Criminal Background Check Minneapolis

A Minneapolis clearance letter and a BCA history are different

Minneapolis Police can issue a clearance letter stating that you have no arrest record with that department. It is printed on departmental letterhead, certified and notarized. That local statement is not a search of every Minnesota court or federal record. Ask the receiving organization whether it needs this city letter, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) history, or a purpose-specific fingerprint check.

Get any certification, age-of-report and delivery requirements in writing before ordering. A city letter may be suitable for one recipient while another requires a state or federal product. Keep each result labeled with its issuing agency and scope; do not relabel a free public search as a complete applicant screening.

Request the city clearance letter by mail or in person

For mail, send a request letter, photocopy of valid ID, a $5 check or money order payable to the City of Minneapolis, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Records Information Unit, Minneapolis Public Service Building, 505 Fourth Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55415. The city estimates five to ten business days for processing mailed requests.

In person, bring valid photo ID and $5 in cash, check or money order; cards are not accepted. The published Records Information Unit hours are Monday–Thursday 8 a.m.–4 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Questions go to 612-673-2961 or [email protected]. Confirm counter availability before visiting.

Check the name and local scope on the completed letter before presenting it. If the department cannot issue the requested statement or a detail appears wrong, ask the Records Information Unit what record or correction process is appropriate. A broader BCA report is a separate product, not a change of heading on the city’s letter.

Use the free BCA search within its public-data boundary

The BCA public search is free. Its search form requires complete first and last names and date of birth. Use the subject’s actual names, including a former name when relevant, rather than relying on a nickname. The search terms state that using the information for employment, housing or credit requires notifying the applicant. Follow the recipient’s authorized screening process.

Public conviction information is available for 15 years after completion of the sentence. The public site excludes arrest data, juvenile information, federal and out-of-state records, older convictions outside that window, and other private or confidential material. A no-result screen therefore is not proof that every record category was searched.

The FAQ also lists incorrect spelling, former names and information never sent to BCA as possible reasons for no results. Save the date and identifiers used and resolve a questionable match before attributing it to someone. BCA may request fingerprints where needed to establish that the correct person’s record is being provided.

Request your full record or another adult’s authorized data

The current BCA FAQ directs full public-and-private histories to a data request. The data-access policy says to choose Data Request–Personal in its portal and provide notarized proof of identity. In-person applicants can present an accepted current photo ID. For another person, choose Data Request–Another Person and provide written informed consent and proof of the subject’s identity.

The FAQ includes a notarized consent form signed by the adult subject among the authorized routes to private information. Knowing the person’s name does not supply that permission. BCA questions can go to 651-793-2400; the FAQ lists the CHA Unit at 1430 Maryland Avenue E., St. Paul, MN 55106. Explain when your own record is needed for immigration or use abroad.

Use the current data-request policy for cost and timing

BCA’s policy gives ten business days after a properly completed private-data request to provide responsive data or explain a listed processing/access problem. Inspection is free. For private-data paper copies, up to 100 black-and-white letter/legal pages are free; over 100 pages cost $0.25 per page. Other sizes, color or electronic/media formats can incur actual costs. Confirm the selected format before ordering.

BCA’s current public-search notice says qualifying Clean Slate records are being sealed automatically, with remaining historical reviews expected by the end of 2026. Sealing removes public visibility rather than deleting the record. A subject can request their own sealed criminal-history information, so use the full-record route when that information is required instead of assuming a public search is complete.

Separate a mistaken identity from an inaccurate entry

For data another criminal-justice agency supplied, BCA’s policy directs you first to that contributing agency for correction. For a BCA-created error, identify the challenged data and explain precisely why it is inaccurate or incomplete, with proof of identity. Its Questioned Identity process uses fingerprints to distinguish you from another person and is not a way to contest a conviction’s merits.

Retain the original result and any supporting court order. State exactly what remains unresolved, such as a spelling mismatch, missing disposition or wrong person. An arrest entry, when lawfully obtained, still does not by itself establish conviction; the court’s disposition is the appropriate record for the outcome. Questions about access or a data request can be directed to [email protected].