Lake of the Woods County Released Inmates

Lake of the Woods County released inmate records are managed by the county Sheriff's Office in Baudette, one of the most remote and least populous counties in Minnesota, sitting on the Canadian border at the far north of the state. The Sheriff's Office handles all local law enforcement, jail operations, and court security, and the public can access inmate information through direct contact with the office or through the statewide tools listed on this page.

Lake of the Woods County Sheriff's Office

The Lake of the Woods County Sheriff's Office is at 206 3rd Ave SE, Baudette, MN 56623. The non-emergency line is (218) 634-1143 and the fax is (218) 634-1905. For emergencies, call 911. The Sheriff's Office is the primary point of contact for anyone seeking information about released inmates or current custody in Lake of the Woods County.

Lake of the Woods County is one of the smallest counties in Minnesota by population. It sits at the far northern edge of the state, bordering Canada, and includes a geographic oddity: the Northwest Angle, a portion of Minnesota that can only be reached by land through Canada or by water. The county's remote location means the Sheriff's Office serves a wide geographic area with limited resources. Law enforcement here covers everything from border-adjacent incidents to the county's fishing and outdoor recreation industry, which draws seasonal visitors from across the region.

The Sheriff's Office handles jail operations along with law enforcement and court security duties. Because the county is so small, the jail does not have a high volume of daily bookings, and direct contact with the Sheriff's Office is often the most reliable way to get current inmate information. If you call during business hours and ask about a specific person, staff can tell you whether that person is in custody and provide the basic booking information that is public under Minnesota law.

VINE can also be used to track custody status for Lake of the Woods County inmates without calling the office directly. See the VINE section below for details on how to set up automatic notifications tied to the county's facility.

Minnesota DOC Offender Locator

When someone prosecuted in Lake of the Woods County receives a state prison sentence, their record moves into the Minnesota Department of Corrections tracking system rather than staying in the local county jail roster. The MN DOC Public Viewer covers these state-level cases.

The viewer is available at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicViewer. Search by name or offender ID to find current custody status, facility location, and release date information. If the person you are looking for is no longer at the county jail but was sentenced to a state facility, this is where they will appear. The viewer is free and does not require you to create an account or provide your own personal information to search.

The DOC viewer is updated regularly as inmates move between facilities, are released, or begin supervision in the community. It covers the full Minnesota state prison system.

VINE: Custody Tracking and Notifications

VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) is the recommended tool for tracking inmate custody changes in Lake of the Woods County. Because the Sheriff's Office is the only source for local jail data and may not always be reachable after hours, VINE provides an automated way to monitor someone's custody status and get notified the moment something changes.

You can search inmate records and register for notifications at vinelink.com or by calling 877-664-8463. The phone line operates around the clock every day of the year. To set up a notification, you need the person's name or their offender ID number. VINE will send you alerts by phone, text, or email depending on what you choose. The service is free. It links to both county jail systems and state DOC facilities, so one registration covers a person wherever they are held in the Minnesota system. For a remote county like Lake of the Woods, VINE is one of the most practical ways to stay informed without having to call the office each day.

VINE works the same across every county in Minnesota. If the person is transferred from the county jail to a state facility, VINE tracks the move and notifies you automatically.

Predatory Offender Registry

People convicted of certain offenses in Minnesota are required to register their address with the state after release. This requirement applies statewide, including for individuals living in Lake of the Woods County. The Predatory Offender Registry is separate from the jail roster and covers people who are currently in the community.

Search the registry at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicRegistrantSearch. You can look up by name or by location to see registrants near an address in the county. Registration is required under Minnesota Statute 243.166. Risk levels are established under Minnesota Statute 244.052. Level 3 registrants, who are judged the highest risk, are subject to community notification by local law enforcement. Level 1 and Level 2 individuals are searchable in the registry but do not receive the same public notification. The Lake of the Woods County Sheriff's Office coordinates any required local notification for high-risk registrants.

Court Records Access

Lake of the Woods County court cases are part of the Minnesota Court Records Online system at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us. MCRO provides public access to criminal and civil case filings in the county's district court. You can search by name or case number and see charges, hearings, dispositions, and sentences. If someone was held at the county jail and you want to understand what happened in their case, MCRO is the right place to look for court-side information.

Some records in MCRO are viewable without cost; document copies may carry fees. Juvenile records are restricted under Minnesota law and will not appear in standard public searches. The Minnesota BCA at dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca handles formal certified background check requests for employment and other official purposes.

Public Data Rules for Jail Records

Like all Minnesota counties, Lake of the Woods County operates under the state's Government Data Practices Act when it comes to jail and inmate records. Minnesota Statute 13.82 defines what law enforcement data must be made public. Minnesota Statute 13.85 sets the rules for corrections and detention data. Together they mean that basic booking information is public but investigation details and juvenile records are protected.

If you need records from Lake of the Woods County that go beyond what the Sheriff's Office shares as a matter of routine, you can file a formal data request under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. The county is required to respond and must tell you what it can share and what is restricted by law. For a county this size, most requests can be handled without much delay. Contact the Sheriff's Office at (218) 634-1143 to ask about the process.

Cities in Lake of the Woods County

Baudette is the county seat of Lake of the Woods County. This is one of the most sparsely populated counties in Minnesota, and no cities here reach the 100,000 population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

These counties are near Lake of the Woods County. Each has its own released inmate records.