Rice County Court Administrator Office
Minnesota does not use a Texas-style split between a District Clerk and County Clerk for trial court files. Rice County District Court records are handled by Rice County Court Administration, also called the court administrator's office. The official directory lists Lisa Kuhlman as Court Administrator. The office is at the Rice County Courthouse, 218 Third St. NW, Faribault, MN 55021. The main phone number is 507-497-7134, the fax number is 507-332-6199, and hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.
Court Administration is the office to contact for certified copies, local court file questions, older records that are not online in MCRO, court calendar questions, remote hearing Zoom information, and courthouse terminal access. The office also works with case records across civil, family/probate, criminal/traffic, juvenile, and conciliation matters. The jury call-in line is 507-497-7158, but ordinary court file and copy questions use the Court Administration phone number.
Rice County Court Administration
Court Administrator: Lisa Kuhlman
Rice County Courthouse
218 Third St. NW
Faribault, MN 55021
507-497-7134
Fax: 507-332-6199
Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
The Rice County Court Administration page describes the office's court record and case-processing duties.
That page is the local source for why Court Administration, rather than a separate clerk office, is the contact point for Rice County District Court records.
Rice County Court Records Duties
Court Administration supports the full range of District Court operations. The county page says the department processes and manages court records and files, provides service to the public, other county offices, and the judiciary, processes and calendars cases, collects and disburses fines, fees, and restitution, and safeguards court-ordered trusts. Those duties make the Court Administrator the correct local contact after an online search identifies a file but does not provide an official copy.
- Processes and calendars Civil, Family/Probate, Criminal/Traffic, Juvenile, and Conciliation cases.
- Manages District Court records and files for Rice County matters.
- Provides public counter service and courthouse terminal access for court records.
- Collects and disburses fines, fees, restitution, and court-ordered funds.
- Provides local assistance with court calendars and remote hearing Zoom information.
The Rice County Court Administration staff directory is the official contact block for the Court Administrator's office.
The directory confirms the local phone, fax, hours, office address, jury call-in line, and Court Administrator name used for copy requests.
Rice County Court Administrator Search
The statewide online case-record channel is Minnesota Court Records Online. MCRO provides free access to many public Minnesota district court records and documents through Case Search, Document Search, Hearing Search, and Judgment Search. For Rice County, use the county filter in MCRO when searching by name, case number, citation number, attorney, hearing details, or judgment debtor. MCRO is useful for locating a case number before asking Court Administration for a copy.
MCRO has limits. The terms say MCRO records and search results are not certified by the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Certified copies of court documents and civil judgment search results must be obtained from local court administration. Some public records available at courthouse terminals are not available remotely. Pending criminal, traffic, and petty misdemeanor cases with no conviction may not return in name-based searches, though they may return by case number. Domestic Abuse/OFP, Harassment Restraining Order, CHIPS, certain juvenile delinquency, and civil commitment documents have remote-access restrictions.
| Channel | Use it for | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| MCRO Case Search | Name, case number, citation number, attorney, and case detail searches | Unofficial and not complete for all remote records |
| MCRO Document Search | Public online documents by case number | Older and restricted documents may not display |
| MCRO Hearing Search | Hearing lookup by name, case number, judicial officer, or attorney | Some pending criminal and traffic matters may not return by name |
| MCRO Judgment Search | Docketed money judgments by debtor name | Certified judgment search results come from Court Administration |
| Courthouse terminal | Public records not available through remote MCRO | Requires courthouse access during business hours |
Request Rice County Certified Copies
A certified copy is an official court copy authenticated by Court Administration. The Minnesota Judicial Branch explains ways to request court copies and the limits of online document access. Certified copies are used when a plain online printout is not enough, such as a certified divorce decree, certified court order, certified judgment search result, or certified instrument from a civil or criminal proceeding. An exemplified copy adds another layer of court authentication and may be requested when an out-of-state agency or court requires it.
- Search MCRO or court paperwork for the Rice County case number, party names, and document title.
- Decide whether the request is for an uncertified, certified, or exemplified and certified copy.
- Contact Rice County Court Administration at 507-497-7134, visit the first-floor office, or send a mailed request to the courthouse address.
- Include the case number if known, party names, requested document, number of copies, return contact details, and payment for any required fee.
- Use the courthouse terminal or staff counter if the public file is not available remotely through MCRO.
Note: MCRO can help identify a file, but Court Administration is the office that supplies certified Rice County court copies.
Rice County Copy Request Fields
The research did not identify a separate Rice County court copy request form with a unique local form number. Court copy requests still need enough information for staff to locate the file and prepare the right copy type. A strong request uses the case number from MCRO when available, because name searches can be unreliable when people share names, birth dates, or aliases.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Best if available | Rice County examples include 66-CR, 66-VB, 66-PR, 66-FA, and 66-JV prefixes. |
| Party names | Yes | Include full names and role if known, such as plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, or respondent. |
| Document type | Yes | Examples include decree, order, judgment, complaint, or Register of Actions. |
| Copy type | Yes | State whether the copy should be uncertified, certified, or exemplified and certified. |
| Number of copies | Yes | Needed to calculate copy and certification fees. |
| Requester contact details | Yes | Include phone, mailing address, and any pickup or return-mail instructions. |
| Payment | When a fee applies | Checks for court fees are generally payable to District Court Administrator. |
Rice County Court Administrator Fees
Court Administration uses Minnesota District Court fee categories. The listed amounts below come from the research file's copy and fee notes for Rice County and statewide District Court fees. Some filing fees are included because the Court Administrator collects and disburses court fees, but the copy items are the most common records-request charges.
| Item | Official fee or note |
|---|---|
| Uncertified copy, printout, scan, or screen print | $0 |
| Certified copy of an instrument from a civil or criminal proceeding | $14 |
| Exemplified and certified copy | $28 |
| Judgment search, each name certified | $5 |
| Criminal expungement filing | $310 |
| Civil first paper filed | $310 base, before county law library additions |
| Conciliation first paper filed | $65 base |
| Dissolution with or without children | $405 total in Rice County fee schedule |
| Probate estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships first paper | $325 |
| Deposit of wills or safekeeping | $27 |
Court Administrator vs Recorder
The State Court Structure Map for Rice County identifies a unified court-records structure through District Court Administration and a separate County Recorder for marriage, vital, and property records. This is a practical distinction. The Court Administrator handles District Court case files, calendars, certified court copies, fines, fees, restitution, and court-ordered trusts. The Recorder handles marriage records, vital statistic records, real estate recording, notary filings, wedding officiant filings, and related county recording functions.
| Record needed | Correct office | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal, civil, traffic, family, probate, juvenile, or conciliation case file | Court Administrator | These are Rice County District Court records. |
| Certified divorce decree | Court Administrator | Divorce is a District Court family case. |
| Certified marriage record | Rice County Recorder | Marriage applications are recorded by the county where the license was issued. |
| Real estate or Torrens document | Rice County Recorder | Recorder is custodian for property recording. |
Rice County Court Contacts
The Judicial Branch's Rice County contact page lists local court and justice-system phone numbers, including the court phone, traffic payment channel, community corrections, attorney, sheriff, jail, public defender, and victim support contacts. For court records, the Court Administration number remains the starting point. For law-enforcement records, jail custody, or sheriff reports, use the agency that holds those records rather than asking Court Administration to supply executive-branch data.
The Rice County District Court contact numbers page collects court-related phone contacts in one Judicial Branch location.
The contact page is most helpful after the record type is known because it points users toward the correct public office or justice-system contact.