Willmar, Minn., Code of Ordinances ch. 6.5, art. II § 6.5-32
Background checks on managers and tenants or rental housing
Operative Text
(a) Purpose. To assist rental property owners in complying with the Kari Koskinen Manager Background Check Act, M.S.A. §§ 299C.66 through 299C.71, and to assist in enhancing safe living conditions for residents in and around rental housing in the city, this section allows property owners and managers the ability to have computerized background investigations conducted locally as allowed and regulated by M.S.A. § 299C.68 subd. 6. The words "owner," "manager," and "tenant" shall have the meanings assigned in M.S.A. § 299C.67. The term "CJIS" means the state criminal justice information system. The term "superintendent" means the superintendent of the state bureau of criminal apprehension. (b) Background investigations of property managers. The county sheriff's department records unit may conduct computerized criminal history/background investigations requested by owners of rental property in the city before hiring managers. No such investigation shall be conducted using CJIS and no information obtained through CJIS shall be disseminated unless the owner presents an informed consent waiver signed by the prospective manager and using the format authorized by the superintendent. The sheriff's department records unit may also provide local public data records and the results of a check for current warrants upon presentation of the same informed consent waiver. Provision of the information by the sheriff's department shall not relieve the owner from further following the requirements of M.S.A. §§ 299C.66 through MS 299C.71. The requesting owner shall pay a processing fee as established by the sheriff's department. (c) Prospective tenant background investigations. The county sheriff's department records unit may conduct computerized criminal history/background investigations requested by owners or managers on prospective tenants in rental property in the city. Such background investigations will be provided only to owners or managers who have received the eight-hour landlord training certificate through the Minnesota Crime Free Multi-Housing Program. No such investigation shall be conducted using CJIS and no information obtained through CJIS shall be disseminated unless the owner or manager presents an informed consent waiver signed by the prospective tenant using the format authorized by the superintendent. The sheriff's department may also provide local public data records and the results of a check for current warrants upon the presentation of the same informed consent waiver. The requesting owner or manager shall pay a processing fee as established by the sheriff's department.
Willmar Code of Ordinances ch. 6.5, art. II § 6.5-32 establishes a local framework under which the county sheriff's department records unit may perform computerized criminal history and background checks on prospective property managers and prospective tenants at the request of rental property owners or managers. For manager checks, the process is available to any qualifying owner; for tenant checks, the requesting owner or manager must hold an eight-hour landlord training certificate through the Minnesota Crime Free Multi-Housing Program. In both cases, a signed informed consent waiver in the format approved by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension superintendent is required before any criminal justice information system data may be accessed or shared, and a processing fee set by the sheriff's department applies.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 6.5-32, compliant rental property owners and managers in Willmar who wish to use the county sheriff's background check service obtain the appropriate informed consent waiver—signed by the prospective manager or tenant and formatted as the state superintendent requires—before submitting any request. Owners seeking tenant background checks must also hold the eight-hour Minnesota Crime Free Multi-Housing Program landlord training certificate prior to making such a request. Operators are aware that receiving information through this local process does not substitute for separately fulfilling all obligations under the Kari Koskinen Manager Background Check Act, M.S.A. §§ 299C.66–299C.71, and that a processing fee established by the sheriff's department applies to each request.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 6.5-32 of the Willmar Code of Ordinances requires that a landlord or manager obtain a prospective tenant's signed, informed consent before the county sheriff's department may run a computerized criminal background check or share any criminal justice information system data about that person. Tenants have the right to review and sign—or decline to sign—the consent waiver before any such investigation proceeds, and the waiver must follow the format authorized by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension superintendent. Tenants who believe a background check was conducted without proper consent or outside the bounds of this provision may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or review the requirements of M.S.A. §§ 299C.66–299C.71 to understand available options.
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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