Find Arrest Records in Watonwan County

Watonwan County arrest records are maintained by the Sheriff's Office in St. James and include jail rosters, warrant lists, and most wanted postings. The county is small, with a compact jail that holds a limited number of inmates at a time. Online access is available through PDF rosters and the most wanted page on the county website. This page walks you through the tools available to search arrest data, check warrants, and request records from Watonwan County.

Watonwan County Sheriff's Office and Jail

The Watonwan County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency in the county. It is located at the courthouse in St. James. The jail sits at 715 Third Avenue S and runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The jail holds adult inmates and is licensed by the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Julie Carr serves as the Jail Administrator.

The Sheriff's Office handles arrests, warrants, and civil process. For general inquiries, call (507) 375-3121. For jail-specific questions, call the jail line at (507) 375-1206. The county's main website is watonwancountymn.gov, which has direct links to the jail, roster, most wanted, and warrant list pages.

Watonwan County Inmate Roster

The Sheriff's Office posts an inmate roster as a PDF on the county website. The roster is updated on a regular basis and shows current inmates held at the Watonwan County Jail. Each listing includes the inmate's name, photo, charges, booking date, projected release date, and bail amount. The PDF also shows who is holding the inmate, meaning which arresting agency brought them in.

You can find the roster at co.watonwan.mn.us. This is a small facility that typically holds between 6 and 10 inmates at any given time. If you do not see the person you are looking for on the roster, they may have been released or transferred to another facility. Call the jail at (507) 375-1206 to confirm.

The Watonwan County main website is the starting point for all public records access through the Sheriff's Office.

From here you can navigate to the jail page, warrant list, most wanted, and roster links for Watonwan County arrest records.

The county jail page provides details about the facility, including services, visitation information, and how to contact staff.

The jail page also links to roster and booking data, making it a useful hub for inmate searches in Watonwan County.

Watonwan County Warrants and Most Wanted

Watonwan County posts both a warrant list and a most wanted page through the county website. The warrant list is a PDF showing people with active warrants in the county. You can find it at watonwancountymn.gov. The list is updated as warrants are issued or cleared. Warrants may be for new charges, failure to appear in court, or probation violations.

The most wanted page at watonwancountymn.gov/343/Most-Wanted shows people the Sheriff's Office is actively looking for. Listings include photos and descriptions of the wanted individuals. If you have information about someone on the list, contact the Sheriff's Office by phone at (507) 375-3121.

The most wanted page is one of the more frequently used public tools on the Watonwan County Sheriff website.

Photos and case details are listed for each active wanted person. The page is updated when new entries are added or existing cases are resolved.

The Sheriff's Office page on the county site gives a direct view of available public tools and contact information for law enforcement in Watonwan County.

Use this page to find the right contact or navigate to public records tools managed by the Watonwan County Sheriff.

Requesting Watonwan County Arrest Records

For records not available online, contact the Sheriff's Office directly. Written requests go to P.O. Box 518, St. James, MN 56081. You can also call (507) 375-3121 to ask about the process. Arrests that are part of a public record under Minn. Stat. § 13.82 must be disclosed on request. This includes name, date of birth, charges, arresting agency, and booking date.

Some data may be withheld if the case involves an ongoing investigation or a juvenile. Official certified background checks go through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at chs.state.mn.us. Fees may apply depending on the type of request. Ask the Sheriff's Office about current rates before submitting a formal request.

Note: Civil fingerprinting services are available at the Watonwan County Sheriff's Office. Forms are available in English and Spanish. Call ahead to confirm availability.

Statewide Search Tools

Beyond what Watonwan County posts locally, several state tools can help you search for arrest and custody records. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at chs.state.mn.us runs the official criminal history system. Background checks through the BCA are fingerprint-verified and carry fees. They are used for employment screening, licensing, and legal purposes.

The Minnesota Court Records Online system at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us lets you search court cases from Watonwan County District Court. You can look up cases by name or case number and see charges, hearing dates, and case status. The system is free and does not require you to create an account.

The Minnesota DOC public viewer at coms.doc.state.mn.us/publicviewer/ covers people committed to state prison. It does not show people held only in county jail. VINELink at vinelink.com provides free custody alerts and lets you track when someone's status changes. You can register online or call 877-664-8463.

Nearby Counties

Watonwan County sits in south-central Minnesota. Check these neighboring counties if you need arrest records from a nearby jurisdiction.