Complete a Free Cass County Warrant Search on Anyone

Perform a free Cass County warrant search today, using this resource for guidance to do so efficiently and effectively. Conducting an online or in-person lookup can be invaluable for finding out if you or someone you know has an outstanding warrant. You can also check past warrant information to learn more about someone or just because you’re curious.

Citizens are entitled to access warrant information through the Minnesota Data Practices Act. How you can access this information is crucial to be aware of, as government agencies are able to provide warrant information through any reasonable method they choose.

This article walks you through the steps of looking up warrant details on anyone wanted in Cass County, Minnesota.

This resource was written by Attorney Robert Bailey Jr, who holds a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law.

Information Necessary To Execute a Free Cass County Warrant Search

If you’re planning on conducting a search, you should get a firm understanding of warrants in Cass County. A better understanding of how warrant information is made available and what you need to access this data is essential to conducting an effective search.

Through the Minnesota Data Practices Act, warrant information is generally available.¹ Some exceptions may restrict warrant information in certain situations. There are various types of warrants (more on this later), and some are more prone to being restricted.

For example, arrest warrants are generally available, while those searching for evidence tend to be restricted until they are fully executed. The reason is because there’s an exception for information that may hinder a law enforcement investigation. The public availability of an arrest warrant tends to assist law enforcement in capturing a person, while one that is unexecuted for a search can taint an investigation.

As you’re getting ready to search for a warrant, you will find that you can access information online, in person, by phone, and by submitting a formal request through email or mail. You can choose which option works best for you.

Before you choose how to search for warrant information, you need to know the type of data needed to find these records. Start with ensuring you have the proper spelling of the person’s name you want to search. You’ll also want to know the county where the person is from and, if different, where the warrant was issued.

This should be enough to find the warrant information you seek. However, you may need additional information if you don’t have this data. Information related to the warrant (when and why it was issued) and the person (e.g., physical description, age etc.) can help resolve a difficult search.

You will search for warrant information directly with the record custodian. In Cass County, the record custodian for warrant information is the sheriff’s office and the district court.²

In certain cities and towns, municipal courts operate to handle certain location violations, including the issuing of warrants. The cities within Cass County don’t issue their own warrants.

Now that you understand warrants and what’s needed to find them, read on to learn specifically how you can find this type of information in Cass County.

Check if Someone Else or Yourself in Cass County Minnesota Has an Active Warrant

If you’re looking to track down active warrants, you can view a daily updated list through the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.³ This daily updated warrant list (every day at 7:00 AM) is a PDF, so you’ll have to scroll through the alphabetical listing.

The active warrant list through the Cass County Sheriff’s Office contains the person’s name, age and date issued. You can also view the offense level and the specific charges tied to the warrant. You can reach out to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office Records Division to ask about additional data.

For additional warrant information with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, you can send an email to [email protected] or by calling them at 218-547-1424. If talking to someone in person is preferable, you can go to their office at the address below:

Cass County Sheriff’s Office
301 Minnesota Ave. West
Walker, Minnesota 56484

The Cass County District Court is responsible for handling criminal cases where you can also find warrant information. To search through these criminal cases online, you can conduct a search with the Minnesota Court Records Online Search Tool.⁴

To begin your warrant search, make sure that only “criminal” is selected for the case category option. For court locations you will then select Cass County. Next, you will enter the person’s name.

If you’re unsure of the spelling, you can select the “sounds like” option and spell it out phonetically.

To narrow your results, you can provide the exact date or a range for the person’s date of birth or when the criminal case was filed. You can also select the current case status.

On the results page, you will find matching criminal cases with the number, date filed, and party name. You can also view the case type, status and specific information on the charges.

To view warrant information, you will need to select the “view case details” option.

Once you navigate to the person’s complete online criminal record, there is a specific section for any warrants the person has. Here, you can view when a warrant was served, by whom, and the amount of the bond associated with it.

