Minnesota, county records
Find the right office in Watonwan County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.
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Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
County court
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota keeps bankruptcy dockets and claims searchable through PACER, accepts electronic proofs of claim and runs a free bankruptcy advice clinic.
Open official site Minnesota Federal CasesProperty records
The Minnesota Department of Revenue publishes property tax data by year and location, including sales ratios and market values. Parcel records and tax statements come from each Minnesota county.
Open official site Minnesota Property RecordsVital records
Request birth and death certificates, marriage records and divorce filings in Minnesota.
Open official site Minnesota Vital RecordsState records
Find active and inactive corporations by name from the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Open official site Minnesota Business & Corporation SearchState records
Search property and claim status by individual name or business through the Minnesota Dept. of Commerce.
Open official site Minnesota Unclaimed PropertyLocal record guide
County profile
Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Watonwan County Sheriff's Office is responsible for maintaining law and order throughout Watonwan County, particularly in unincorporated areas.
Police Departments. In addition to Watonwan County Sheriff's Office, law enforcement in Watonwan County is supported by municipal police departments, including the St. James Police Department and the Madelia Police Department. Coordination between the Sheriff's Office and city police departments is essential for addressing major crimes and making sure of full coverage across Watonwan County.
Law Enforcement & Arrests. Watonwan County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 710 Second Avenue South in St. James, Minnesota 56081, is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas and provides countywide services including civil process, court security, and jail operations. Watonwan County Jail, operated by the Sheriff's Office at the same location, houses pre-trial detainees and sentenced misdemeanor offenders. Minnesota public records law, specifically Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13 (Minnesota Government Data Practices Act), governs access to arrest records and booking information.
Arrest Records. Arrest records in Watonwan County are maintained by Watonwan County Sheriff's Office. Residents and attorneys can request access to arrest records by contacting the Sheriff's Office directly, adhering to the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, which governs public access to government records.
Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Watonwan County are taken and retained by Watonwan County Sheriff's Office during the booking process. These booking photos are part of the public record and can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office or potentially through third-party websites.
Abandoned mine records
Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.
From the old mine records
The mine records hold 3 mine sites inside the county: 1 past producer, now closed, 2 sites producing when the record was made; the old survey maps add 58 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels. The mineral the records name is construction sand and gravel.
A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area. Minnesota has no coal AML program; its underground mines are iron mines on the Mesabi Range.
Minnesota abandoned mine maps ranks every county and town in the state by the workings recorded inside it, names the office that holds the mine maps, and says what to do if the ground moves.
Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.
Labor Department file
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 2 investigations in Watonwan County since fiscal 2005 and recorded $5,538 in back wages agreed for 21 workers. The county is the one the Census Bureau puts each employer's ZIP code in. Snapshot of April 22, 2026; a case here is a finding by the Division, not a court judgment.
| Employer | City | Cases | Back wages | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pietsch Construction, Inc. | Madelia | 1 | $4,942 | 18 |
| SMK Ventures | Madelia | 1 | $595 | 3 |
Every employer on the Watonwan County record, by back wages agreed; 0 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record in this row. The Minnesota wage theft records page ranks the whole state.
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Watonwan County Sheriff or a city police department in Watonwan County. Ask that agency for its record. Under Minnesota Statutes 13.82, subdivision 26, a booking photograph is public data; a law enforcement agency may withhold it for a time if access would hurt an active investigation.
The Minnesota criminal history record comes from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). Free name search of public criminal history (convictions public for 15 years after the sentence ends) online; for your own full record, send the BCA a notarized personal request form by mail or in person. Fee: Free online public search; $8.00 for a Minnesota only check on yourself, plus $10.00 per card for fingerprinting service.
Search the Minnesota Department of Corrections Public Registrant Search, or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Register with the county auditor or through the Minnesota Secretary of State. You can also register online with the state online registration. Same day registration: yes, in person at your polling place on Election Day with proof of residence; registration ahead of time closes 20 days before a regularly scheduled election (Minnesota Statutes 201.061).
Deeds and other recorded land documents in Watonwan County are kept by the Watonwan County recorder. Property values are set by the county assessor, and tax bills come from the county treasurer. Source: official state page.
Certified birth and death certificates for Minnesota come from the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records. Any Minnesota county vital records office sells birth and death certificates, and for fastest service MDH points you to a county office, where most of the time you get the order while you wait. In person at a county vital records office, or from MDH by mail to PO Box 64499, St. Paul, MN 55164-0499 or by fax to 866-416-1357 (credit card only) with the application form. Fee: $26 for a birth certificate ($19 for each added copy of the same one); $13 for a death certificate ($6 for each added copy).
Business entity filings are searched with the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services. Minnesota DEED says many local governments require licenses for certain kinds of businesses, and in some cases cities and counties require a general business license.
Same county
Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.