Hopkins, Minn., Code of Ordinances ch. 20, art. III § 20-155
Criminal background check
Operative Text
The licensee shall conduct criminal background checks on all prospective tenants. The criminal background check must include the following: (1) A statewide (Minnesota) criminal history check of all prospective tenants covering at least three years; the check must be done utilizing the most recent update of the state criminal history files; (2) A statewide criminal history check from the prospective tenant's previous state of residence, if available, if the tenant is moving directly from the previous state; (3) A criminal history check of any prospective tenant in their previous states of residence, if available, covering the last three years if they have not resided in Minnesota for three years or longer; (4) A criminal history check of any prospective tenant must be conducted in all seven counties in the metro Twin City area (Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Scott and Washington) covering at least the last three years including all misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, and felony convictions. (5) Property Owners have the final decision on accepting a tenant after completion of the background check.
Hopkins Code of Ordinances ch. 20, art. III § 20-155 requires that any licensed rental property operator in Hopkins, Minnesota perform a criminal background check on every prospective tenant before tenancy begins. The check must cover at least three years of history and draw from multiple sources: Minnesota statewide records, prior-state records when applicable, and county-level records across all seven Twin Cities metro counties (Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Scott, and Washington), capturing misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, and felony convictions. After completing the required checks, the property owner retains final decision-making authority over whether to accept the applicant.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Hopkins Code of Ordinances ch. 20, art. III § 20-155, compliant licensees run background checks on every prospective tenant using up-to-date Minnesota statewide criminal history files covering at least three years, supplemented by prior-state records when a tenant is relocating from another state, and county-level checks across all seven Twin Cities metro counties. Operators document that each required database and county source was queried and that the most current state criminal history files were used at the time of the check. After gathering all required information, the property owner makes the final acceptance decision, which should be applied consistently and in accordance with any applicable fair housing standards.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Hopkins Code of Ordinances ch. 20, art. III § 20-155 establishes that licensed landlords in Hopkins are required to conduct multi-source criminal background checks before making a rental decision, but it also confirms that the property owner holds final decision-making authority once those checks are complete. Prospective tenants who believe a background check was conducted improperly, or that a denial decision violated fair housing protections, may have recourse through the City of Hopkins, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, or a local tenant-rights organization. Consulting a tenant advocacy group familiar with Hopkins ordinances can help clarify what remedies or complaint processes may be available under § 20-155 and related law.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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