You can also go to the case events section to view the actual warrant that was filed by the court. This will provide you with additional information, including a detailed statement of probable cause that led to the issuance of the warrant.

If you want to search for additional warrant information or have questions on how to access more detailed information, you can contact the District Court in Cass County by phone at 218-888-5150, or you can send them an email.⁵

The Cass County District Court is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. If you want to contact the District Court by mail or in person, you can use the address below:

Cass County Courthouse
300 Minnesota Ave. P.O. Box 3000
Walker, Minnesota 56484

The cities in Cass County do not have municipal courts which issue their own warrants. However, there is a way to conduct a statewide search, which will be discussed below.

How To Perform a Statewide Warrant Search in Minnesota

After conducting a search in Cass County, you may want to find out if a person has a warrant anywhere in Minnesota. To find this information, you can conduct a statewide search with the Minnesota Court Records Online Search Tool. You can follow the steps outlined above, as this is the same search tool.

The only difference is that you’ll need to select “statewide” under court locations instead of a specific county.

If you need anything beyond what’s provided in the online criminal record, you’ll have to reach out to the government agency that was responsible for issuing the warrant. A good starting point is to check with either their District Court or sheriff’s office for additional information.⁶

Warrant Types & What They Mean

If this is your first time conducting a search, you may not have known that there are several types of warrants in Cass County. Each warrant, when issued, serves a particular purpose. In addition, each warrant is triggered by certain events or actions.

Understanding how each warrant works will help you in your search and understanding the information you’re reviewing. Below are the warrants you may encounter when conducting a search in Cass County.

Search Warrant: Needed to gather additional information to prove a crime occurred. In order for a search warrant to be issued by a judge, law enforcement must provide probable cause of criminal evidence in a specific location. These can be issued in various ways, including no-knock warrants.⁷

Arrest Warrant: This warrant serves to take a person into custody who is suspected of committing a crime. Like the search warrant, law enforcement needs to provide the judge with enough evidence to establish probable cause.

Bench Warrant: Issued directly by a judge (without a request from law enforcement) for a violation of a court order; this is most often seen when a person does not show up for a scheduled hearing.

Probation & Parole Violation Warrant: A person can be taken into custody for violation of a term or condition of their probation or parole.

Capias Pro Fine Warrant: This type of warrant is issued when a person with a judgment against them refuses to pay the court-ordered restitution.

Child Support Warrant: Issued when a person does not pay child support in compliance with a court order.

If you see a warrant listed as “active,” it simply means that it has yet to be fully executed.

What To Do if You Have an Active Warrant in Cass County

Now that you’re aware of how to search for this type of information, the next step is determining what to do if you find an active warrant for yourself, a friend or someone else. If the warrant is yours, you can’t ignore it. If it’s issued for someone else, take some time to determine the best course of action; below are some specific tips.

If you find a warrant for someone, what you do depends on the type that was issued and your relationship with that person. If the warrant is for a violent felony, regardless of your relationship, you should provide any information you have about the person to law enforcement, such as the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.⁸

You can contact the Cass County Sheriff’s Office by phone at 218-547-1424 or ar the address below:

Cass County Sheriff’s Office
301 Minnesota Ave. W.
Walker, Minnesota 56484

If the warrant is less serious, you can notify the person directly so they can resolve the matter. Or you can let someone know who can pass along the information to them.

If the warrant is for you, some types will allow you to have it removed if you resolve some particular outstanding issue. Others will require you to turn yourself in. When that occurs, talk to an attorney who handles criminal cases to walk you through each step of the process.

From there, you will also want to contact a bail bondsman. This preliminary step can assist you in obtaining bail quicker after you finish being processed. Regardless, you should let your family know as there is uncertainty as to when you may be released or have the opportunity to contact them when in custody.

With all of this information, you are now prepared to begin your Cass County warrant search; bookmark this page to refer back to whenever you want to conduct a warrant search in Cass County, Minnesota.