Data Requests

Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (“MGDPA” Minnesota Statutes, chapter 13), any member of the public may make a request for data held by the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General (AGO). Whether the AGO is permitted or required to provide you with the data you have requested depends on state law, federal law, and court orders.

The AGO is not the responsible authority or designee for other entities and cannot answer inquiries regarding data held by them. We can only answer questions about and provide copies of our own data. The AGO is also not required to answer general questions that are not requests for data pursuant to the MGDPA. Review of the information on this page and the AGO’s Data Access Policies is strongly encouraged prior to entering a request.

Requesters

As a requester, you are not required to identify yourself or explain why you are asking for data. However, the AGO may ask you for additional information to assist in processing your request and/or verify that you are entitled to receive data that might not be available to others.

Request Process

Once you submit your data request, it will be reviewed by staff at the AGO to determine whether it is a valid request for data, whether the AGO is likely to hold the data requested, and whether additional information may be needed to process the request. Once processing is complete, the AGO will communicate the outcome, including citations for any reason your access to the requested data may be restricted by law.

The processing time for data requests depends on many factors such as the complexity and breadth of the request, the type and amount of responsive data the AGO has, and the volume and type of requests received. Failure to respond to requests for clarification may delay processing time or cause your request to be considered withdrawn. The AGO cannot provide specific information as to when a response will be provided except for requests made by an individual for data about themselves. A response to this type of request will be provided within 10 business days as required by Minn. Stat. § 13.04, subd. 3.

Identification and Consent

Data classified as “private data on individuals” are not available to the public but may be shared either with an individual who is a subject of the data or with anyone the data subject consents to see the data. To ensure that we protect your data, we may ask you for proof of identification before we give you access to your private data.

If you wish for us to release private information about you to someone else, such as an attorney or a family member, we are required to get your written informed consent to do so. There is a sample informed consent form on the last page of the AGO’s Data Access Policies. If you are not sure whether this is required in your situation, you do not need to submit this form unless you are asked to do so.

Costs

In certain situations, the AGO is permitted to assess costs associated with a data request. The AGO will notify you if it expects to assess costs and may require a down payment before it begins processing your request.

Most AGO data are held in electronic format and will be produced electronically unless paper copies are specifically requested. The AGO may assess costs related to requests for copies from members of the public as follows:

For 100 or fewer paper copies: $0.25 per page for 100 or fewer black and white paper copies
For 1) more than 100 black and white paper copies or 2) other data formats: Actual costs, e.g., employee search-and-retrieval time, employee copy-preparation time, mailing costs, reproduction costs, media costs

The AGO may assess costs related to requests from data subjects as follows:

Actual cost of making and transmitting copies

Where the AGO is permitted to assess costs associated with employee time, the standard charges are as follows:

Attorney time: $178.00/hour
Legal assistant time: $114.00/hour
Clerical time: $25.00/hour

Summary Data

You may request summary data derived from data that is otherwise private or confidential data on individuals. The AGO must prepare summary data upon written request, but the cost of preparing the summary data, including employee time for searching, retrieving, and analyzing the data, must be paid by the requesting person.

Frequent Topics

The AGO is a large public law firm. Data maintained by attorneys acting in a professional capacity for the government are generally exempt from the MGDPA and thus from data requests under Minn. Stat. § 13.393. If you are looking for data related to cases where the AGO represented another government entity, you may wish to request data directly from that entity.
Consumer complaints submitted to the AGO are private data on individuals pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 13.65, subd. 1. This means that copies of complaints, investigations related to complaints, and information on complaints about a particular business, are typically not accessible to anyone other than the individual who submitted the complaint.
Court filings and exhibits held by the AGO are generally part of attorney files and with certain exceptions are not subject to required disclosure under the MGDPA. Information regarding accessing Minnesota state court records is available on the Minnesota Judicial Branch website.
The Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act (“MCDPA”) is a new law that helps safeguard consumers’ data. It pertains to data that businesses keep on you. By contrast, the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act pertains to data that the government creates, collects, and maintains. The MGDPA data request process cannot be used to address complaints or concerns about the MCDPA. For more information on the MCDPA, or to file a privacy complaint, go to PrivacyMN.com.
The Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) is a federal law that applies to federal agencies and not the AGO or any other state agency. Cases interpreting the FOIA and standard language you may find in FOIA request templates do not apply to MGDPA requests. More information regarding the differences between the FOIA and the MGDPA may be found here.
Health and teacher licensing data held by the AGO are generally exempt from the MGDPA as the AGO serves as legal counsel to these entities and holds these data in this role. You might consider requesting data directly from the appropriate licensing entity. A directory of Minnesota Health Licensing Boards can be found here. Educator licensing information may be found here.
Active investigative data are confidential or protected nonpublic under Minn. Stat. §§ 13.39 and 13.82, meaning that they are not accessible to either the public or the subject(s) of the data. The AGO’s inactive investigative data are private data on individuals under Minn. Stat. § 13.65, subd. 1, and are typically not accessible to anyone other than an individual who is a subject of the data.

The AGO is not the investigating law enforcement agency for criminal cases prosecuted by the AGO pursuant to a referral submitted under Minn. Stat. § 8.01. If you are seeking investigative data from these cases, you should contact the relevant law enforcement agency such as the city police department, county sheriff, or Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
The AGO cannot give you legal advice or answer questions about the law.
Nonprofit filings maintained by the AGO such as registrations and tax form 990s are public data. Additional information regarding nonprofit reporting may be found here. You may find currently registered nonprofits along with recent financial information here.

Click the button below to access the AGO’s Data Practices Portal

Other Resources

Under Minn. Stat. § 13.025, the AGO must prepare written policies regarding access to public data and data on individuals, as well as individual data subject rights. The AGO’s Data Access Policies are available online.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce administers licensing across a wide range of businesses, including financial, real estate, and insurance.
Most businesses in Minnesota must register with the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. The Minnesota Secretary of State maintains a business filing lookup.
If you wish to make a constituent complaint, please refer to the “File a Complaint” page.
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry oversees many aspects of labor regulation including construction codes and licensing, occupational safety, and workers’ compensation.
Minnesota Management and Budget maintains TransparencyMN, a self-service website that provides a wealth of detailed information regarding state budgets, payments, contracts, and payroll.
The AGO cannot answer legal questions or provide advice. The Minnesota Judicial Branch maintains information regarding publicly-accessible law libraries, as well as a legal help topic directory.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General maintains a library of reports regarding state Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
The Minnesota Department of Administration’s Data Practices Office provides assistance and advice on data practices and open meetings to the public. Their website includes a variety of resources and contact information for assistance in answering your data practices questions.
The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State files, retains and certifies the authenticity of a wide variety of official documents, including executive orders, delegations of authority, and oaths. The Minnesota Secretary of State maintains an official documents lookup.
Many state court case records are available free of charge on the Minnesota Judicial Branch’s Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) system. Additional records may be available at the courthouse or by contacting local court administration.