The Sheriff's Office keeps this tool, with a button for English or Spanish.

1. Bring up the jail locator in a web browser.
2. Type the surname. Gender, a first name or a four-digit year of birth all help when many rows come back.
3. Match the right row using birth date, age, height and weight.
4. Click into the details. Custody date, bail, booking status, court date and court branch sit there.
5. Jot down the booking number, since staff locate a file quicker with it.

Empty charge fields usually mean intake hasn't wrapped up. Check back later, or ring 651-257-2931.

Gaps right after an arrest happen a lot. Here is why:

• Intake isn't done. Prints, photos and paperwork come before the listing, so a late-night arrest can lag.
• Ticketed, then freed. Officers usually cite and release on misdemeanors (Rule 6.01 of the criminal rules).
• Out after the first hearing. Plenty of people walk out once a judge sets conditions or takes their promise to return.
• Held in a different county. A stop in a bordering county means that county's jail did the booking.
• Typing issues. Test a nickname, a former last name, or only a surname paired with the birth year.
• A minor. Youths under 18 are handled apart from adults, so the adult list may skip them.

Staff at 651-257-2931 can say whether intake happened, whether a release followed, or whether a transfer took place. VINE, covered further down, tracks transfers as well.

Yes, for county cases. Every adult kept after an arrest here stays in one jail:

• Chisago County Jail, 15230 Per Road, Center City, MN 55012, 651-257-2931. The Sheriff's Jail Division staffs it at the Public Safety Center. Inmates face charges at every level, some awaiting trial and some already sentenced. Housing splits into a minimum-and-medium side and a maximum side, each on its own visit clock.

Two sentence programs, Huber work release and Sentence to Service crews, are run out of that same jail. Staff can tell you whether your relative is enrolled.

An arrest in a bordering county normally means booking in that county's own jail. Our Minnesota jail directory lists those jails with phones. Federal defendants are often housed elsewhere, as the federal answer explains.

Open a person's details on the locator. Look for the "view image" link. A booking picture would load there. If none shows, Minnesota data law still calls booking pictures public. An agency may hold one back for a time if it would hurt an open case (Minn. Stat. 13.82, subd. 26).

For mugshots, ask whichever agency arrested the person. For a deputy arrest, that is the Sheriff's Office, 651-213-6300. Charge, custody status and release details are also open to the public there (Minn. Stat. 13.82, subd. 2).

• Ask ICE for its own photos with the ICE FOIA request page.
• Federal booking images are generally withheld. The U.S. Marshals Service may share one, for example while chasing a fugitive.

It can. Minnesota VINE is a free tool from the state's public safety department that follows custody in county jails. It shows custody status and location, and signed-up users get an alert when the person is released or moved. Enroll at VINELink or by calling 877-664-8463. Alerts start only after you enroll.

The jail's own FAQ points relatives to VINE after a transfer. Once someone reaches state prison, VINE stops; the Corrections department uses its own system, Minnesota Haven.

When police arrest someone without a warrant, a District Court judge must see that person within 36 hours. Sundays, legal holidays and the arrest day itself are left off that clock (Rule 4.02, subd. 5). Separately, a judge has 48 calendar hours, weekends included, to find probable cause (Rule 4.03). A warrant arrest follows whatever the warrant says. Ask court staff whether the first appearance is in the courtroom or by video. The courthouse is at 313 North Main Street, Center City, MN 55012, 651-213-7010.

• Default is going home. The first options a judge weighs are personal recognizance, meaning a signed promise, and an unsecured bond. Judges add only the mildest conditions that safety and a return to court require (Rule 6.02).
• Often two figures. A no-strings cash amount must also be named, so paperwork may show a smaller sum with conditions beside a bigger one without.
• No ticket for domestic charges. Arrests for domestic assault, stalking, or violating an order for protection or a no-contact order skip the ticket option; the person is jailed until a judge decides (Minn. Stat. 629.72).
• Posted cash is the defendant's. The court administrator takes it, fines may come out first, and any refund goes to the defendant unless the defendant signs form CRM602 naming another person to get it (Minn. Stat. 629.53).
• Bondsmen hold a Commerce Department license. Premiums start at $100, and that money never comes back (Minn. Stat. 60M.02).

Once set, bail shows in the locator. Call 651-257-2931 to learn the payment spot and method. Jail staff never phone families demanding bail money, the locator warns. Details sit on our bail page and our Minnesota bail law summary.

After intake, the locator shows charge lines. The court's own filing appears in Minnesota Court Records Online, a free state site. Enter the name in the MCRO case finder once a case is opened. Court staff answer questions at 651-213-7010.

