duistatelaws.com Key takeaways
- The Minneapolis City Attorney prosecutes misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor DWI; the Hennepin County Attorney prosecutes felonies.
- The court’s Criminal Division is headquartered at the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 S. 6th St., C-11.
- Hennepin’s DWI Court is a voluntary, minimum 18-month post-conviction program for repeat DWI offenders.
- Referral to any treatment court goes through a triage screening by social workers and probation officers.
- A missed date? The Warrant Helpline, 612-540-6485, can schedule some cases by phone.
- 60 days to petition the district court about the license; the revocation is already running.
from receipt of the notice to petition the district court in Hennepin County to review the license revocation. The revocation started at the notice, the temporary license lasts 14 days (7 after a warrant blood or urine test), and filing does not stay it. Minn. Stat. § 169A.53, subd. 2.
In Minneapolis the charging decision is split by level. The City Attorney’s Criminal Division prosecutes petty misdemeanors, misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors committed by adults in the city, and lists driving under the influence of alcohol among its typical misdemeanor offenses. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office prosecutes felonies. Fourth-, third- and second-degree DWIs are misdemeanors or gross misdemeanors, so they are City Attorney cases; first-degree DWI, a felony, goes to the County Attorney.
The degrees, the aggravating factors and the 60-day license petition are explained on the Minnesota DWI law page. This page covers Minneapolis.
The same diagram as a table
| Step | Criminal case — decided by a court | License case — decided by the commissioner, then a district court |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrest and booking, hour 0 | Notice of revocation served, day 0 |
| 2 | Charge filed by the prosecutor | Petition the district court for review within 60 days; administrative review can be asked at any time |
| 3 | First court setting, on a date the court picks | Judicial review if petitioned — filing does not stay the revocation |
| 4 | One or more pretrial settings | Revocation took effect at the notice and runs its period |
| 5 | Trial, plea or dismissal | — |
| Clock | Weeks to months. No filing deadline runs against the driver. | Counted in days from the notice, and fixed by statute. |
Where a Minneapolis DWI is heard
The Fourth District’s Criminal Court is at the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 South 6th Street, C-11, open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4:30pm, and reached at 612-348-6000. The court lists its treatment courts — Criminal Mental Health Court, Drug Court, DWI Court and Veterans Court — as housed at the Division 1 location in the Government Center.
Hennepin County District Court, Criminal Division
- Hears
- The court’s Criminal and Traffic Division for Hennepin County
- Building
- Hennepin County Government Center, C-11
- Address
- 300 S. 6th St., Minneapolis, MN 55487
- Detail
- The court’s treatment courts, DWI Court among them, are housed at the Division 1 location in the Government Center
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 8am to 4:30pm
- Phone
- 612-348-6000
Minneapolis City Attorney, Criminal Division
- Role
- Prosecutes petty misdemeanors, misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors committed by adults in Minneapolis
- Building
- City Hall, Room 210
- Address
- 350 Fifth St. S., Room 210, Minneapolis, MN
- Detail
- Lists driving under the influence of alcohol among typical misdemeanor offenses
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 8am to 4:30pm
- Why it matters
- Felonies are prosecuted by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, 612-348-5550.
The court runs a helpline, 612-540-6485, where an adult defendant can get information about a warrant and possibly schedule a hearing. The court warns that the warrant stays active until you go to court, so you can still be arrested in the meantime, and that some warrants are not eligible — among them warrants for missing a trial, certain probation violations, and complaint warrants. For those, the court says, you turn yourself in at the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility, 401 4th Avenue South.
Some cases require fingerprints before court. The court lists fingerprinting at the Public Safety Facility, Room 133.01, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am to 4pm, closed from 11:30am to noon.
Not sure which court your case is in?
Enter the ZIP code where the arrest happened and the full form opens with it filled in.
The license, and the first court date
The license. In Minnesota the officer revokes the license at the notice and issues a temporary license valid for 14 days, or 7 after a blood or urine test under a warrant. To challenge the revocation you petition the district court within 60 days, and filing does not pause it. That is a separate case from the criminal charge, though the statute allows its hearing to be held together with the pretrial motions in the criminal case.
The criminal case. The city describes the steps. Charges are filed by the City or County Attorney depending on the level. At arraignment, the defendant’s first appearance, a court may set bail or release with conditions for a defendant in custody, and the defendant may plead or ask for time to get a lawyer. A pretrial hearing follows, where the parties may try to resolve the case, and then trial. To find the next court date, the city points to the Hennepin County Clerk of Court at 612-348-6000.
| What happened | First time | With a prior in 20 years, or two or more at any time | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test at 0.08 or more | At least 90 days; at least 1 year at twice the limit | Until interlock compliance | Minn. Stat. § 171.178, subd. 4 |
| Refused the test | At least 1 year | Until interlock compliance | Minn. Stat. § 171.178, subd. 3 |
| Under 21, test below twice the limit | At least 180 days | Until interlock compliance | Minn. Stat. § 171.178, subd. 4 |
Hennepin County DWI Court
The court describes its DWI Court as a voluntary, minimum 18-month, post-conviction program in which the judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, law enforcement, social services, probation, treatment specialists and victim advocates work together to break the cycle of chemical dependency and drunk driving. The Fourth Judicial District Court and Hennepin County started it in 2007, with a focus on repeat DWI offenders.
