Renville County Jail and Booking Records
Renville County recent bookings are recorded and maintained by the Sheriff's Office based in Olivia, which operates the county jail and processes all arrests made within county limits. Minnesota's Government Data Practices Act classifies booking data as public, so any person can request or look up this information. This page covers where to find Renville County booking records, what the data includes, what state tools are available for broader searches, and how laws covering fees, record retention, and expungement apply. Renville County sits in the west-central region of Minnesota and is served by the 8th Judicial District courts.
Renville County Jail Overview
Accessing Renville County Booking Records
The Renville County Sheriff's Office at 105 S. 5th St. in Olivia handles all law enforcement and detention functions for the county. When someone is arrested in Renville County, they are booked at the county jail and a record is created that documents the arrest, the charges, and the intake date. That data is public under Minnesota Statute 13.82, which requires law enforcement agencies to make arrest data available upon request. There is no requirement to give a reason when you ask for this information.
The Sheriff's Office does not currently maintain a publicly accessible live jail roster online. To get current booking information, you can call 320-523-2568 during business hours. Staff can confirm custody status, provide basic booking details, or direct you on how to submit a formal records request. Written requests can be sent to the office at 105 S. 5th St., Olivia, MN 56277. The Renville County website has department contacts and information on how the county handles public records requests.
When local records are not enough, the Minnesota BCA criminal history search gives access to statewide arrest data. That tool costs $8, requires a name and date of birth, and returns results from law enforcement agencies across all 87 counties.
What Renville County Booking Data Includes
Under Minnesota Statute 13.82, booking records are public and must include specific data fields. In Renville County, a standard booking record shows the name of the person arrested, the booking date and time, the charges at intake, the arresting agency, and the detention location. This is the baseline that every law enforcement agency in the state must provide.
The record does not include all data collected during intake. Home address, financial details, and some internal notes are not public. Also, the charge on the booking record is what was listed at arrest. That can change. The county attorney may file different charges, reduce the charge, or decide not to prosecute at all. If you need to know how a case resolved, check the Minnesota Courts online system, which shows case filings, court dates, and dispositions for Renville County cases in the 8th District.
A booking record reflects what happened at arrest. It does not prove guilt and it does not tell you how the case ended.
How to Find Renville County Arrest Information
Start with the Sheriff's Office. A phone call to 320-523-2568 during business hours is the fastest way to check on an active inmate or a recent booking. Staff handle public records inquiries and can confirm whether someone is in custody. If you need printed records or certified copies, a formal written request gives the office a clear record of what you are asking for and a timeline to respond.
The BCA criminal history portal is the broadest statewide search tool available. It returns records from all Minnesota law enforcement agencies and is useful for people researching arrests across multiple counties or looking for records older than what the Sheriff's Office keeps in its active system. At $8 per search, it is one of the more cost-effective public record search tools in the state. The BCA page at dps.mn.gov has more detail on what the search covers.
The Minnesota DOC offender locator is worth checking if the person you are searching for received a prison sentence. County jail records and DOC records are separate systems. If someone was sentenced to a state facility, the county booking record will show their intake, but the DOC system will show their current location and status. Both may be relevant depending on the case.
The VINELink notification system lets anyone sign up to receive automatic alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. This is free, works for both county jail and DOC inmates, and can deliver alerts by phone call, text, or email. It is often used by victims but is open to anyone who needs to track a specific person's status in the system.
Renville County Sheriff's Office
The Renville County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement and detention authority for the county. All booking records, public data requests, and custody questions go through this office. The county website lists current staff contacts and department hours for the Sheriff and other county offices.
| Office | Renville County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | 105 S. 5th St. Olivia, MN 56277 |
| Phone | 320-523-2568 |
| County Website | co.renville.mn.us |
Scam Alert: The Renville County Sheriff's Office will not call you to demand money or immediate payment. If you receive a call like this, hang up and verify with the office directly at 320-523-2568.
Record Retention, Booking Fees, and Expungement
Booking records in Renville County do not automatically expire when a case ends. Under Minnesota Statute 138.17, government records follow state-set retention schedules. Jail files are part of those schedules, which means the Sheriff's Office keeps them for a defined period regardless of the case outcome. A person being acquitted or having charges dropped does not trigger automatic removal of the booking record from the official file.
A booking fee is assessed when someone is admitted to the Renville County jail. Minnesota Statute 641.12 authorizes county jails to collect this fee as part of the intake process. It is charged at booking and covers the administrative cost of processing the arrest. The fee is owed regardless of whether charges are later pursued. Minnesota Statute 641.08 gives counties additional authority over jail rules and management procedures.
If someone in Renville County wants to clear an arrest from their public record, expungement is the option under Minnesota Statute 609A. The process involves filing a petition in district court. If granted, the court record is sealed and the law enforcement file may also be sealed depending on the charge type and outcome. Not every arrest qualifies. The charge level, how the case ended, and the time since the arrest all factor into eligibility. LawHelpMN has free self-help resources on expungement that are specific to Minnesota law and walk through each step of the filing process.
An expungement under state law does not require private websites to remove data they copied before the order was entered. Third-party sites operate separately from court and law enforcement systems.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension provides a centralized portal for criminal history searches that covers all 87 Minnesota counties, making it a useful supplement when local roster data is limited.
For counties like Renville that do not host a live public jail roster, the BCA search is often the most accessible way to find recent arrest records from any location in the state.
Nearby Counties
Renville County borders seven other Minnesota counties. Each maintains its own jail and booking records through its local Sheriff's Office. If you are unsure which county handled a specific arrest, check the neighboring county pages below.