Felony complaints come from the Chisago County Attorney's Office, 313 North Main Street, Suite 370, Center City, MN 55012, 651-213-8400, which also runs Victim/Witness help on that number. Charge level caps the penalty:

• Petty misdemeanor: $300 fine at most, never jail.
• Misdemeanor: 90 days or less, fines to $1,000.
• Gross misdemeanor: 364 days or less, fines to $3,000.
• Felony: a possible prison term of one year or more (Minn. Stat. 609.02, 609.03).

No money for an attorney? A public defender can be requested. This covers felonies, gross misdemeanors and misdemeanors that could mean jail. A financial statement is filled out, and eligibility is the judge's call. People on means-tested benefits count as eligible from the start (Minn. Stat. 611.14, 611.17). Ask at the very first hearing.

Appointments here go to the Public Defender, Tenth Judicial District, North Branch Office, 38986 14th Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056, 763-689-7070. Hiring private counsel is always an option. According to the jail, conversations with a verified attorney stay confidential.

Visiting takes place on lobby video screens at 15230 Per Road, Center City, MN 55012. It costs nothing, and each inmate may have one 20-minute session per day. The schedule follows housing level:

• Minimum or medium: Sunday 8:00 a.m. to noon and 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.; Wednesday 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.; Friday 8:00 a.m. to noon.
• Maximum: Sunday 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.; Wednesday 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.; Friday 8:00 to 10:00 a.m.

Carry valid government photo ID. Staff may search visitors and anything they carry. Adults only, except an inmate's own child escorted by the other parent or a legal guardian. Two visitors at a time is the limit, kids stay with you, and cell phones stay put away. Shoes are required and revealing outfits are not allowed. Co-defendants need advance approval, and the inmate can refuse any visit.

At-home video visits cost a small fee through the Reliance Telephone website or Reliance Connect app. More pointers are in our visitation guide.

Turnkey Corrections handles the jail store, stocked with hygiene items, writing supplies and snacks. Deposit options:

• Online via Inmate Canteen.
• The Turnkey kiosk in the lobby at 15230 Per Road, Center City, MN 55012.

Mailed funds may be money orders or certified or teller checks, but never personal checks. Cash is taken, yet mailing it is risky. Anything above $350.00 can sit for up to 10 business days while it clears. Ask the jail at 651-257-2931 about anything unclear.

Store money pays for snacks and calls, not release. Read our deposit guide and the commissary explainer.

Phones are used during out-of-cell time for phone card calls, collect calls and video calls. Incoming calls to inmates are blocked.

• Video chats: install Reliance Connect from Google Play or Apple's App Store. Outside lobby hours, your relative can call that account at $0.25 per minute, charged to their jail wallet.
• Voicemail: dial 651-237-3112 and record a brief private note for one inmate.

The jail's page says phone and video calls are not monitored or recorded. Even so, the safest place to discuss the case is with the defense attorney. To learn about tablets or e-messages, call 651-257-2931. Our jail call primer and inmate email primer add more.

Write the envelope like this:

[Inmate's full name] - Chisago County Jail
15230 Per Road
Center City, MN 55012

The county's format asks for the name only, with no booking number. Skip stamps and pre-stamped return envelopes, which get rejected. Add your return address in the corner.

Check with 651-257-2931 before mailing books, magazines or photos. Our mail rules guide lists typical limits.

Items taken at intake are usually kept by the jail until release. For pickup times, ID needs or a signed property form, phone 651-257-2931.

The county bills a pay-for-stay fee for days spent in jail. That bill has nothing to do with bail and won't free anyone. Hardship can earn a full or partial waiver. Mail or hand-deliver the Pay-for-Stay Fee Waiver Application plus proof to Jail Administration, 15230 Per Road, Center City, MN 55012, inside 30 days of the invoice date. Questions: 651-213-5765.

The medical team inside the jail answers at 651-213-6476. Have ready the name, birth date, each prescription and dose, and the doctor's contact details. Your relative should also tell jail staff from inside.

If you worry about suicide or self-harm, open the call by saying so. Real emergencies go to 911. Sexual abuse is never tolerated there, and any staff member can take a report. Survivors can reach The Refuge, a support line the jail names, at 800-338-7233.

Worried about a warrant? Ring the Chisago Sheriff's Office at 651-213-6300 on weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Have the correct name spelling and the birth date ready. The jail runs a walk-in warrants program too, so call 651-257-2931 first. The Corrections department's wanted fugitives page names people sought for supervised release violations. MCRO reveals open cases by name, yet warrants stay off it. Getting a warrant lifted begins with a lawyer's advice. Next, contact court administration at the Chisago County Courthouse, 313 North Main Street, Center City, MN 55012, 651-213-7010.

