Marshall County Police Blotter
Marshall County Police Blotter records are managed by the Marshall County Sheriff's Office in Warren, which sits in the far northwestern corner of Minnesota near the North Dakota border. The sheriff's office handles patrol, dispatch, and records for this large but sparsely populated county. Incident reports and arrest logs are available to the public under Minnesota's data practices laws, and requests are handled by contacting the sheriff's office directly during regular business hours.
Marshall County Sheriff's Office Contact and Location
The Marshall County Sheriff's Office is at 208 E. Colvin Ave., Suite 1, Warren, Minnesota 56762. Phone: 218-745-5411. Fax: 218-745-9203. For general dispatch and records inquiries, email dispatch@co.marshall.mn.us. If you have a tip about criminal activity, the sheriff's office maintains a separate tip line at mcso.tips@co.marshall.mn.us. You can find more information on the department website at marshallcountymn.gov.
The office is open during regular business hours on weekdays. For urgent matters or emergencies, call the main dispatch number. For non-emergency records requests, plan to visit or call during standard office hours and be ready to describe exactly what you need.
Jail Status and Inmate Housing
As of March 2026, the Marshall County jail is temporarily closed. Inmates are being held at the Pennington County Jail during this period. This is an important detail if you are trying to locate someone currently in custody or verify a recent arrest. If you need to reach an inmate, the standard Marshall County booking process is still handled by the sheriff's office, but physical housing is at Pennington County.
During the jail closure, fingerprinting services at the Marshall County facility are also unavailable. If you need fingerprinting for a background check or licensing purpose, you will need to find an alternative location. The sheriff's office can direct you to the nearest option.
For inmate messaging, the phone number is 218-416-1140. The phone system is operated by Reliance Telephone. To connect with an inmate held at a facility using Reliance, call 1-800-896-3201. Collect calls and prepaid accounts are typically handled through this system.
Requesting Police Blotter Records
Under Minn. Stat. § 13.82, law enforcement agencies in Minnesota must make certain public data available on request. Arrest data is public. That includes the name of the person arrested, the time, place, and offense, and the identity of the arresting officer. Agencies cannot refuse to share this data. Additional portions of a report, such as witness details or investigation notes, may be classified as private depending on the circumstances.
The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, found at Minn. Stat. § 13.03, gives everyone the right to request public government data. You do not need to explain why you want it. The agency must tell you what is available, what is not, and why. Contact the Marshall County Sheriff's Office to make a records request. They will walk you through the process and tell you if there are any applicable fees for copies.
Firearm Permits
The Marshall County Sheriff's Office issues both Permit to Purchase and Permit to Carry for firearms. The Permit to Purchase is free of charge. The Permit to Carry costs $100 for a new permit and $75 for a renewal. As of April 2025, people between the ages of 18 and 20 may apply for a Permit to Carry under MN Statute 624.7131.9, following a change in state law. Contact the sheriff's office for the application process and required documents.
Statewide Tools and Resources
The Minnesota Sheriffs' Association is a statewide organization that connects county sheriff's offices and helps standardize practices. Their website at mnsheriffs.org can be helpful if you are navigating the records process and are unsure who to contact. The image below shows the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association homepage.
The Sheriffs' Association provides resources for residents, information on permit processes, and links to individual county offices across the state.
The VineLink system lets you check where someone is being held in Minnesota and track changes in custody status. Since Marshall County inmates are currently housed at Pennington County, VineLink is particularly useful for confirming a person's current location without calling multiple jails. The Minnesota Courts website gives access to court case records across all 87 counties, including any charges filed following a Marshall County arrest.
What the Police Blotter Includes
The Police Blotter is a log of law enforcement activity. In Marshall County, that means calls for service, traffic stops, arrests, citations issued, and other incidents where deputies responded. Not every call generates a written report. Not every report is fully public. But Minnesota law is clear that basic arrest information must be shared with anyone who asks.
Local newspapers in the region sometimes publish summaries of the sheriff's blotter. These published summaries may be easier to browse than direct records requests for general research. But if you need the actual report, the sheriff's office is the authoritative source.
For statewide criminal history data beyond the local blotter, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension manages comprehensive records and background check services separate from what the county holds.
Nearby Counties
Marshall County is in the far northwest and shares borders with other sparsely populated counties in that region. If an incident crossed county lines, you may need to check with these offices as well.
- Pennington County - county seat Thief River Falls, currently housing Marshall County inmates
- Kittson County - county seat Hallock
- Roseau County - county seat Roseau
- Red Lake County - county seat Red Lake Falls