Minnesota Courthouse Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Short answer: It depends on the county administrative order: 8 of 8 tracked courthouses in Minnesota allow silenced cell phones, while 0 prohibit cell phones for general visitors and traffic court defendants. Updated 2026-11-04

Of the 8 county courthouses we track in Minnesota, 8 (100%) allow visitors to bring cell phones inside on silent mode, while 0 (0%) ban cell phones for the general public at the security checkpoint. All phone-ban courthouses here provide lobby lockers. Minnesota Judicial Branch District Courts allow visitors and jurors to carry silenced cell phones inside government centers and courthouses.

County Courthouse	City	Cell phone policy	Phone Lockers	Juror Parking
Hennepin County Hennepin County Courthouse (Minneapolis) “Hennepin County Courthouse (Minneapolis) Security Policy: "Cell phones and laptops are permitted inside the courthouse. Phones must be silenced before entering any courtroom."”	Minneapolis	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Ramsey County Ramsey County Courthouse (St. Paul) “Ramsey County Courthouse (St. Paul) Security Policy: "Cell phones and laptops are permitted inside the courthouse. Phones must be silenced before entering any courtroom."”	St. Paul	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Dakota County Dakota County Courthouse (Hastings) “Dakota County Courthouse (Hastings) Security Policy: "Cell phones and laptops are permitted inside the courthouse. Phones must be silenced before entering any courtroom."”	Hastings	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Anoka County Anoka County Courthouse (Anoka) “Anoka County Courthouse (Anoka) Security Policy: "Cell phones and laptops are permitted inside the courthouse. Phones must be silenced before entering any courtroom."”	Anoka	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Washington County Washington County Courthouse (Stillwater) “Washington County Courthouse (Stillwater) Security Policy: "Cell phones and laptops are permitted inside the courthouse. Phones must be silenced before entering any courtroom."”	Stillwater	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Stearns County Stearns County Courthouse (St. Cloud) “Stearns County Courthouse (St. Cloud) Security Policy: "Cell phones and laptops are permitted inside the courthouse. Phones must be silenced before entering any courtroom."”	St. Cloud	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Olmsted County Olmsted County Courthouse (Rochester) “Olmsted County Courthouse (Rochester) Security Policy: "Cell phones and laptops are permitted inside the courthouse. Phones must be silenced before entering any courtroom."”	Rochester	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
St. Louis County St. Louis County Courthouse (Duluth) “St. Louis County Courthouse (Duluth) Security Policy: "Cell phones and laptops are permitted inside the courthouse. Phones must be silenced before entering any courtroom."”	Duluth	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring my cell phone to a courthouse in Minnesota?

It depends on the county administrative order: 8 of 8 tracked courthouses in Minnesota allow silenced cell phones, while 0 prohibit cell phones for general visitors and traffic court defendants.

Are summoned jurors allowed to bring cell phones in Minnesota?

In 8 of 8 counties in Minnesota, summoned jurors presenting an official Jury Summons are permitted to bring cell phones into the Jury Assembly Room even when general visitors are banned.

How is this courthouse policy data verified?

We verify every county against official Court Administrative Orders (.gov), Jury Commissioner instructions, and Sheriff Court Security directives. Last verified 2026-11-04.