About the Stevens County Clerk's Office
Stevens County does not have a separate elected District Clerk. Court-record duties sit with District Court Administration. The county District Court page identifies Rachel Schmidt as the appointed Court Administrator and states that the Court Administrator serves as Clerk of District Court and Jury Commissioner.
The office is the local counter for certified copies, in-person public access, older file checks, courtroom scheduling questions, and public court records that are not available remotely through MCRO. The office is also the practical fallback when an online search result does not provide enough information for a filing, payment, or copy request.
Stevens County Court Administration
Court Administrator: Rachel Schmidt
400 Colorado Avenue
Morris, MN 56267
320-349-7010
Fax: 320-589-7288
Directory hours list 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; summer hours list 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
What the Clerk Does in Stevens County
The Court Administrator / Clerk of District Court supports the District Court's broad jurisdiction in Stevens County. Court Administration is tied to civil, family, probate, juvenile, criminal, and traffic files, while the Recorder handles marriage and other non-court records.
- Maintains access to local District Court case records and public court files.
- Provides certified copies and copy services when records are available for release.
- Supports court calendars, hearings, jury administration, and courtroom operations.
- Handles courthouse-terminal and counter access for records not available remotely.
- Directs court fine and case-payment questions to the correct state payment channel.
MCRO remains the first search path for many users, but MCRO is not the certified court record. Certified copies of court documents and civil judgment search results are obtained from local court administration.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy is a court copy with official authentication. It may be needed for legal filings, appeals, employment licensing, name changes, divorce decrees, probate letters, or other uses where an ordinary online printout is not enough.
- Search MCRO by case number, name, citation number, or attorney to identify the file.
- Confirm the case is a Stevens County District Court case, often shown with county prefix 75.
- Identify the exact document needed, such as judgment, order, decree, complaint, or letters.
- Call Court Administration at 320-349-7010 to confirm availability, copy type, fee, and delivery method.
- Pay the required fee and request pickup, mail, or other available delivery from the court office.
Records Request Form Fields
The research did not locate a Stevens-specific court copy request form. A request should still include the standard identifiers Court Administration needs to locate and certify the correct document.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Best if known | Stevens County case numbers use prefix 75, with types such as CR, CV, FA, PR, JV, or VB. |
| Party names | Yes | Use names as they appear in MCRO or on the original filing. |
| Document type | Yes | Name the needed order, decree, judgment, complaint, docket report, or other instrument. |
| Copy type | Yes | State whether certified, exemplified, or uncertified copies are needed. |
| Requester contact | Yes | Include phone, mailing address, and any deadline. |
Stevens County Clerk Fees
The Stevens County District Court fee page lists copy, report, filing, expungement, judgment, and probate charges. The amounts below are the researched court-fee figures and should be confirmed before payment.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certified copy of civil/criminal instrument | $14 |
| Exemplified and certified copy | $28 |
| Uncertified civil/criminal instrument copy | $0 listed base fee |
| Case-management report, 1-50 pages | $5 |
| Case-management report, 50+ pages | $25 per 50 pages or part |
| Civil first paper filed | $320 |
| Criminal expungement filing | $320 |
| Dissolution of marriage filing | $400 |
Common Clerk Forms
Stevens County court users generally rely on Minnesota Judicial Branch forms and statewide tools rather than a separate local form library. Court Administration can confirm which form fits the case type before filing.
- MCRO overview - explains case, document, hearing, and judgment search tools.
- Public defender online application - submits an application for court review when eligible.
- Stevens County District Court fees - lists filing, copy, probate, divorce, and expungement fees.
Mail and Online Filings
Online public access is through MCRO. Case Search covers all Minnesota district courts, Document Search finds public documents by case number when they are available online, Hearing Search shows scheduled hearing information, and Judgment Search searches monetary judgment information by debtor name.
Payments for many payable citations and fines use Minnesota Court Web Payment. The local court page says online payment requires a ticket/citation number or court file number, and phone payment can also use a driver's license number. Mail payment for fines follows the Minnesota Court Payment Center process, but copy-request mailing details should be confirmed with Court Administration.
Note: Court records use judicial-branch access rules; marriage certificates use the Recorder and MOMS instead.
Common Clerk Questions
People usually contact Court Administration when an online result is missing a document, when a certified copy is needed, when a judgment needs to be certified, or when a hearing date needs to be confirmed against the docket. The Court Administrator also serves as the local records counter for jury administration and courthouse file access, which means the office handles more than just copy requests.
Because Stevens County uses a unified District Court system, there is no separate elected district clerk office to search for. If a user is trying to match the right office to the right record, the rule of thumb is simple: court case files go to Court Administration, marriage records go to the Recorder, and custody or jail questions go to the Sheriff.