About the Brown County Jail
Brown County Jail is the county detention facility for Brown County, Minnesota, and is located inside the Brown County Law Enforcement Center in New Ulm. The facility is operated by the Brown County Sheriff's Office and houses male and female inmates who are awaiting court, serving local sentences, or being held on court orders.
Brown County Jail is listed as a 56-bed county jail. Sheriff Jason Seidl is the elected Brown County Sheriff, and Jail Administrator Steve Appel is responsible for daily jail operations. Because Brown County Jail is a local county jail rather than a state prison, questions about custody status, visits, inmate accounts, bail processing, and local release procedures should be directed to the jail.
- Facility
- Brown County Jail
- Address
- 15 S Washington Street, New Ulm, MN 56073
- Main Phone
- 507-233-6775
- Operated By
- Brown County Sheriff's Office
How the Brown County Inmate Search Works
The Brown County inmate search at the top of this page is the live roster search tool for Brown County Jail. Search by inmate name, booking number, or listed charge, and the roster table filters as you type.
The Brown County jail roster may show the inmate's name, booked date, charges, bail information, booking details, and custody status. When a "View Details" option appears, expand the record to review more charge information for that inmate. Charge and status labels can reflect current booking data, warrant-related holds, court-pending matters, bond information, or listed offense categories.
The Brown County jail roster is not the same as a court docket. Jail roster information shows current custody and booking data, while Brown County District Court records are handled through the Minnesota Judicial Branch court system. Minnesota Court Records Online, also called MCRO, is the state court records portal, but pending criminal cases may have search limits before conviction.
Posting Bail at Brown County Jail
Bail for a Brown County Jail inmate is set by the court, not by the jail. Before coming to the jail to post bail, call Brown County Jail at 507-233-6775 to confirm the inmate's current bail amount, release status, court conditions, and accepted payment methods.
Brown County court materials state that a judge may set unconditional bail, conditional bail, or release conditions that do not require money. Common Minnesota release conditions can include no contact with a victim, no alcohol or mood-altering chemicals, random testing, reporting to probation, remaining in Minnesota unless approved by the court, firearm surrender, and DWI-related monitoring such as REAM.
Brown County Jail bail payment methods are not fully specified in the provided data. Call the jail at 507-233-6775 before arriving to confirm whether cash, cashier's check, money order, a surety bond, or another payment method is currently accepted for the specific inmate. Minnesota district courts may accept appearance-only bail bonds from approved agents or sureties, but the jail should confirm how a bond applies to the inmate's current case.
Sending Money to an Inmate
Brown County Jail accepts inmate account deposits by cash, money order, and cashier's check. The payment must be made out to the inmate, and personal checks are not accepted.
Money may be deposited during visiting hours, sent by mail, or deposited online through JailPayments. Deposited money is credited to the inmate's account and may be used for commissary items when allowed by jail rules.
Brown County Jail commissary may include personal hygiene items, writing supplies, over-the-counter health items, food items, stamps, envelopes, and approved phone cards. Brown County's 2026 fee schedule lists a booking fee of $15 per inmate and agency, while commissary and phone call costs vary.
| Fee or Cost | Confirmed Amount |
|---|---|
| Booking fee | $15 each |
| Commissary | Varies |
| Phone calls | Varies |
For current inmate account questions, call Brown County Jail at 507-233-6775 before sending money.
Inmate Communication
Brown County Jail uses Reliance Telephone for inmate phone cards. Phone cards may be purchased through the jail or Reliance Telephone in $10, $20, and $50 amounts, and collect call setup information is available through Reliance Telephone at 1-800-896-3201.
Inmates cannot receive incoming calls at Brown County Jail. Family members may leave voicemail messages for inmates at 507-571-2751, but those messages are not confidential.
Mail should be addressed to the inmate at Brown County Jail, 15 S Washington Street, New Ulm, MN 56073. Jail calls and mail may be monitored or recorded, except confidential legal communication with attorneys.
Visitation at Brown County Jail
Brown County Jail visitation requires advance planning. Visitors must call the jail at least 24 hours before the visit, and all visits are subject to jail security, staffing, inmate classification, and facility operations.
| Day | Visiting Hours |
|---|---|
| Sunday | 8:30 AM-11:30 AM |
| Monday | 9:00 AM-11:30 AM |
| Thursday | 7:30 PM-10:00 PM |
Holiday visitation follows the same hours when the holiday falls on a scheduled visiting day. Call Brown County Jail at 507-233-6775 before planning a visit to confirm the inmate is eligible for visitors and that the schedule has not changed.
Visitor Rules
- Visitors must call at least 24 hours before the visit.
- Only one visitor is allowed per inmate per day.
- Visits are limited to 20 minutes.
- Visitors must show photo identification.
- Visitors under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
- Visitors under the influence of alcohol or drugs may be denied.
- Visits may be refused for security reasons.
- Adult male and female inmates are not placed in the visiting room together.
Brown County Court Information
Brown County criminal cases are handled by Brown County District Court in New Ulm. The court is part of Minnesota's Fifth Judicial District and handles arraignments, bail hearings, pretrial hearings, trials, sentencing, traffic cases, civil matters, family cases, probate matters, and juvenile cases filed in Brown County.
| Court Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Court | Brown County District Court |
| Address | 14 South State Street, 3rd Floor, New Ulm, MN 56073 |
| Phone | 507-441-7020 |
| Court Administrator | Carol Weikle |
| Judicial District | Fifth Judicial District |
The hearing notice controls the date, time, and format of any Brown County court appearance. Remote hearing information may involve Zoom, telephone, or other court-approved formats, but the hearing notice is the controlling document. If a person needs current hearing access information, they should contact Brown County District Court at 507-441-7020.
Brown County District Court publishes a weekly public court calendar as a searchable PDF. The calendar does not include every court proceeding and may exclude confidential cases or proceedings not available for remote public access. Minnesota Court Records Online is the state court records portal, but pending criminal cases may not be searchable by defendant name unless the case has resulted in a conviction.