Dakota County Jail Roster Search

The Dakota County jail roster offers a full online inmate search tool. You can look up who is in custody at the Dakota County Jail in Hastings, Minnesota, by name, date range, or court date. This is a major metro jail that books around 9,000 inmates per year. Sheriff Joe Leko leads the office, and Jail Administrator Ben Verby runs the facility. The 263-bed direct supervision jail serves a large suburban population south of the Twin Cities. Dakota County includes cities like Eagan, Burnsville, Apple Valley, and Lakeville. If someone was arrested anywhere in the county, the jail roster is the best tool for finding out if they are still being held and what they are charged with.

Dakota County Jail Facility Details

The Dakota County Jail is at 1580 Highway 55 in Hastings, MN 55033. The mailing address is PO Box 247-J, Hastings, MN 55033. This is a direct supervision facility, meaning correctional officers work inside the housing units with inmates rather than watching from behind glass. The jail has 263 approved beds, a max operational capacity of 270, and a regular operating capacity of 249 (about 95%). The average daily population was 183 in 2024 and 180 in 2023.

Sheriff Joe Leko runs the operation. Ben Verby serves as Jail Administrator. Commander Jim Gabriel, Captain Kevin Engel, and County Administrator Matt Smith round out the leadership team. Call the jail at (651) 438-4800. The sheriff's main number is (651) 437-4700. The Government Center is at 1590 Highway 55 in Hastings. For court questions, call the District Court at 651-438-8141.

The jail offers programs including "Inmates Motivated for Change," which focuses on rehabilitation. Educational programs and special duty assignments are also available. Work release is open to eligible inmates. Dakota County has a high compliance rating with DOC standards, consistent with what you would expect from a metro-area facility of this size.

How to Search the Dakota County Jail Roster

Dakota County has one of the better inmate search tools in the metro area. Go to co.dakota.mn.us Inmate Search and you can look up inmates by name, date range, or court date. The results update in real time. You get names, booking info, charges, and court dates. This is much more powerful than the PDF rosters some counties use.

VINELink is available too. Visit www.vinelink.com, select Minnesota, and choose Dakota County. Search by name. Register for free alerts that notify you when someone is released, moved, or escapes. The phone number is 1-877-MN-4-VINE (1-877-664-8463). VINELink updates every 15 minutes.

You can check records at public terminals in the courthouse during business hours. This is a free service. The Dakota County Jail page has more info about the facility and services. For court records, use the Minnesota Court Records Online system at mncourts.gov. You can also contact the District Court directly at 651-438-8141 for questions about specific cases.

Note: The online inmate search gives real-time results, but always confirm critical details by calling (651) 438-4800.

Dakota County Jail Roster Data Access

Jail roster data in Dakota County is public under MN Stat. 13.82. Booking logs, arrest info, and custody status are all open to anyone. The online inmate search tool makes this data easy to get. You do not need to be a victim, attorney, or family member. Anyone can look up who is in jail.

Private data stays private. MN Stat. 13.85 covers medical records, mental health info, visitor logs, and internal incident reports. These are not available through the inmate search or the jail roster. If you need access to restricted data, you go through the sheriff's office and submit a data practices request. Chief Deputy or the responsible authority reviews the request.

For copies of court records, visit the courthouse at 1560 Highway 55 in Hastings during business hours. Standard copy fees apply. Certified copies cost more. You can also use the Minnesota Court Records Online system for basic case lookup at no charge.

Legal Framework for Dakota County Jail Records

MN Stat. 641.05 puts Sheriff Leko in charge of the jail. MN Stat. 387.03 defines the sheriff as the keeper of the county jail. Together, these laws create the framework for how the jail operates. The sheriff must maintain accurate records, keep the facility safe, and make public data available. Dakota County takes this seriously, given the volume of bookings at roughly 9,000 per year.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections inspects the Dakota County Jail regularly. The facility maintains a high compliance rating. Direct supervision jails tend to score well on these inspections because the design puts officers in close contact with inmates, which helps with safety and accountability. The DOC checks everything from cell conditions to how data is managed.

Cities in Dakota County

Dakota County includes many suburban cities south of the Twin Cities. All arrests in these areas go through the Dakota County Jail in Hastings.

Other cities in Dakota County include Hastings, Rosemount, Farmington, and South St. Paul. All of them use the Dakota County Jail for bookings.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Dakota County. Check them if you did not find the person on the Dakota County jail roster.