Search Plymouth Background Check Records
Plymouth is a large city in western Hennepin County, and background checks here use several distinct public record systems. The BCA statewide criminal history tool covers convictions from Hennepin County courts. The Plymouth Police Department handles local arrest records and police reports. Hennepin County District Court is the court of record for all district-level cases. This page walks through each source and explains what you can find and how to access it.
Plymouth Overview
BCA Criminal History Search
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension operates the state's primary criminal history database. The free public search is at chs.state.mn.us. It covers felony and gross misdemeanor convictions from all 87 Minnesota counties, including Hennepin County where Plymouth is located. You search by first name, last name, and date of birth. No account or fee is needed.
Under Minnesota Statute 13.87, conviction data is public for 15 years from the date of conviction. Cases that ended in dismissal or acquittal do not appear. The BCA pulls records from court systems, so Hennepin County convictions show up once the court submits them. For pending cases or recent charges not yet resolved, MCRO is the better tool since it shows filings as they happen, before a conviction is entered.
The BCA also handles fingerprint-based checks for regulated positions requiring a thorough search. These go through state and national FBI databases and are more complete than the name-based online search. They require a formal submission and are separate from the free public tool. Start with the online search for general background check needs.
The BCA public criminal history tool is the main statewide database for Plymouth background checks, covering felony and gross misdemeanor convictions from Hennepin County courts.
Plymouth Police Department Records
The Plymouth Police Department is at 3400 Plymouth Boulevard, Plymouth, MN 55447. Their main phone number is 952-258-5321. The department website is at plymouthmn.gov/departments/police-department. The Plymouth PD handles incidents that occurred within city limits and maintains records for those cases. To request police reports or arrest records, contact their records division directly.
Arrest records from the Plymouth Police Department are public under Minnesota Statute 13.82, which classifies arrest data as public from the moment of booking. Public arrest data includes the name of the person arrested, the date and location, the charges filed, and the arresting officer. Police reports fall under the Government Data Practices Act, and portions covering active investigations, victim information, or other protected data may be redacted before release. Have the subject's full name and date of birth ready when you submit a request. For incidents that occurred outside Plymouth city limits but within Hennepin County, contact the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.
Hennepin County District Court
Plymouth is in Hennepin County, so all district court cases for the city are handled at Hennepin County District Court, 300 S 6th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487. The main number is 612-348-6000. Their Minnesota courts page is at mncourts.gov/Find-Courts/Hennepin.aspx. The court handles criminal, civil, family, and probate matters. Felony and gross misdemeanor charges that originate in Plymouth are prosecuted here and, upon conviction, are reported to the BCA.
Court records are public for most case types, but there are exceptions. Juvenile records are sealed by law. Records expunged under Statute 609A are removed from public access by court order. For cases that are public, you can search the case index through MCRO at no charge, or request certified copies from the clerk's office at $14 per document. Requests for certified copies can be made in person at the Minneapolis courthouse or by mail. For a general case search, start with the free MCRO tool.
Minnesota Court Records Online
MCRO is the public portal for Minnesota court records at mncourts.gov/access-case-records/mcro. Search by name across all Minnesota counties, including Hennepin. MCRO shows case index information, charges, hearing dates, and case status. Most searches are free. MCRO is particularly useful for finding pending cases or recent filings that have not yet resulted in a conviction in the BCA database.
Minnesota Court Records Online lets you search for Plymouth cases filed in Hennepin County District Court, covering both pending and concluded criminal and civil matters.
MPA Remote Access
Minnesota Public Access Remote is a subscription service at pa.courts.state.mn.us. It provides deeper access to court records than the free MCRO portal, including document images and full charge histories for all Minnesota counties. MPA Remote is primarily used by attorneys and frequent researchers. For a single one-time search, start with the free MCRO tool.
DOC Offender Locator
The Minnesota Department of Corrections offers a free public Offender Locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicViewer. This tool shows people currently in a Minnesota state prison or under active DOC supervision, such as probation or supervised release. It does not include people who have served their sentence and been discharged. Use this if you need to check whether someone is currently incarcerated or under state supervision in Minnesota.
Minnesota Data Practices Act
Minnesota's Government Data Practices Act defines what public agencies must disclose. For background checks, the key provisions are in Statute 13.82, which covers arrest data, and Statute 13.87, which covers conviction data. Both apply to Plymouth agencies. Arrest data is public from the moment of booking. Conviction data is public for 15 years. When you request records from Plymouth Police or Hennepin County, the Data Practices Act determines what gets released.
Protected data categories are not releasable to the public. Active investigation materials, victim information, certain juvenile data, and court-ordered sealed records are all restricted. Expungement under Statute 609A seals records held by all agencies involved in a case. After expungement, those records no longer appear in standard background check searches, including the BCA database. This is a legal protection that removes records from public access once a court grants a petition for expungement.
Mail Requests to the BCA
Send background check requests by mail to the BCA at 1430 Maryland Avenue E, St. Paul, MN 55106. The fee is $15 per name. Include the subject's full name, date of birth, and a check or money order made out to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Processing takes about two weeks. For questions, call 651-793-2400. A mailed request produces a printed result suitable for record-keeping.
DHS Background Studies
Licensed care programs in Minnesota require Department of Human Services background studies under Statute 245C. These apply to people in direct contact with children or vulnerable adults in licensed care settings. DHS studies are separate from the public BCA search and cover a broader list of disqualifying offenses. If a DHS study is required for a specific role, it must be submitted through the DHS process rather than through the general public online search.
Nearby Cities
Plymouth is in the western suburbs of Minneapolis. These nearby qualifying cities each have local police records and access to Hennepin County District Court records.