Norman County Court Administration
Norman County uses Minnesota's unified District Court structure for trial-court records. The office that functions as the local court clerk is Norman County Court Administration, led by Court Administrator Carissa Scholz. The office maintains case records for civil, family, probate, traffic, criminal, juvenile, and conciliation court, and it is the contact point when MCRO does not show enough public information for a user's need.
MCRO terms make a key distinction: online court data are not the official certified court record. Certified copies of court documents and civil judgment search results must be obtained from local court administration. More public information may also be available at courthouse public-access terminals than appears remotely through MCRO, especially when online access rules remove documents or case types from public internet display.
Norman County Court Administration
Court Administrator: Carissa Scholz
Norman County Courthouse
16 3rd Avenue E
Ada, MN 56510
(218) 415-7090
Fax: (218) 416-1036
Jury line: (218) 415-7091
9thNormanCountyCourtAdministration@courts.state.mn.us
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Norman County Clerk Duties
The local clerk-like role is narrow and court focused. Court Administration keeps District Court case files, supports calendars, helps route certified-copy requests, and answers local case-record questions. It does not serve as a general county records office for land records, marriage certificates, birth and death certificates, military discharges, notary filings, or tax liens.
- Maintains civil, family, probate, traffic, criminal, juvenile, and conciliation court records.
- Provides certified court documents and civil judgment search results through the local court office.
- Answers calendar, jury, case-number, and courthouse-terminal questions tied to Norman County District Court.
- Receives in-person, phone, mail, and email contact when MCRO remote access is incomplete.
- Routes court users to the statewide online systems used for case, document, hearing, and judgment searches.
The county's Request for Government Data page is the official local public-data route when the record is county data rather than a District Court case file.
That public-data route is useful for county records, while certified court records still belong with Norman County Court Administration.
Recorder vs Court Administration
The Norman County Recorder is a separate county office. The Recorder is Stacy Erickson, with Tessa Peacock as Deputy Recorder, at Suite 104 in the courthouse. The office hours listed in the research are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed on observed holidays. Its mission is to protect, preserve, and record or file documents in a secure, timely, and cost-effective way.
Use Court Administration for District Court case files and certified court documents. Use the Recorder for marriage certificates, marriage licenses, marriage credentials, birth certificates, death certificates, real estate records, military discharges, notary public registration, and state or federal tax liens. Divorce decrees are court records, so certified divorce copies route to Court Administration, not the Recorder.
| Need | Norman County Office | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Civil, criminal, probate, traffic, family, juvenile, or conciliation case file | Court Administration | These are District Court records. |
| Certified court order, judgment, decree, or case document | Court Administration | MCRO is not the official certified record. |
| Marriage certificate or marriage license | County Recorder | The Recorder handles marriage records and MOMS processing. |
| Real estate document, tax lien, notary filing, or military discharge | County Recorder | These are recorder records, not court case files. |
Request Norman County Certified Copies
Certified copies are needed when a court document must prove an official filing, order, judgment, decree, or disposition. A printout from MCRO can help identify a case, but it does not replace a certified copy from Court Administration. Users should collect the case number, party names, document title, and filing date before calling, emailing, mailing, or visiting.
- Search MCRO by case number, party name, citation number, or attorney to confirm the Norman County case and document title.
- If the document is visible online, note the case number, case category, filing date, and the exact document or order needed.
- Contact Norman County Court Administration by phone, email, mail, or in person to ask whether the copy can be issued and what fee applies.
- Provide party names, case number, document type, number of copies, certification need, return method, and requester contact details.
- Pay the required court-copy or certification fee when instructed by the office, and confirm pickup, mail, or other delivery timing.
Norman County Records Request Fields
Norman County's government data page explains the public's right to inspect public data free of charge and to get copies, with copy charges allowed. For private or non-public data, a requester may need to be the subject of the data, and the county requires reasonable identification to verify that status. Court-record requests should include enough case detail for Court Administration to locate the file.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Best if known | Use the MCRO case number for precise court-file lookup. |
| Party names | Yes | Include full names and the case role if known. |
| Document type | Yes | Examples include order, judgment, decree, complaint, disposition, or docket entry. |
| Case category | Helpful | Civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic, juvenile, or conciliation. |
| Copy type | Yes | State whether plain, certified, or exemplified copy is needed. |
| Requester contact and return method | Yes | Provide phone, email, mailing address, and pickup or mail preference. |
Norman County Clerk Fees
Court Administration fees follow District Court fee rules, while Recorder fees are published separately by Norman County. The research file gives exact Recorder fees and probate filing highlights, but it does not list a full court-copy price chart for Court Administration. For certified court copies, confirm the current amount with the local court office before submitting payment.
| Item | Amount / Rule |
|---|---|
| Certified court copies | Request from Court Administration; current District Court copy fees should be confirmed with the office. |
| Initial District Court filing / first paper | Statewide base $310; county law-library fee may apply by county. |
| Fee waiver | Court users may ask to have fees reduced or waived if they cannot afford them. |
| Real estate document recording | $46 through the Recorder, not Court Administration. |
| Marriage certificate certified or non-certified copy | $9 through the Recorder. |
| Marriage license | $125 full fee; $50 reduced fee with qualifying premarital education statement. |
| Notary filing | $20 through the Recorder. |
| Military discharge recording | No fee through the Recorder. |
Note: Recorder amounts are included to prevent misrouting; District Court certified-copy totals should be verified with Court Administration.
Norman County Public Data Access
Norman County says the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act presumes government data are public unless state or federal law classifies them otherwise. Government data include recorded information kept by government, such as paper records, email, CDs, DVDs, photographs, and similar media. Members of the public may inspect public data free of charge and may request copies, with copy charges allowed.
The state chapter for government data is Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13.
Chapter 13 is useful for county-office data, but court case records also follow the Judicial Branch public access rules.
The specific public access statute at Minnesota Statutes 13.03 addresses inspection and copying of public government data.
That inspection-and-copying rule supports Norman County's public-data request process for non-court county records.
Norman County Online and Mail Routes
Online court searches start with Minnesota Court Records Online. Case Search handles name, case number, citation number, and attorney searches. Document Search is useful when a case number is known. Hearing Search helps locate public hearing information by name, case number, judicial officer, or attorney. Judgment Search covers monetary judgment information.
Mail and in-person requests should go to the office that owns the record. Court records go to Norman County Court Administration at the courthouse. Recorder records go to the Norman County Recorder in Suite 104. Sheriff's reports and accident reports follow the Sheriff's FAQ procedure, which allows requests in person, by mail, or by phone, requires a data request form, and notes that a fee applies.