Big Stone County Jail Mugshots

Big Stone County jail mugshots and inmate records are handled by the Big Stone County Sheriff's Office in Ortonville, Minnesota. As a small rural county with about 5,000 residents, Big Stone County has limited online resources compared to larger counties. Inmate searches rely primarily on the statewide VINE system. Booking photos are not published online but can be requested directly from the Sheriff's Office. This guide covers how to find custody information, how to submit a records request, and what Minnesota law says about your right to access these records.

Big Stone County Sheriff's Office

The Big Stone County Sheriff's Office is located at 20 Second Street SE in Ortonville. Sheriff Mark Brown oversees the office and handles all law enforcement for the county, including jail operations. The main office number is 320-839-3558. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. For after-hours emergencies, call 911. For non-emergency matters outside of business hours, the dispatch center can relay messages to the on-duty deputy.

Big Stone County is one of the smallest counties in Minnesota by population. The jail is a smaller facility that handles local bookings. Because the county is small, the volume of daily bookings is lower than in metro counties. That said, the same state laws about public access apply here as everywhere else in Minnesota. You have the same right to request booking records and mugshots from Big Stone County as from any other county in the state.

The Sheriff's Office page has contact information and basic information about jail services. The screenshot below shows the VINE inmate locator, which covers Big Stone County.

VINE is the primary public search tool for Big Stone County inmate custody status. You can search by name or offender ID.

Searching Big Stone County Inmate Records

Big Stone County does not operate its own live online inmate roster. The primary way to search for someone currently in custody is through the statewide VINE inmate locator. VINE lets you search by name or offender ID and covers facilities across Minnesota, including Big Stone County. You can also set up automatic alerts if a person's custody status changes.

For archived data from past rosters, a third-party site at jailrosters.org may have historical information on past Big Stone County jail bookings. That site is not affiliated with the county and should be treated as a reference rather than an authoritative source.

The most accurate and current information comes directly from the Sheriff's Office. Call 320-839-3558 during business hours and ask about a specific individual. Staff can confirm whether someone is in custody and provide basic booking information over the phone. For detailed records or booking photos, a formal written request will likely be needed.

How to Request Big Stone County Booking Photos

Booking photos from the Big Stone County Jail are not available online. To get a mugshot, you need to contact the Sheriff's Office directly. The best approach is to call 320-839-3558 during business hours and ask about the records request process. The office may ask you to submit a written request. In that case, send your request to Big Stone County Sheriff's Office, 20 Second Street SE, Ortonville, MN 56278.

Under Minnesota Statute 13.82, booking data is classified as public, and that generally includes booking photos. The county must respond within 10 business days per Minnesota Statute 13.03. If there is a cost for copies, it will be based on the actual cost of reproduction. The Minnesota Information Policy Division can answer questions about your data rights if you run into any difficulty getting a response.

For criminal background checks, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension runs the official state system at chs.state.mn.us. Each search costs $8. Court records for Big Stone County cases are searchable through the Minnesota Trial Court Public Access portal at no charge for basic case information.

Minnesota Data Practices and Big Stone County Jail Records

Minnesota law gives the public strong rights to jail records. The Government Data Practices Act creates a presumption that government data is public unless a statute specifically limits access. Arrest and booking records fall under Minnesota Statute 13.82, which lists specific types of data that are public. That list includes the name of the arrested person, the time and place of the arrest, the charges, and booking photos.

Sheriffs in Minnesota must also keep a jail register under Minnesota Statute 641.05. That register documents every person booked and is a public record. Minnesota Statute 641.08 covers what the public can access from the register. Big Stone County follows both statutes as part of running a legally compliant jail operation.

For sentenced offenders who may have been transferred to a state correctional facility, check the MNDOC Offender Locator. Correctional data on sentenced offenders is governed by Minnesota Statute 13.85, which has different rules than arrest data. Most people held in the Big Stone County Jail are pre-trial detainees, so arrest data rules apply to their records.

Nearby Counties

Search jail mugshot and inmate records in counties near Big Stone County.