Participants are under ongoing judicial supervision and intensive community supervision, undergo frequent drug testing, take part in long-term chemical dependency treatment and attend community support groups; the court adds that it rewards progress and responds swiftly when requirements are broken. Hearings are on Thursdays at 2pm and Fridays at 9am in Courtroom C-857 of the Government Center. Eligibility for any treatment court is decided through a triage screening by a panel of social workers and probation officers.
The statewide mandatory minimums for a second or third DWI within ten years are on the Minnesota page.
Who handles a Minneapolis DWI
From the City Attorney’s pages and the court’s.
| Situation | County | Who handles it |
|---|---|---|
| A misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor DWI in Minneapolis | Hennepin | Charged by the Minneapolis City Attorney; heard in the Criminal Division |
| A felony (first-degree) DWI | Hennepin | Charged by the Hennepin County Attorney |
| A repeat DWI offender referred to treatment court | Hennepin | DWI Court, Courtroom C-857, after a triage screening |
| A missed court date | Hennepin | Warrant Helpline, 612-540-6485; some warrants require surrender at 401 4th Ave. S. |
The City Attorney’s diversion programs list traffic moving violations and driving without a valid license, among others; DWI is not on the list.
The City Attorney also manages diversion programs, and its list covers traffic moving violations, driving without a valid license, shoplifting and a handful of other offenses; DWI is not on it. The other Minnesota page on this site is St. Paul.
Common questions about Minneapolis DWI cases
Who prosecutes a DWI in Minneapolis?
The Minneapolis City Attorney's Criminal Division prosecutes misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor offenses by adults in the city, and lists driving under the influence of alcohol among typical misdemeanors. Felony DWI is prosecuted by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office.
Where is DWI court in Minneapolis?
Hennepin County District Court's Criminal Division is at the Government Center, 300 S. 6th St., C-11. Its DWI Court meets on Thursdays at 2pm and Fridays at 9am in Courtroom C-857.
What is Hennepin County DWI Court?
A voluntary, minimum 18-month, post-conviction program for repeat DWI offenders, with judicial supervision, intensive community supervision, frequent testing and long-term treatment. Referrals go through a triage screening.
I missed my court date in Hennepin County. What now?
Call the Warrant Helpline at 612-540-6485. Some warrants can be scheduled for a hearing by phone; others, such as warrants for missing a trial, require turning yourself in at the Public Safety Facility, 401 4th Ave. S.
Can a Minneapolis DWI go to diversion?
The City Attorney's diversion list covers offenses such as traffic moving violations and driving without a valid license; DWI is not on it.
How long do I have to challenge the license revocation?
Sixty days from receiving the notice to petition the district court. The revocation started at the notice, and the petition does not stay it.
Request a review of your Hennepin case
Free, no obligation, and you decide who, if anyone, you speak with.
Your request is ready to send
Here is what happens after you submit:
- We pass your answers only to attorneys licensed in the state where the arrest happened, when one is taking requests for that area.
- Never to more than three. Only those attorneys and duistatelaws.com may use your details to contact you.
- You decide who, if anyone, you speak with. You are not committed to anyone.
Submitting this request does not create an attorney–client relationship.
More for Minnesota
- Minnesota DWI law — the full penalty matrix, the statutes, and the rules on priors and interlock
- St. Paul and Ramsey County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Refusing a breathalyzer — what implied consent costs here against what it buys
- How long it stays on your record — three records, three clocks
- SR-22 filing requirements in Minnesota — in preparation
- Ignition interlock providers and costs in Minnesota — what the device costs and who installs it
Sources
- Minneapolis City Attorney, Criminal Division — read October 2, 2026
- Minneapolis City Attorney, diversion — read October 2, 2026
- City of Minneapolis, steps in the legal process — read October 2, 2026
- Minnesota Judicial Branch, Hennepin County Criminal and Traffic Division (read in a browser) — read October 2, 2026
- Minnesota Judicial Branch, Hennepin County Treatment Courts (read in a browser) — read October 2, 2026
- Minn. Stat. § 169A.20, subd. 1(5) and the rest of the Minnesota statutes cited on this page — read 2025 statutes
Court addresses, hours and phone numbers were read from each court’s or office’s own published page on October 2, 2026. Those change without notice; confirm before you rely on them. No judge is named anywhere on this page, because a roster is exactly the kind of detail that goes stale silently.