Minnehaha County, South Dakota Arrest Records

In Minnehaha County, arrest records are summary documents that detail arrests by law enforcement agencies. The Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments, including the Sioux Falls Police Department and the Brandon Police Department, create these records during lawful arrests and booking processes.

South Dakota Codified Laws, Chapter 1-27 (Public Records) mandates that custodians of government records (including Minnehaha County arrest records) must make them accessible to the public upon request. Minnehaha County arrest records are maintained by the county’s Sheriff’s Office and other local arresting agencies. However, if they are processed and submitted to the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), these documents become criminal justice information, and public access is subject to Sections 23-5-11 and 23-5-12 of the South Dakota Codified Laws (CJI).

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Minnehaha, South Dakota?

Yes, the South Dakota Public Records Law guarantees public access to Minnehaha County arrest records. However, while individuals can access Minnehaha County's arrest records, South Dakota does not permit public access to juvenile records, sealed and expunged records, and information that infringes the subject's privacy rights. Consequently, in addition to the Public Records Law, several other rules and laws also govern public access to Minnehaha County's arrest records, including:

• Section 23-5 of the South Dakota Codified Laws (Criminal Identification)
• South Dakota Codified Laws § 15-15A (Unified Judicial System Rules)
• SDCL § 26-7A-27 (Juvenile Confidentiality)
• ARSD 02:02 (Division of Criminal Investigation).

Under South Dakota laws, any interested person can access Minnehaha County's arrest records without identification documents, regardless of their residency. Notwithstanding, a formal request for certified copies of criminal records (which may contain arrest records) often requires a valid government-issued photo ID.

Generally, individuals can access public-facing information about arrests in Minnehaha County, unless there are restrictive legislation or judicial orders. 

What Do Public County Arrest Records Contain?

South Dakota laws permit the public to access basic information about arrests in Minnehaha County. Typically, a publicly accessible Minnehaha County arrest record contains information, such as:

• Full name of the arrested individual
• Date of birth and/or age
• Gender and physical description 
• Arrest date and time
• Arrest location
• Arresting agency
• Charges or alleged offenses
• Booking number and date
• Mugshot, if available
• Custody status (released, in custody, or transferred)
• Bond or bail amount, if applicable.

While individuals can view and copy Minnehaha County, public access does not include: 

• Juvenile records 
• Investigative and intelligence information 
• Expunged and sealed records 
• Confidential criminal justice information (CJI).

These records are not publicly accessible; only authorized entities can access them.

Minnehaha County,  South Dakota Arrest Search

In addition to local custodians and county-level search tools, state and federal resources also provide pathways to access Minnehaha County's arrest records. The South Dakota Judicial Branch, Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), and Department of Corrections (DOC) offer alternative routes for individuals seeking access to Minnehaha County’s arrest records. Interested parties can access Minnehaha County's arrest records as part of criminal case files through the South Dakota Unified Judicial System (UJS) Public Access Records Search. Individuals can also access Minnehaha County's arrest records as part of fingerprint-based criminal history (CHRI) through the South Dakota Office of the Attorney General Computerized Criminal History (CCH) System. For arrests in Minnehaha County that result in incarceration at a South Dakota penitentiary, information seekers can search for arrest details as components of inmate records through the SD DOC Offender Locator.

Individuals searching for Minnehaha County arrest records can also use federal resources to find these documents if the associated offenses violate federal laws. For instance, the Administrative Office of the United States Courts provides access to federal case information through PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records). Users can view formal charges, indictments, hearing transcripts, and sentencing orders for interstate drug trafficking, federal firearms violations, or federal property-related arrests. For a Minnehaha County arrest that resulted in incarceration at a federal prison, interested parties can access its details as part of federal inmate records through the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Inmate Locator. Other federal resources that can provide access to Minnehaha County's arrest records include the FBI Identity History Summary Checks and the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW).

Minnehaha County Inmate Locator

In Minnehaha County, the Sheriff's Office operates the local jails and maintains the county's inmate roster. Individuals seeking access to arrest information in Minnehaha County can search the local jail roster and access it through inmate records. 

To find Minnehaha County arrest records through an inmate locator:

• Visit the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office website.
• Expand the “Jail” menu.
• Click the “Who’s Behind Bars” link 
• Scroll down and click the “Browse Full Inmate Listing” link to access arrest records through the county's jail roster. Alternatively, enter the subject's last name into the search tool.
• Click the “Search” button to submit the query.

Individuals seeking mail-in, in-person, or phone access to arrest information in Minnehaha County's unincorporated areas and smaller municipalities that do not maintain independent police departments should contact the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office between 8.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m., Mondays through Fridays at:

320 W 4th Street, 

Sioux Falls, 

SD 57104

Phone: 1(605) 367-4300.

