Murray County Criminal Background Check
A Murray County background check combines criminal conviction data from the Minnesota BCA with court case records maintained by the district court in Slayton, the county seat. Murray County is in southwestern Minnesota and is part of the Fifth Judicial District. The BCA's free online tool and state court records portal cover most searches, and the Slayton courthouse handles in-person requests and certified copies.
Murray County Overview
BCA Criminal History Search
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension runs a free public criminal history database at chs.state.mn.us. You search by name and date of birth. The system returns conviction records from Minnesota courts statewide, including Murray County. No account or fee is needed for the online search.
Under Minnesota Statute 13.87, conviction data is publicly accessible for 15 years from the date of sentence discharge. Records outside that window are not shown. Arrests without convictions are also excluded. A blank result may mean no qualifying convictions within the window, an expunged record, or only arrest activity without conviction. It does not automatically confirm a clean background.
The BCA Criminal History Search is the main free resource for a Murray County background check, returning statewide conviction records at no cost.
Certified BCA background checks cost $15 by mail. Send a notarized form to 1430 Maryland Ave E, St. Paul, MN 55106. Allow two weeks. Call 651-793-2400 if you have questions. The certified result provides formal documentation of the search, which is sometimes needed when a written record must be produced.
Note: The BCA online search and the $15 certified mail check pull from the same Minnesota conviction database; the fee covers documentation, not broader data access.
Murray County District Court
The Murray County District Court is at 2130 N Highway 59 in Slayton, MN 56172. Phone is 507-836-6145. The court is part of Minnesota's Fifth Judicial District and covers criminal, civil, family, and probate cases. Court records are maintained by the Court Administrator and are open to public requests consistent with the state data practices law.
| Address | 2130 N Highway 59, Slayton, MN 56172 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 507-836-6145 |
| Website | mncourts.gov - Murray |
The free MCRO portal at mncourts.gov/access-case-records/mcro covers Murray County court documents from July 2015 forward. Search by name or case number. Results include case type, parties, docket entries, and available documents. For pre-2015 cases, use the Remote Public Access portal at pa.courts.state.mn.us, which shows docket lines without attached documents.
The Minnesota Courts directory page for Murray County lists courthouse hours, contact information, and case search links for the Slayton court.
For older records not in MCRO, call the court at 507-836-6145. Staff can search by name or case number and tell you copy fees. Most criminal case records are public under Minnesota Statute 13. Juvenile records, sealed files, and some family court documents are restricted. No reason is required when requesting public records.
Murray County Sheriff's Office
The Murray County Sheriff's Office is at 2125 N Highway 59 in Slayton, MN 56172, near the district court. Phone is 507-836-6168. The Sheriff handles county-wide law enforcement and submits fingerprint records to the BCA for all persons arrested under the categories in Minnesota Statute 299C.10. Covered arrests include felonies, gross misdemeanors, and targeted misdemeanors. That fingerprint data enters the statewide criminal history system managed by the BCA.
Basic arrest data is public under Statute 13.82. You can request the time, place, charges, officer name, and final disposition of any Murray County arrest from the Sheriff's Office. Investigative files and underlying case materials are generally restricted. For arrest records related to a specific incident, file a request under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. The Sheriff does not run public background checks; use the BCA and court systems for that.
The Sheriff's Office and district court are both on N Highway 59 in Slayton. They are close together and can both be visited in a single trip if you need records from both agencies.
DOC Offender Locator and Statewide Tools
The Minnesota Department of Corrections provides a free Offender Locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicViewer. It shows whether someone is currently incarcerated or on supervised release through the state corrections system. Search by name, date of birth, or offender ID. Murray County residents under active DOC supervision appear in the results. Completed sentences do not show.
This tool works best as a supplement to the BCA and MCRO searches. The BCA covers conviction history. MCRO covers court-level documents. The DOC Locator shows active custody status. None of the three is complete on its own, but together they give the most comprehensive Murray County background check available through free public sources.
The DPS BCA background check page explains how Minnesota's public criminal history system works and what each search option covers.
Note: Local probation cases in Murray County supervised by the county rather than DOC will not show in the Offender Locator results.
Data Practices and Access Rules
Public records in Murray County are governed by Minnesota Statute Chapter 13, the Government Data Practices Act. The default rule is that government data is public. Any restriction requires specific legal authority. You can request court records, arrest logs, or other agency data from Murray County agencies without needing to explain why. The agency must either provide the records or cite the law that authorizes denial.
Two things can make a record invisible in online searches: expungement and the 15-year window. Expungement under Minn. Stat. 609A seals a record from public view. The BCA database and MCRO will not return it. The 15-year rule under Statute 13.87 ages older conviction data out of the public BCA search. Both factors can produce blank results even when a physical court record exists in Slayton. If you suspect a record exists but nothing shows online, contact the Murray County District Court directly.
Communities in Murray County
Murray County includes Slayton, Currie, Avoca, Iona, and other small communities. Slayton is the county seat. None of these cities meet the threshold for a dedicated background check page. Criminal cases from anywhere in Murray County are filed and maintained at the district court in Slayton.
Nearby Counties
Murray County is in southwestern Minnesota and shares borders with several other counties. Each has its own court and sheriff for local records.