Dakota County Phone Directory

The Dakota County phone directory gives you direct access to government offices, law enforcement, court services, and public health departments across the county. Dakota County sits south of the Twin Cities metro and has a population of about 439,000 people. The county seat is Hastings, where most administrative offices are based. Whether you need to reach the sheriff, ask about property taxes, or file a data request, the numbers on this page will point you in the right direction. Most offices are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Dakota County Data Practices Phone Directory

Dakota County follows the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (Chapter 13) and Minnesota Rules 1205 for handling public data requests. The Data Practices Compliance Official Designee is Jerod Rauk. Call him at 651-554-6244 or email data.practices@co.dakota.mn.us. The county manager is Heidi Welsch, who serves as the Responsible Authority for most departments.

You can request data by email or by mailing a letter to the County Data Practices Compliance Official at 1590 Highway 55, Hastings, MN 55033. Under state law, you do not have to give your name or explain why you want the data. Inspection is free. If copies cost money, the county will tell you before processing the request. Summary data requests must be in writing, and the county responds within ten business days.

The Dakota County data practices page explains both public data and data subject requests.

This page also links to the county's policy document with contacts for every department.

Dakota County Sheriff Phone Numbers

Sheriff Joe Leko runs the Dakota County Sheriff's Office. He has served as county sheriff since 2023. The main phone number is 651-438-4700. Fax goes to 651-450-2737. Email the office at sheriff@co.dakota.mn.us. The Law Enforcement Center is at 1580 Highway 55, Hastings, MN 55033-2343. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For data requests from the sheriff's office, email DCSOrecords@co.dakota.mn.us. Sheriff Leko is both the Responsible Authority and the Data Practices Compliance Official for his office. The sheriff provides services like residential extra patrol requests, warrant searches, and records access. Under Minnesota Statutes, section 13.82, law enforcement data has specific rules about what is public and what is not.

The Dakota County Sheriff's Office page has full contact details and service info.

You can also find the sheriff on Facebook at DakotaMNSheriff for updates and community news.

Dakota County Departments Phone Directory

Dakota County keeps an extensive departments directory. Every office has its own phone number and email. Here are some of the key contacts from the Dakota County phone directory that residents call most often.

Assessing Services is at the Administration Center, 1590 Highway 55, Hastings. Call 651-438-4200 or email assessing.services@co.dakota.mn.us. Scott Lyons heads the department. The Board of Commissioners can be reached at 651-438-4418 or by email at board@co.dakota.mn.us. The County Attorney, Kathryn M. Keena, is at the Judicial Center, 1560 Highway 55. Call 651-438-4438 or email attorney@co.dakota.mn.us.

Court Administration for the 1st Judicial District is at the Judicial Center, 1560 Highway 55, Hastings. Call 651-377-7180 or email dakota@courts.state.mn.us. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Community Corrections is at the same Judicial Center location and can be reached at 651-438-8288. They also have a Western Service Center in Apple Valley at 952-891-7200 and a Northern Service Center in West St. Paul at 651-554-6060.

• Elections: 651-438-4305, elections@co.dakota.mn.us
• Emergency Management: 651-438-4322
• Human Resources: 651-438-4435, jobs@co.dakota.mn.us
• Property Taxation and Records: 651-438-4576
• Public Health (West St. Paul): 651-554-6100
• Public Health (Apple Valley): 952-891-7500
• Transportation: 952-891-7100

The Dakota County departments page shows the complete list with addresses and hours.

Each department page on the county site has even more specific contacts for different units.

Dakota County Social Services Contacts

Social Services in Dakota County operates from two main locations. The Western Service Center at 14955 Galaxie Ave., Apple Valley, MN 55124 handles Child and Family services. Call 952-891-7400 or email social.services@co.dakota.mn.us. Emily Schug heads this department. Adult Services runs out of the Northern Service Center at 1 Mendota Road W., West St. Paul. That number is 651-554-6000.

Community Services Administration is also at the Northern Service Center. Call 651-554-5742. Marti Fischbach heads this office. The Environmental Resources department is in Apple Valley at 952-891-7557. For Employment and Economic Assistance, call 651-554-5611 at the Northern Service Center in West St. Paul.

State Phone Directory for Dakota County

Dakota County falls in the 1st Judicial District. Court records can be searched through Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO). The state system lets you search by name, business, case number, or attorney. Uncertified copies are free. Certified copies cost $14 per document. For older records filed before July 2015, contact court admin at 651-377-7180.

The state Employee White Pages covers all Minnesota agencies. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at 651-793-7000 handles background checks and the sex offender registry. The Department of Public Safety main line is 651-201-7000. Driver and Vehicle Services can be reached at 651-297-3298 for driver questions and 651-297-2126 for vehicle questions.

If a government entity in Dakota County denies your data request, you can file a complaint with the state Information Policy Analysis Division at 651-296-6733 or 1-800-657-3721. The office is at 305A Centennial Office Building, 658 Cedar Street, St. Paul, MN 55155. Under Minnesota Statutes, section 13.085, an expedited complaint procedure is available with a $1,000 filing fee.

Cities in Dakota County

Dakota County includes several growing suburbs south of the Twin Cities. All of these communities are served by the county phone directory numbers listed above for county-level services.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Dakota County. Make sure you check which county your address falls in before calling for services.