Active Warrant Search in Minnehaha County

Minnehaha County arrest warrants are official orders issued by the county's courts authorizing law enforcement to take named individuals into custody. Judges and magistrates of Minnehaha County’s Circuit and Magistrate Courts issue arrest warrants if there is probable cause to believe that a named person committed a crime. A Minnehaha County judge or magistrate may also issue arrest warrants for other reasons, including:

• Failure to respond to a summons
• Missed court dates 
• Disobeying a subpoena
• Violations of court orders or terms
• Escaping custody or hiding from another state (fugitive from justice).

In Minnehaha County, while the courts issue arrest warrants, it is the responsibility of the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office and other local law enforcement agencies to execute the orders. Depending on the severity and location of the crimes, these agencies may collaborate with state and federal agencies to arrest the wanted persons. 

The Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office has an online page where the public can access warrant information. Individuals seeking access to active warrants in Minnehaha County should visit the county's active warrants page at “GotWarrants.org” for daily updates. Individuals with information about persons on Minnehaha County's active warrant list should call (605) 367-4268 or (605) 367-4300 during office hours, or after hours, non-emergency numbers at (605) 367-7000 or (605) 367-7007. Alternatively, tip the Minnehaha County Warrant Division through the Minnehaha County Jail Warrant Subject Information online form.

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Minnehaha County

Although Section 1-27-35 of the South Dakota Codified Laws permits custodian agencies to charge the “actual costs" associated with the retrieval and reproduction of public records (including Minnehaha County arrest records), there are options for free access to these documents. The Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office “Who's Behind Bars” search provides free access to arrest records through the county's inmate roster. Information seekers can also search for Minnehaha County arrest information at no cost through the South Dakota SAVIN Offender Search portal, or as part of criminal case records through Minnehaha County's Courthouse Public Access Terminals during office hours (8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. on weekdays, excluding holidays) at:

425 N. Dakota Avenue,

Sioux Falls, 

SD 57104-2470.

Individuals seeking Minnehaha County's arrest records should note that there are limits to the information obtained from a free-tier source. For instance, online search tools may not display older documents, available records may be redacted, and searchers may be required to provide relevant information to find specific data.

Minnehaha County Arrest Report

Minnehaha County arrest records and arrest reports play crucial roles in the county's law enforcement and criminal justice process. Generally, arrest records are summary documents on arrest events and are created by law enforcement agencies during arrest and booking processes. These documents provide public accounting of who is in custody and why. A Minnehaha County arrest record contains identifying details of the arrested person, the reasons for the arrest, and any applicable conditions for the release of the arrestee. In South Dakota, arrest records are public, unless there are mandatory or judicial restrictions.

Unlike arrest records, Minnehaha County’s arrest reports are narrative documents written by arresting officers as official accounts of arrests. These documents are more comprehensive than arrest records. An arrest report provides the factual basis for an arrest and serves as a tool for prosecution and future testimony. While South Dakota permits public access to arrest records, the state considers arrest reports as part of active investigative files, and arresting agencies may deny the public access to these documents.

The table below provides a brief comparison between Minnehaha County arrest records and arrest reports.

Feature	Minnehaha County Arrest Record	Minnehaha County Arrest Report
Format	Structured data/list	Narrative prose
Audience	The public Jailers Bondsmen	Prosecutors Defense attorneys Judges
Key Information	Charges  Bond Mugshot	Behavior Witness statements Officer’s reasoning
Availability	Immediate access	Usually delayed.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Minnehaha County

In Minnehaha County, expungement of arrest records follows a structured process outlined in Section 23A-3-26 through 23A-3-33 of the South Dakota Codified Laws. Under South Dakota laws, expungement and sealing serve the same purpose. A Minnehaha arrest record becomes eligible for expungement if:

• There are no charges.
• The court dismisses the charges.
• The court acquits the arrestee of the associated charges.

Individuals who need to expunge their Minnehaha County arrest record should do the following:

• Confirm their eligibility for expungement and observe the applicable waiting periods. Typically, there is a 1-year waiting period if there are no charges or if the court dismisses the charges. While owners of arrest records can apply for expungement if the courts acquit them.
• File a motion for expungement with the Minnehaha County Clerk of Courts.
• Serve notice of their expungement petitions to the public prosecutor’s office (State's Attorney’s Office).
• Pay applicable filing fees (or request waiver, if eligible).
• Attend the court hearing (if required).
• Wait for the court to grant the petition and issue an order to the relevant agencies to seal the record.

How Do You Remove Minnehaha County Arrest Records From the Internet?

Individuals who seek to remove their Minnehaha County arrest record from the internet must take additional steps after removing the information from official databases. Expungement is the first process; removing the details from the internet is not automatic. An expunged record may still be accessed online through third-party platforms. For individuals who need to remove the arrest records from unofficial platforms, the following steps may be useful:

• Obtain an expungement order from the South Dakota Second Judicial Circuit Court.
• Confirm that the record is no longer accessible on law enforcement databases or any other government repository.
• Identify all online platforms where the record is published and submit removal requests. This process may require proof of identity, a copy of the expungement order, and the specific URL or listing in question.