Renville County Court Administrator
Minnesota does not use a separately elected district clerk for Renville County trial-court case files. The local court records office is Renville County Court Administration inside the courthouse. The official court page lists Court Administrator Lindsay Listul, the court office phone, fax, courthouse address, business hours, calendar links, court-fee links, jury service, remote hearing resources, ADA accommodation, and language access links. This is the office to use when MCRO is not enough.
For public users, the distinction is practical. MCRO can show many public case records online, but it is not the certified court file. Court administration handles certified copies of court documents, civil judgment search results, courthouse-only public access terminals, calendar questions, and older or restricted files that are not displayed remotely. County agency data requests, sheriff reports, and recorder records use different county offices.
Renville County Court Administration
Court Administrator: Lindsay Listul
500 E. DePue
Olivia, MN 56277
320-523-3680
Fax: 320-523-3689
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
The local attorney screenshot in the image manifest comes from the Renville County Attorney page, a county office that is distinct from court administration but often connected to criminal and juvenile filings.
That separation helps avoid sending a court-copy request to the prosecutor or a county data request to the court.
Renville County Court Records Duties
The Renville County Court Administrator supports District Court case administration rather than county land or vital records. Duties include maintaining case records, supporting public access under Judicial Branch rules, helping with certified court copies, pointing users to fee schedules, coordinating calendar information, and providing courthouse access for public terminals or files that are not available remotely through MCRO.
- District Court case record access for civil, criminal, family, probate, juvenile, traffic, and mental health cases.
- Certified copies of court documents and certified civil judgment search results.
- Local public calendar, hearing, and courthouse access questions.
- Courthouse public access for records that MCRO does not display remotely.
- Fee and filing information through the Renville District Court fee schedule.
Marriage certificates, marriage licenses, birth certificates, death certificates, land records, recorded probate papers affecting land title, ministerial registrations, and notary registrations are handled by the Renville County Recorder / Registrar of Titles. Doug Bruns is listed as Recorder / Registrar of Titles, with the Recorder office in Suite 203 of the courthouse.
Request Certified Court Copies
A certified copy is the official court copy used when a court order, judgment, divorce decree, probate order, criminal disposition, or other document must carry court certification. MCRO may provide public online access to some documents, but the Minnesota Judicial Branch says MCRO records and search results are not certified. Use court administration when the copy must be accepted as an official court record.
- Search MCRO first and write down the Renville County case number, party names, case category, and document name.
- Decide whether a certified copy, exemplified copy, uncertified copy, or civil judgment search result is needed.
- Contact Renville County Court Administration at 320-523-3680 or visit the courthouse during business hours.
- Confirm the fee, payment method, delivery method, and whether the document is available remotely, at the counter, or from an older file.
- Ask staff before relying on an online printout where a certified or sealed copy is required.
Renville Records Request Fields
The research did not locate a Renville-specific court-copy request form. For judicial case records, prepare the practical fields court administration needs. For County Attorney data, use the County Attorney data request form, which is separate from the court file and asks whether the requester wants to inspect data or receive copies. County Data Practices forms apply to county agency data, not Judicial Branch court records.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case Number | Best available | Use the 65- category format from MCRO when possible. |
| Party Names | Yes | Include plaintiff/defendant, state/defendant, petitioner/respondent, or probate names. |
| Document Type | Yes | Examples include order, judgment, divorce decree, sentencing order, letters, or register. |
| Copy Type | Yes | Certified, exemplified, uncertified, or civil judgment search result. |
| Contact Method | Needed for follow-up | Provide phone, email, or mailing address if staff must verify fee or file access. |
Renville County Court Fees
The Renville District Court fee schedule lists copy fees, filing fees, report fees, and court-specific charges. The schedule is the official place to confirm current amounts because fees can change by law or policy. The research captured the following court-copy and filing lines from the county-filtered District Court fee page.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certified copy of instrument from civil or criminal proceeding | $14 |
| Exemplified and certified copy | $28 |
| Uncertified copy of instrument | $0 |
| Case management report, 1-50 pages | $5 |
| Case management report, 50+ pages | $25 per 50 pages or part |
| Civil first paper filed | $320 |
| Conciliation first paper filed | $75 |
| Dissolution of marriage | $400 |
| Criminal expungement | $320, with waiver possible in qualifying cases |
Common Court Access Channels
Renville County court users should match the channel to the task. MCRO handles many searches. Court administration handles certified court copies and courthouse-only files. The Renville public calendar PDF handles daily hearing checks. County Data Practices forms apply to county departments, and the County Attorney form applies only to attorney-office data. The Minnesota Data Practices Office gives state-level guidance on county government data, not certified court case copies.
- MCRO Case Search - online public District Court case search.
- Renville County District Court - local court contacts, calendars, fees, and court resources.
- Renville County Data Practices - county agency public-data request forms and policies.
- County Attorney data request form - records held by the County Attorney's Office.
The state data practices image comes from the Minnesota Data Practices Office.
Use it as a county-data reference, while court records remain governed by Judicial Branch access rules.
Mail, Online, and Counter Access
Online access starts with MCRO, but not every public record is available remotely. Pending criminal and traffic cases without conviction may not appear by defendant-name search, and protected case types such as child protection, OFP, HRO, and civil commitment documents are not available through MCRO remote display. For those limits, call court administration or use courthouse public access when allowed under the rules.
Mail or counter requests should include enough detail for staff to find the file: case number, party names, filing date if known, case type, requested document, and copy type. For marriage certificates, birth and death records, land recordings, notary commission registration, and recorded probate papers affecting land title, contact the Recorder / Registrar of Titles instead of the Court Administrator.