 13.82, most arrest and warrant data is public. Anyone can ask for this information without a special reason.

The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office also keeps warrant records for St. Paul and all of Ramsey County.

If you need to check on someone in custody, you can use the jail booking number at 651-266-9350 or search through VINE for alerts on bookings and releases.

St. Paul Bench Warrant Penalties

A bench warrant in St. Paul does not go away on its own. There is no end date. A warrant from five years ago is just as valid as one from last week. Under Minnesota Rule 3.01, the court must issue a warrant when a person fails to appear after a summons. The judge does not have a choice.

Getting caught with an active bench warrant means arrest. It does not matter if you are just going to the store. A routine traffic stop can turn into a trip to the Ramsey County jail if a warrant comes up in the system. Officers check names during every stop and every contact. Some warrants in St. Paul may allow for sign and release under MS 629.415, where you sign a notice with a new court date instead of going to jail. Not all warrants qualify for this option.

Failure to appear also carries separate charges. For felony cases, skipping court on purpose can add up to half the max sentence for the original charge. Gross misdemeanor and misdemeanor failures to appear are treated as separate misdemeanor offenses.

Clearing Bench Warrants in St. Paul

Turning yourself in is the best move. Go to the Ramsey County jail at 425 Grove Street in St. Paul. Bring a valid photo ID. If you know the bail amount, bring that in cash. Call the sheriff at 651-266-9333 first to find out what the bail is set at. You can also call the court admin at 651-266-8263 to ask about your case status.

A lawyer can help. An attorney may file a motion to recall the bench warrant and set a new court date. This can sometimes work without an arrest. The Minnesota Self-Help Center has forms and resources for people who need to handle a bench warrant. LawHelpMN lists free legal aid options in the St. Paul area.

• Call the sheriff at 651-266-9333 to check your warrant status
• Find out the bail amount before going in
• Bring exact cash and a photo ID to the jail
• Get a new court date and show up for it

Ramsey County Bench Warrants

St. Paul is the county seat of Ramsey County. All bench warrants for the city go through the Ramsey County District Court and Sheriff's Office. For more about the county court system and warrant search tools, see the Ramsey County bench warrants page.

View Ramsey County Bench Warrants

Nearby Cities

These cities are close to St. Paul. Bench warrants are handled by the county where the court issued them.