Sex Offenders in Carlton County

Carlton County sex offenders are registered through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and tracked locally by the Carlton County Sheriff's Office. Carlton County is in northeastern Minnesota and is notable for hosting the Minnesota Sex Offender Program facility in Moose Lake. Residents who want to find information about predatory offenders registered in Carlton County can use free state databases or contact the Sheriff directly. This page covers how to search for sex offenders in Carlton County and explains the significance of the MSOP facility in the community.

Carlton County Sheriff and Sex Offender Registration

The Carlton County Sheriff's page provides law enforcement resources for the county: Carlton County Sheriff's Office.

The Carlton County Sheriff's Office manages predatory offender registration and community notification for this northeastern Minnesota county.

The Carlton County Sheriff's Office handles predatory offender registration for the county. All registered sex offenders living in Carlton County must comply with Minnesota Statute 243.166. That law requires them to report their address and update it within five days of any change. Failing to register is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The Sheriff coordinates with the BCA and DOC to maintain accurate records. Reach the Sheriff at (218) 384-3236. The website is at co.carlton.mn.us/sheriff.

Minnesota Sex Offender Program in Carlton County

Carlton County is home to one of the most significant sex offender facilities in Minnesota. The Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) operates a secure treatment facility in Moose Lake at 1111 Highway 73, Moose Lake, MN 55767. MSOP is a civil commitment program for sexually dangerous persons and sexual psychopathic personalities who have completed their prison sentences but are considered too dangerous for release. This is a civil, not criminal, confinement. Residents of this facility are not in county jail but are held under state authority.

The presence of the MSOP facility affects Carlton County in several ways. Staff, visitors, and former residents who transition into the community may interact with the local area. When someone is released from MSOP or transferred to a less restrictive setting, the local Sheriff and BCA are involved in the registration and community notification process. If you are looking for someone who was at MSOP and may now be living in Carlton County, the DOC public search tool is the right place to start.

It is important to note that people currently confined at the MSOP facility in Moose Lake are not free in the community. They are not counted among the predatory offenders registered at a community address in Carlton County. Only those who have been released and are living in the county at a specific address appear in the public registry. If you are researching someone you believe may be at the MSOP facility, contact the DOC directly.

Note: The MSOP facility is a civil commitment program, not a prison. People held there have already served their criminal sentences. Release from MSOP requires a separate court process.

Search Carlton County Sex Offenders Online

The Minnesota DOC Public Registrant Search lets you look up Level 3 sex offenders in Carlton County. Go to coms.doc.state.mn.us/publicregistrantsearch. DOC contact: (651) 361-7340 or toll free (866) 396-9953. Search by city or zip code. Try Carlton, Moose Lake, Cloquet, and other communities in the county. The database updates within 48 hours of law enforcement authorization. Only Level 3 offenders appear in the public tool.

The BCA Predatory Offender Registry at por.state.mn.us holds the full statewide database. BCA contact: (651) 793-7070 or toll free (888) 234-1248. Level 1 and Level 2 offenders are registered but not visible to the public. Only law enforcement can access those records. This means there may be registered sex offenders living in Carlton County who do not appear in any public database.

Community Notification in Carlton County

Level 3 sex offenders trigger formal community notification under Minnesota Statute 244.052. When a high-risk offender moves into Carlton County, the Sheriff's Office coordinates notification to neighbors, schools, and local groups. Given the presence of the MSOP facility in Moose Lake, Carlton County has more experience with this process than many other rural counties. The DOC Community Notification page at mn.gov explains the statewide process for all risk levels.

Residents of Carlton County who are concerned about sex offenders in their area should use the DOC public search tool as a first step. For questions that go beyond the public database, contact the Carlton County Sheriff directly. The Sheriff can provide guidance on what information is available and how the local notification process works.

Additional Resources for Carlton County Residents

VINE provides free custody status alerts. Sign up at vinelink.com or call 1-877-664-8463. The service notifies you when someone held in the county jail is released or transferred. This is useful for crime victims and community members monitoring a specific person's custody status.

The National Sex Offender Public Website at nsopw.gov covers all 50 states. If a Carlton County sex offender has moved to another state, use this tool to track their current registration. It pulls directly from state registries and is maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The DOC Public Viewer at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicViewer shows people currently under DOC supervision in the community. This includes those on supervised release living in Carlton County. Court records for sex offenses in Carlton County can be searched through the Minnesota Court Records Online system at mncourts.gov.

Nearby Counties

Carlton County borders these northeastern Minnesota counties. If a sex offender you are searching for is not found in Carlton County records, check these neighboring areas.