Traverse County Predatory Offenders

Traverse County sex offenders are registered through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and managed locally by the Traverse County Sheriff's Office in Wheaton. Traverse County sits on the western edge of Minnesota, sharing a border with North Dakota along the Red River Valley. It is one of the less populous counties in the state, and the Sheriff serves as the primary law enforcement contact for predatory offender registration throughout the county. Residents can use state databases to search for sex offenders registered in Traverse County or contact the Sheriff directly.

Traverse County Sheriff's Office

The Traverse County Sheriff's Office page is the primary local resource for predatory offender registration in the county: Traverse County Sheriff's Office.

The Traverse County Sheriff coordinates predatory offender registration across all cities and townships in the county and reports data to the Minnesota BCA.

The Traverse County Sheriff's Office in Wheaton is responsible for all predatory offender registration in the county. Under Minnesota Statute 243.166, all sex offenders living, working, or attending school in Traverse County must register with local law enforcement. They must report address changes within five days of any move. Failing to register is a felony. The Sheriff coordinates with the BCA to keep the state registry current. Contact the office at (320) 422-7800 or visit co.traverse.mn.us/sheriff.

Traverse County is one of the smallest counties in Minnesota by population. The Sheriff's Office handles law enforcement for the entire county, including Wheaton and small surrounding townships. Because the county borders North Dakota, the Sheriff coordinates with neighboring states when offenders move across the state line, as Minnesota's registration law applies to anyone who lives or works in the state regardless of where their offense occurred.

Find Traverse County Sex Offenders Online

The Minnesota DOC public registrant search at coms.doc.state.mn.us/publicregistrantsearch lets you search Level 3 sex offenders by name, city, or zip code. For Traverse County, enter Wheaton or surrounding zip codes to find offenders registered in the area. The database is updated within 48 hours of law enforcement authorization. Call (651) 361-7340 if you have questions about the search tool.

The BCA Predatory Offender Registry at por.state.mn.us contains the full statewide registry. Public access is limited to Level 3 offenders. Reach the BCA at (651) 793-7070. Level 1 and Level 2 offenders are registered and supervised but do not appear in public searches. In a small county like Traverse, even a small number of registered sex offenders is worth being aware of.

Community Notification in Traverse County

If a Level 3 sex offender moves into Traverse County, the Sheriff's Office initiates a community notification process under Minnesota Statute 244.052. Given the county's small size, these notifications can reach a significant portion of residents in a short time. Schools, day cares, and neighbors near the offender's address are the primary targets for notification. The DOC's community notification page at mn.gov describes how this process works across Minnesota.

Level 2 offenders receive limited notification to specific organizations, not the broader public. Level 1 offenders receive no public notification. If you have a concern about someone in Traverse County who does not appear in the public database, call the Sheriff at (320) 422-7800.

Note: VINE offers free custody change alerts for the Traverse County jail. Register at vinelink.com or call 1-877-664-8463.

Additional Resources

The National Sex Offender Public Website at nsopw.gov connects all 50 state registries into one federal tool. If a sex offender has moved from Traverse County to North Dakota or another state, this site can help you search for their current registration. It is run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Court records for sex offense cases in Traverse County are searchable through the Minnesota Court Records Online system at mncourts.gov. Look up charge and sentencing history by name or case number for cases heard in Traverse County District Court.

Cities in Traverse County

Traverse County is small and rural. All sex offenders in the county register through the Sheriff's Office and the state BCA system.

Communities in Traverse County include Wheaton, Browns Valley, and several small rural townships. All predatory offenders in these areas register through the Traverse County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota predatory offender registry.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Traverse County. Check neighboring county registries if a sex offender may have moved.