Find Burnsville Background Check Records
Burnsville sits in northern Dakota County and is one of the Twin Cities' largest suburbs. Background check resources for Burnsville are handled through the state BCA system, the Dakota County District Court, and the Burnsville Police Department. You can search criminal history records online for free through the BCA portal, and court records are available remotely through MCRO. This page covers all the key sources and explains how to access each one.
Burnsville Overview
BCA Criminal History Search
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension operates the state's central criminal history system. Records come in from law enforcement agencies across Minnesota, including Burnsville Police. The BCA's public portal at chs.state.mn.us allows anyone to run a free name-based search. No account or login is needed.
Results from the BCA portal include felony convictions, gross misdemeanor convictions, and pending charges in many instances. Under Minnesota Statute 13.87, conviction data stays public for 15 years after the discharge date. Arrest data, including arrests without a conviction, is public under Statute 13.82. The system does not include petty misdemeanor citations or most traffic violations.
The BCA portal is the fastest starting point for any background check connected to Burnsville. If you need more detail on local court activity, follow up with a search in MCRO or a request to the Dakota County District Court.
The BCA portal provides free criminal history searches covering Burnsville and all of Dakota County.
Burnsville Police Department
The Burnsville Police Department handles law enforcement within city limits and maintains local incident records. Requests for police reports and other public data can be submitted directly to the department.
Public records requests can be made in person or in writing. The department may charge a fee to cover reproduction costs, though it cannot charge more than actual cost. Data that is classified as active investigative data, juvenile records, or certain victim information is not public. If the department withholds any part of a request, it must provide a written explanation citing the law that covers the withheld data.
Response time for routine requests is usually a few business days. More complex requests involving older records or large volumes of documents may take longer. The Minnesota Data Practices Act gives requesters the right to ask for clarification on any denial and to seek review if they believe data was wrongfully withheld.
Dakota County District Court
Burnsville is part of the First Judicial District, served by the Dakota County District Court. The courthouse is located in Hastings, which is the county seat. All criminal, civil, family, and probate cases originating in Burnsville are filed and stored here.
Certified copies of court documents are available from the clerk's office. The clerk will tell you the fee and what's needed for your request. Public case documents can be viewed at the window without providing a reason. Remote access is available through MCRO for case indexes and through MPA Remote for document images. Both are described in sections below.
Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO)
MCRO at mncourts.gov/access-case-records/mcro covers court cases from all 87 Minnesota counties, including Dakota. It's free to use. You can search by name or case number and get results showing case status, charges, parties, hearing dates, and dispositions. MCRO is updated regularly and reflects recent case activity.
The system functions as a case index rather than a document repository. It tells you whether a case exists and what stage it's at, but it may not give you the full text of filings. For actual documents from Burnsville cases, use MPA Remote or request copies directly from the Dakota County clerk's office. Most background check searches can start and finish with MCRO and the BCA portal without needing to dig deeper.
MCRO provides free remote access to Dakota County court case information, covering all Burnsville criminal and civil cases.
Minnesota Public Access Remote (MPA Remote)
MPA Remote is available at pa.courts.state.mn.us and allows users to view actual court document images for many case types. It goes beyond what MCRO provides by letting you read specific filings such as complaints, orders, and judgments. Subscription access is available for regular users, and per-search access works for occasional lookups.
For Burnsville cases from the First Judicial District, MPA Remote can pull up filings and let you read the content directly. This is particularly useful if you identified a case in MCRO and want to review what was actually filed. Not every document in every case is available through MPA Remote, but coverage is broad for most criminal and civil matters.
DOC Offender Locator
The Minnesota Department of Corrections provides a free offender locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicViewer. You can search by name to see whether someone is currently incarcerated in a state facility or on supervised release. The tool shows facility name, custody status, and release conditions in some cases.
This database reflects current status only. Once a person finishes their sentence and is discharged from supervision, they no longer appear in the DOC locator. For historical incarceration or conviction data, the BCA portal and court records are more complete sources. The DOC locator is best used when you want a fast check on current custody status rather than a full records search.
Minnesota's predatory offender registry is a separate tool maintained by the BCA under Statute 243.166. Registered offenders who live in the community can be searched through the DPS website. This registry is distinct from the DOC locator and covers people who are not necessarily in custody at all.
Data Practices Act and Record Access
Minnesota's Government Data Practices Act sets rules for what government records are public and how agencies must respond to requests. Criminal conviction data is public under Statute 13.87 and arrest data is public under Statute 13.82. These rules apply to Burnsville city departments and all Dakota County offices.
When you submit a public data request, the agency must respond without unnecessary delay. If any part of the request is denied, the agency must explain in writing which data is being withheld and why. The burden is on the agency to justify the denial, not on you to prove why you want the records. If you believe a denial was improper, you can contact the Department of Administration's Information Policy Analysis Division or take the matter to district court.
Expungement under Statute 609A can remove certain records from public view. A court that grants expungement seals the record from public access through the BCA and court portals. Law enforcement agencies may keep access to sealed records for internal use, but the general public cannot see them after expungement. Not all convictions qualify for expungement, and the process requires a court petition and hearing.
Requesting Records by Mail
You can request a certified criminal history record from the BCA by mail. Use this method when you need an official document with a seal rather than an online search result.
Your request should include the full name and date of birth of the subject. Payment of $15 by check or money order payable to the State of Minnesota is required before the BCA processes the request. There is no rush option for mail submissions. Fingerprint-based searches, which are governed by Statute 299C.10, provide the most thorough results but require fingerprinting at an authorized location and cost more than standard name-based requests.
Nearby Cities
Other qualifying Dakota County and metro area cities with background check resource pages: