Access Lake of the Woods County Jail Records
Lake of the Woods County booking releases are public records maintained by the sheriff's office in Baudette, Minnesota. You can search who is currently in custody, view booking dates and charges, and set up custody notifications using VINE and other free state tools. This page walks you through how to access Lake of the Woods County jail records, what state law allows you to see, and how to get records directly from the sheriff's office when needed.
Lake of the Woods County Overview
Lake of the Woods County Sheriff's Office
The Lake of the Woods County Sheriff's Office manages law enforcement, jail operations, and booking records for this remote northern Minnesota county. The office and jail are located at 206 8th Ave SE in Baudette. Staff are available 24 hours a day for jail operations, with administrative staff available during normal business hours.
| Address | 206 8th Ave SE, Baudette, MN 56623 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (218) 634-1143 |
| Jail Phone | (218) 634-1143 |
| Website | co.lake-of-the-woods.mn.us |
Lake of the Woods County is one of the most remote counties in Minnesota. Baudette, the county seat, sits on the Rainy River along the Canadian border. The county includes a section of land that is only accessible by crossing into Canada, making it geographically unique in the lower 48 states. The sheriff's office serves the entire county and handles all detention for county inmates.
Huber Work Release Program
The Lake of the Woods County jail operates a Huber work release program for qualifying inmates. Under this program, people serving sentences can leave the jail during the day to work or attend school and return in the evening. There is a daily fee for participating in the Huber program. County residents pay $25 per day. Non-residents pay $45 per day.
Huber participants are still counted as inmates in the booking records. Their custody status in VINE will show them as in custody at the Lake of the Woods County jail even when they are out on a work release pass during the day. If you are checking on a Huber participant, call the jail directly at (218) 634-1143 for the most current status.
Note: Huber/Work Release fees at Lake of the Woods County jail are $25/day for residents and $45/day for non-residents. Call (218) 634-1143 for current program details.
How to Search Lake of the Woods County Booking Releases
VINE is the main tool for looking up Lake of the Woods County inmates. The service is free and available around the clock. To search, go to vinelink.com and select Minnesota. Enter the name of the person you are looking for. Results show whether they are currently in custody, when they were booked, and what charges they face.
VINE also has a notification feature. If you register, you get an alert when the custody status of the person you are watching changes. That includes release, transfer, or a change in bond status. You can register by phone at 1-877-664-8463 or online at VINE's website. The service is free and available in English and Spanish.
The image below shows the Minnesota BCA criminal history search system, a separate state tool for looking up broader criminal records beyond current bookings in Lake of the Woods County.
The BCA system covers convictions statewide and can supplement the current custody data you find through VINE for Lake of the Woods County cases.
What Booking Records Contain
When someone is booked into the Lake of the Woods County jail, the sheriff's office creates a public record. Minnesota Statute 13.82 sets out what parts of that record must be open to the public. The required public data includes the person's name, the date and time of arrest, the charges, and the arresting agency.
Some fields in a booking record stay private. Home addresses, medical data, and information about ongoing investigations are typically withheld. The sheriff's office makes these determinations based on state law. You can ask the office directly if you have a question about a specific field in a record.
Standard public data in a Lake of the Woods County booking release:
- Full name
- Date and time of booking
- Charges or reason for hold
- Arresting agency
- Bail or bond status
- Case reference number
State Laws That Govern Booking Data
Minnesota Statute 13.82 is the main law. It defines what arrest and booking data must be public in all Minnesota counties. Lake of the Woods County follows this statute the same way every other county does.
Minnesota Statute 13.85 covers correctional facility data. This law governs what the jail keeps about inmates and what parts of those records can be shared. Medical information and facility security data are the most commonly protected categories under this statute.
Minnesota Statute 641.05 sets the standards for how Minnesota county jails must operate and what records they must keep. It applies to Lake of the Woods County's jail the same as it does to every other county jail in the state.
Court Records and MCRO
Lake of the Woods County is in the Ninth Judicial District. Court cases are filed and heard in Baudette. You can search case records online through MCRO at mncourts.gov. MCRO is free and covers both open and closed cases. For a Lake of the Woods County criminal case, you can see what charges were filed, the next court date, and how the case was resolved.
BCA Statewide Criminal History
For a broader look at someone's criminal record beyond the current booking roster, use the Minnesota BCA at chs.state.mn.us. The BCA database covers convictions from all 87 Minnesota counties. Some searches are free. Others require a formal request and may involve a fee depending on why you are looking.
Requesting Records from the Sheriff
If online tools do not have what you need, contact the Lake of the Woods County Sheriff's Office. The office is at 206 8th Ave SE, Baudette, MN 56623. Call (218) 634-1143 to ask about the data request process. Under Minnesota's Government Data Practices Act, the office must respond to public data requests promptly. Giving the name, booking date, and record type when you call speeds up the search.
Cities in Lake of the Woods County
Baudette is the county seat and largest community in Lake of the Woods County. Other small communities include Baudette, Wheeler's Point, and Angle Inlet. None of these communities reach the population threshold for a dedicated city page. All booking releases for Lake of the Woods County residents are processed through the sheriff's office in Baudette.
Nearby Counties
Lake of the Woods County borders several other Minnesota counties, each with their own booking release records.