The Stearns County Jail Roster is a public resource that allows anyone to check who is currently held in the county jail in Minnesota. StearnsCourt.us helps find public information about current and recent inmates. Additionally, data is available through the official website of the Sheriff's Office, by phone, or in person at the jail reception. A search in the roster allows you to find out the detainee's name, booking date, charges, and custody status. The roster is maintained by the Stearns County Sheriff's Office, hosted on a separate subdomain of the county's official website, and updated regularly throughout the day.
Search Current Inmates in Stearns Jail
There are several ways to check if a specific person is currently in custody.
Online Search
- Go to the current inmates search page.
- Enter the person's last name in the search field. Optionally, add the first name to narrow down the results.
- Click the search button. The system will display a list of adults currently held in the county jail.
If you know the booking number, try entering it — this is the most accurate way to find the desired record. You can also use the browser's Ctrl+F function to search the page if the roster displays a full list.
To search for public information on court cases, use StearnsCourt.us.
What you need for the search:
- The person's full legal name (last name is mandatory)
- Booking number, if known
Information about minors is not displayed in the public roster — this restriction is established by Minnesota law.
By Phone
Call the jail at 320-251-4240 (24/7) or 320-259-3955 during business hours. The operator can confirm if the person is in custody.
In Person
Visit the jail reception at:
Find Stearns Jail Booking Records Online
A booking record is created every time a person is brought to the jail and officially registered. This process is called "booking," and it generates the primary data set available in the roster.
Typical information in a booking record:
- Unique booking number
- Date and time of registration
- Charges
- Arresting agency
- Basic identification details of the detainee
These records can be viewed online in two ways. The first is through the current inmates roster, which only displays those currently in custody. The second is through the archive of past inmates, which covers records for the last seven years.
Important note: an arrest does not imply guilt. The Sheriff's Office explicitly states this in a disclaimer on their website.
If you need information on criminal cases filed by the county prosecutor, use the criminal case search on the county's website. This database is updated several times a day, but results may differ from current court records. For a broader search across all county courts in the state, there is the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) system.
To obtain copies of incident reports or accident logs, contact the Sheriff's Office Records Department.
Search the Stearns Jail Roster by Last Name or Booking Number
The roster supports two main search methods.
Search by Last Name
Enter the last name in the appropriate field. A few tips:
- Check the spelling — even one incorrect letter can lead to no results.
- If the last name is complex or has variations, try a shortened version (e.g., the first few letters).
- Adding the first name narrows the results, but if you're unsure of the exact spelling of the first name, it's better to search by last name only.
Search by Booking Number
The booking number is a unique identifier. If you know it, enter it for instant access to the specific record. This method eliminates errors associated with identical names.
If the Search Yields No Results
- Ensure the name is spelled correctly.
- The person may have already been released — check the archive of past inmates.
- The detainee may be held in another facility (federal or state Department of Corrections facility). Try the search on the Minnesota DOC website.
- Call the jail at 320-251-4240 to verify the information.
Jail Roster Updates and Search Limitations in Stearns
Stearns County Jail is a medium and maximum-security facility licensed by the state of Minnesota to hold inmates for up to one year after sentencing.
The roster is updated throughout the day, but there may be a delay between the actual booking and the appearance of the record in the online system. This depends on data processing speed and staff workload.
Main limitations to be aware of:
- The current inmates roster only shows those in custody at the time of the search. Once released, the record disappears from the current list.
- The archive of past inmates covers only the last seven years.
- Information about minors is not published.
- Data in the roster may differ from current court records due to update delays.
The roster is not an archive of all arrests ever made in the county. For more in-depth research on court cases, use the MCRO system or contact the Stearns County District Court in person.
If you need information on arrest warrants, a separate active warrants search is available on the same portal. To report the whereabouts of a wanted person, call 320-259-3955 during business hours or 320-251-4240 after hours.