Find Benton County Jail Records

Benton County recent bookings are processed through the Benton County Jail in Foley, the county seat. The jail handles all custody intakes for the county, including arrests made in or near St. Cloud, which extends into Benton County from neighboring Stearns County. Because of that boundary, some arrests that happen in the St. Cloud area end up processed here rather than in Stearns. Booking records are public under Minnesota law, and this page explains how to search them, what data they contain, and which state tools give you a broader look at criminal history when you need more than a local roster provides.

Benton County Jail and Booking Information

The Benton County Jail sits at 531 Dewey Street in Foley, a small city that serves as the seat of county government. Benton County is located in central Minnesota east of the St. Cloud metro area. The county is more rural than its neighboring Stearns County but sees a meaningful volume of arrest activity due to its proximity to the larger metro. The jail takes in people arrested by the Benton County Sheriff's Office, local police departments, and other agencies with jurisdiction in the county.

One thing worth knowing about Benton County is that the city of St. Cloud partially extends into it. St. Cloud is primarily in Stearns County, but arrests that happen in the Benton County portion of St. Cloud are processed at the Benton County Jail rather than the Stearns County facility. If you are looking for a record tied to an arrest near St. Cloud and cannot find it in Stearns County, it is worth checking Benton County as well. The county line runs through the city, and which jail handles the booking depends entirely on where exactly the arrest occurred. The Benton County website provides information on the Sheriff's Office and any online roster tools that may be available.

Like many smaller counties, Benton may not have a fully searchable live online roster. In that case, calling 320-968-6491 is the fastest way to confirm whether a specific person is in custody.

What Benton County Booking Records Include

Minnesota sets the rules for what arrest and booking data must be made public. Minnesota Statute § 13.82 classifies arrest records as public government data, which means Benton County must provide access to that information. The fields that are required to be public include the name of the person booked, the date and time of the booking, the charges listed at the time of arrest, bail or bond information, and the person's current custody status. These are not optional disclosures. They are legally required under the Government Data Practices Act.

There are limits to what the public record shows. Home address, date of birth, and similar personal details are not part of the public-facing booking record under § 13.82. Those fields are private data under other parts of the data practices law. The public record focuses on the facts of the arrest: who was booked, when, on what charges, and whether they are still in custody. That is the core of what a booking record contains, and it is what you will find whether you are looking at an online roster, calling the jail, or submitting a formal records request.

The charges listed at booking can change. When an officer brings someone in, they document the charges they believe apply at that point. The county attorney may later file different charges, reduce them, or decline to prosecute. The booking record stays as it was at the time of intake and does not automatically update to reflect what happens in court later. To check the current status of a case, use Minnesota Courts online to search by name once formal charges have been filed.

Note: A Benton County booking record reflects an arrest. It is not evidence of guilt, and many people booked are later released without charges being filed.

How to Search Benton County Arrest Records

The Benton County website is the starting point. Check the Sheriff's Office or jail section for any online inmate roster or search tool. Smaller counties sometimes post a PDF list of current inmates or maintain a basic searchable page. If an online tool is available, you can search by name directly. If not, calling 320-968-6491 is the most direct approach to check custody status for a specific person.

For a deeper search that goes beyond current jail bookings, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension criminal history portal covers statewide records. That system charges $8 per search and requires both a full name and date of birth. It is run by the BCA through the Department of Public Safety and gives you a fuller look at a person's criminal history across all Minnesota counties, not just what is currently showing in the local jail system. It is useful for background checks or for situations where you need more than current custody status.

The Minnesota Courts system is where you check case records after charges are formally filed. Court records are separate from jail booking records and show the full case history including hearings, orders, and case status. If someone was arrested in Benton County and charges were filed, the case will appear in the courts system once it is entered by the county attorney's office. Using both tools together gives a more complete picture than either one alone.

Note: Because St. Cloud spans both Benton and Stearns counties, always confirm which county processed the arrest before searching. The same person might show up in one county's records but not the other's.

Benton County Sheriff and Jail

The Benton County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail in Foley and handles all booking and inmate records for the county. For questions about a specific inmate, a recent arrest, or how to request records, the jail is the right contact. The county website provides more information on the Sheriff's Office and how to reach the right department.

Inmate Release Notification in Benton County

Anyone who needs to track the custody status of someone held at the Benton County Jail can use VINELink, a free statewide notification service. You register a phone number or email and choose how you want to receive alerts. When the person's custody status changes, whether they are released, transferred, or moved to a different facility, you get an automatic notification. VINELink works for county jail holds and does not require you to state a reason for monitoring the case.

The service is available across all Minnesota counties and is supported through the Department of Corrections infrastructure. It is commonly used by crime victims, family members, and attorneys. For someone held at the Benton County Jail, VINELink is far easier than calling the jail repeatedly. Once you are registered, the alerts come to you automatically so you can focus on other things and know you will be notified when anything changes with that person's custody status.

Note: Registration for VINELink is available online and by phone. It is free and can be set up at any time, including after a person has already been booked into the jail.

Booking Fees, Retention, and Expungement

Benton County is required to retain its jail and booking records under Minnesota Statute § 138.17, which sets the rules for government records management in the state. The public roster view gives a short window into recent activity, but the full records go into the official retention system and stay there for the periods the law requires. A case being dismissed or resolved does not trigger automatic deletion of the booking record from county systems.

A booking fee is charged when a person is brought into the Benton County Jail. This is authorized under Minnesota Statute § 641.12, which lets counties collect a fee to cover the administrative cost of the intake process. The fee is charged at booking and is not refundable if charges are later dropped or the case is dismissed. It is distinct from bail, court fines, or any other costs that come later in the legal process.

If someone wants to seal a Benton County arrest record after a case has ended, expungement under Minnesota Statute § 609A is the path to pursue. A successful expungement can seal both the court record and, in some cases, the law enforcement record held by the Sheriff's Office. The process requires filing a petition in district court and meeting the eligibility criteria in § 609A. Time elapsed since the case, the nature of the charges, and how the case resolved are all factors. LawHelpMN is a free resource with detailed guidance on how to determine eligibility and file the required paperwork.

Note: Expungement limits who can access a record going forward. It does not erase the underlying event or guarantee removal from all third-party sources that may have already copied the data.

The Minnesota State Records portal is a public access tool for searching a range of state records, including arrest and booking data that can supplement local searches in Benton County.

State-level record aggregators can help fill in gaps when a county does not have a fully searchable online roster, making them a useful complement to the Benton County jail records system.

Cities in Benton County

Benton County has no cities that meet the population threshold for individual city pages on this site. The county seat is Foley. A portion of St. Cloud extends into Benton County, though St. Cloud's city pages are located in Stearns County where the majority of the city lies. All arrests in Benton County, including those in the Benton County portion of St. Cloud, are processed through the county jail in Foley.

Nearby Counties

These counties are close to or border Benton County in central Minnesota. Each county has its own jail and booking records system. If you are not sure which county handled an arrest, check nearby counties as well.