The Anoka County District Court System
Anoka County District Court is one court that handles every state-level trial matter in the county. The Minnesota Judicial Branch lists the court at 2100 3rd Avenue, Anoka, MN 55303, with the main line at (763) 760-6700 and Court Administrator H. Ann Basta. The official Find Courts page for Anoka identifies the court as part of the Tenth Judicial District.
Anoka County District Court
Anoka County Courthouse
2100 3rd Avenue
Anoka, MN 55303-2489
(763) 760-6700
Fax: (763) 712-3247
Mon-Fri 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Minnesota does not run county courts, justice courts, or separate elected probate courts. All state trial work runs through the District Court. The court's Adoptions, Annulments, Bail, Change of Name, Civil Information, Conciliation Court, Criminal Court, Dissolutions, Family Court, Harassment, Juvenile Court, and Probate Court lines are listed on the Contact Us page.
Anoka County Court Hierarchy
Minnesota places the District Court at the base of the state court system. Appeals from District Court move to the Minnesota Court of Appeals as the intermediate appellate court. The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest state court and handles rule-making plus discretionary and direct review on certain matters. Federal cases for Anoka County residents route through the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, with appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
| Court | Role | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Anoka County District Court | State trial court | Anoka County |
| Tenth Judicial District | District-level administration | Anoka and nearby counties |
| Minnesota Court of Appeals | Intermediate appellate review | Statewide |
| Minnesota Supreme Court | Highest state court | Statewide, rule-making, direct review |
| U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota | Federal trial court | Federal matters in Minnesota |
| U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit | Federal appellate review | Minnesota and neighboring states |
Case flow: Anoka County District Court › Minnesota Court of Appeals › Minnesota Supreme Court.
Cases Heard by Anoka County District Court
Anoka County District Court hears the full state trial caseload. The Contact Us page lists direct phone lines for each case category, which is a useful guide to the court's docket mix.
- Civil cases: lawsuits, conciliation court (small claims), evictions, contract disputes, and name changes.
- Criminal cases: misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, and felony charges filed by the County Attorney or city prosecutors.
- Traffic cases: citations from state and local agencies operating in the county.
- Family cases: divorce, child support, custody, paternity, harassment, and domestic abuse.
- Probate cases: estate, guardianship, conservatorship, and trust matters under Minn. Stat. ch. 524.
- Juvenile cases: delinquency, CHIPS, and adoption with strong confidentiality protection.
Each case type appears on MCRO with its own category code (CV, CR, FAM, PR), and each has its own direct phone line to Court Administration.
Anoka County District Court Judges
The Anoka County District Court page links to an Anoka County Judges directory and a judicial officer directory. Judges of the Tenth Judicial District rotate through Anoka County assignments and may hear cases at the Anoka County Courthouse. Standing Orders and Policies for the Anoka bench sit on the same court page, including bench-specific scheduling and case-management rules.
For a specific judge assignment on a case, the MCRO record shows the judicial officer on the case detail and hearing pages. Court Administration's Assignments and Scheduling line at (763) 760-6575 also confirms assignments.
Minnesota Court Rules and Anoka County
Anoka County District Court runs under the statewide rule set published by the Minnesota Judicial Branch. The court rules page hosts the Rules of Public Access, Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rules of Probate Procedure, Rules of Juvenile Delinquency Procedure, and several special rule sets. Recent updates include Rules of Public Access effective April 1, 2025, Rules of Criminal Procedure effective March 1, 2025, and Rules of Civil Procedure effective January 1, 2025.
Standing Orders and Policies set local practices on top of the state rules. The Anoka District Court page links to that section for any party that needs the current local order set.
Anoka County District Court Online Records
Online access runs through MCRO. The state's MCRO Case Search portal opens civil, criminal, family, and probate cases for Anoka County, with the Anoka location filter selecting the county. Document Search pulls public PDFs by case number. Hearing Search lists future court dates. Judgment Search returns docketed money judgments by debtor name.
For details on the search tools, see the court records and court dockets pages.
Federal Court Coverage for Anoka County
Federal matters tied to Anoka residents route through the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, headquartered in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The federal court hears federal-question civil cases, diversity cases, federal criminal prosecutions, and federal habeas matters. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota represents the federal government in federal criminal and civil matters statewide.
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
- PACER federal case records
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
- U.S. Attorney, District of Minnesota
- Federal BOP Inmate Locator
Federal case search runs through PACER, which charges per-page download fees with an exception for small accounts. The court's CM/ECF system handles federal filings for registered users.
History of the Anoka County Court
Anoka County was established in 1857, the same year the Sheriff's Office began. By 1860, the county population sat at 2,106 across St. Francis, Anoka, and Centerville. The court grew with the county across the late 1800s and early 1900s and became the unified District Court that the state runs today. The Sheriff's Office now serves 21 cities and a county population of 351,373. The District Court mirrors that growth in caseload and case categories.
The court runs out of a single courthouse on 3rd Avenue, with Court Administration in the same building. The Jail Division on Jackson Street sits a short distance away and handles custody for the county.
How a Case Moves Through Anoka County District Court
A typical case starts with a filing or charging document at Court Administration. The court assigns the case to a judge and sets the first hearing through the Assignments and Scheduling line. Hearings move the case through pretrial, settlement or motion, and trial steps. The case ends with a judgment, dismissal, or other resolution. Either party can appeal a final order to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
- Filing or charge: Petition, complaint, indictment, or citation enters Court Administration.
- Assignment and scheduling: the case lands with a judge and a first hearing date.
- Pretrial: discovery, motions, plea or settlement talks.
- Trial: bench trial or jury trial when needed.
- Judgment or disposition: the court issues the final order or judgment.
- Appeal: the losing party may appeal to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.