Bankruptcy Records in Winona County
Winona County bankruptcy records are filed with and maintained by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota, the federal court that handles all bankruptcy cases statewide. The county seat is the city of Winona on the Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota. Residents searching for bankruptcy records or looking to file will use the federal court system. This page covers how to access Winona County bankruptcy filings, what the state court handles, and what legal help is available locally.
Winona County Overview
Winona County District Court
The Winona County District Court is at 171 West 3rd Street, Winona, MN 55987, phone (507) 457-6360. It is part of Minnesota's Third Judicial District, serving southeastern Minnesota counties. The state court handles civil, criminal, family, and probate cases. Bankruptcy is a federal matter and is not filed at this court. After a federal discharge, residents can petition the Winona County District Court under Minnesota Statute 548.181 to remove judgment liens that survived the bankruptcy case. The $5 filing fee and a 20-day creditor notice period apply.
State court records for Winona County are available free through Minnesota Court Records Online at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us. This system covers state district court proceedings statewide and does not contain federal bankruptcy records. Use it to check civil judgment history and state case filings tied to Winona County addresses.
| Court | Winona County District Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 171 West 3rd Street, Winona, MN 55987 |
| Phone | (507) 457-6360 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM |
| Website | mncourts.gov/find-courts/winona |
The Winona County District Court handles state court matters for the county. Federal bankruptcy filings are processed through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota.
Federal Bankruptcy Court for Winona County
All Winona County bankruptcy cases are filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota. The staffed St. Paul clerk office at the Warren E. Burger Federal Building, 316 North Robert Street, Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101, phone (651) 848-1000, is the most practical in-person option for Winona County residents. Winona is roughly 110 miles southeast of St. Paul via I-90 and U.S. 14. The Minneapolis office at 300 South 4th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415, phone (612) 664-5200, is the other staffed location.
Both offices are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The same-day filing cutoff is 3:30 PM. Attorneys file through CM/ECF electronically. Pro se filers must bring paper documents to a staffed office. Review the court website at mnb.uscourts.gov before making the drive to confirm what you need to bring. The pro se debtor section on that site explains exactly what documents the clerk needs to open a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 case.
Copy fees are $0.50 per page. Contact the clerk to confirm current rates and accepted payment methods. The mail request process for copies is explained at mnb.uscourts.gov/request-copies.
Searching Winona County Bankruptcy Records
PACER is the main online tool for Winona County bankruptcy records. Register free at pacer.psc.uscourts.gov. Search by debtor name, case number, Social Security number, or tax ID. Electronic records go back to 1999. The fee is $0.10 per page, and quarterly charges under $30 are waived. Most occasional users pay nothing at the end of the quarter.
Records filed before 1999 are paper only. Contact the St. Paul or Minneapolis clerk to request older archived files. There may be a retrieval fee and a wait for the file to be pulled from storage. Ask about certified copy pricing at the same time if needed.
The Voice Case Information System at 1-866-222-8029 is free and available 24/7. You can check whether a case is open or closed, get a case number, and confirm basic filing information by debtor name or case number. It does not provide documents. Use it to verify a filing before logging into PACER.
Minnesota Court Records Online provides free access to state court records for Winona County. Federal bankruptcy records require PACER access and are maintained separately.
For state court judgments and civil case history, use MCRO at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us. This free tool covers all state district courts in Minnesota including Winona County. It does not include federal bankruptcy records.
Legal Help in Winona County
Legal Assistance of Southern Minnesota serves Winona County. Visit lasm.org for eligibility and intake information. LASM handles civil legal matters for income-qualifying residents in southeastern Minnesota, including questions about bankruptcy exemptions, creditor contact, and the discharge process.
Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services at 1-877-696-6529 and smrls.org also covers Winona County. SMRLS can help with debt questions, exemptions, and what to expect if you are considering filing for bankruptcy or dealing with creditors after a discharge.
The LawHelpMN website is free and has plain-language guides on Chapter 7, Chapter 13, and related debt issues. The federal court's debtor resources at mnb.uscourts.gov/debtor-help-resources cover what the clerk can and cannot help with and include links to pro se filing instructions. The Minnesota Judicial Branch self-help center at mncourts.gov/self-help can help with state court matters that run alongside or after a bankruptcy case.
Nearby Counties
Winona County is on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border along the Mississippi River. All neighboring counties use the same federal court system for bankruptcy records.