A person's locator details show the upcoming hearing and its court branch. The free MCRO hearing lookup works by name too. Each business day at 7:00 a.m., the day's calendar goes up on the court's Judicial Branch page.

Criminal matters are heard at 313 North Main Street, Center City, MN 55012, 651-213-7010. Free legal-form help comes from the Tenth Judicial District Self-Help Center at the Court Administration window on each month's third Wednesday, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 3:00 p.m., 763-760-6699.

Roughly six weeks (42 days) past the first appearance, an omnibus hearing usually follows (Rule 11.01). A speedy trial demand forces trial inside 60 days (Rule 11.09). Our court page spells out each later stage.

Federal cases from Minnesota all belong to one federal district, the District of Minnesota; the court lists this county in its St. Paul jury division. Court there meets in the Warren E. Burger Federal Building, 316 North Robert Street, St. Paul, MN 55101. The clerk's office answers at 612-664-5000.

1. Jail or home before trial? That question goes to a federal judge, who decides it at a detention hearing (18 U.S.C. 3142).
2. Pretrial custody belongs to the U.S. Marshals Service, whose district office is at 300 South 4th Street, Suite 402, Minneapolis, MN 55415, 612-664-5900. Phone them to learn the housing location.
3. A large share of Minnesota's Marshals prisoners live in the Sherburne County Jail, Elk River. Sherburne's Sheriff's Office: 13880 Business Center Drive NW, Suite 100, Elk River, MN 55330, 763-765-3500.
4. Once sentenced, search the BOP inmate locator by name or register number.

Step by step, an immigration hold usually looks like this:

1. The detainer ICE sends the jail is Form I-247A. With it, ICE requests a heads-up before release plus a hold.
2. Under 8 CFR 287.7(d), the hold can last up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released. During that window, ICE can come get them.
3. In a February 6, 2025 opinion, the Minnesota Attorney General concluded that state law does not let jails keep a person only for an ICE detainer once release time comes. The jail, 651-257-2931, can explain its own practice.
4. ICE's ERO St. Paul Field Office handles this area, 1 Federal Drive, Suite 1601, Fort Snelling, MN 55111, 612-843-8600. Detainees are housed in a handful of Minnesota county jails, Sherburne's among them.
5. Look someone up with the ICE Online Detainee Locator. Type in the person's A-number. Without it, use their name and native country.

Prison time on a felony means DOC custody. Before that, the inmate remains on Per Road. The Sheriff later transports them to DOC intake, where staff assess them and choose a facility.

• Name searches work in the DOC Offender Locator, though newcomers may need a few business days to show.
• Visiting and mail at each prison are in our Minnesota prisons page.

Supervised release normally covers the last third of the term, served in the community under DOC agents.

Minnesota defines a child as a person under 18 (Minn. Stat. 260B.007). The District Court's juvenile division hears these cases. Police normally release the youth to a parent or guardian, except when the youth is dangerous or unlikely to show up (Minn. Stat. 260B.176, subd. 1).

• A youth in secure detention can be held 36 hours at most. That 36-hour count skips weekends and holidays. Past that, a petition must be filed and a judge must rule.
• Adult jails and lockups may hold a child only briefly: 24 hours outside the metro area and 6 hours within it (260B.176, subd. 2).
• Per our court page, youth held from this county usually go to the East Central Regional Juvenile Center in Lino Lakes, under a joint powers agreement.
• Serious felonies by 14- to 17-year-olds may lead to certification (a transfer to adult court) or to extended jurisdiction juvenile (EJJ) status.

Court administration, 651-213-7010, gives parents the hearing time and the facility holding their child. The jail, 651-257-2931, knows whether the child came through booking.

Roughly 59,143 people live here (State Demographic Center estimate, April 1, 2025). Jail staff can usually tell you which agency made the arrest. Then contact that agency:

• Chisago County Sheriff's Office, 15230 Per Road, Center City, MN 55012, 651-213-6300, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. By contract, deputies patrol Center City, Harris, Rush City, Shafer, Stacy and Taylors Falls.
• Emergency Communications Center (county dispatch), 651-257-4100. Emergencies go to 911.
• Lakes Area Police Department, policing Chisago City and Lindstrom from a station on Sylvan Avenue in Lindstrom.
• North Branch Police Department, Elm Street, North Branch.
• Wyoming Police Department, Wyoming Trail, Wyoming.
• Minnesota State Patrol, central office for the whole state, 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 130, St. Paul, MN 55101, 651-201-7100. Its State Patrol contacts page has a county selector that shows the local district.

Need one of the three city departments? Phone dispatch and ask to be put through.