RELEASE OF INFORMATION BY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Minn. Stat. ch. 13A

in effect

Minn. Stat. § 13A.01 DEFINITIONS.

13A.01. DEFINITIONS. Subdivision 1. Scope. For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms have the meanings given them. Subd. 2. Financial institution. "Financial institution" means any office of a bank, savings bank, industrial loan company, trust company, savings and loan, building and loan, credit union, or consumer finance institution, located in the state. Subd. 3. Financial record. "Financial record" means an original of, a copy of, or information known to have been derived from, any record held by a financial institution pertaining to a customer's relationship with the financial institution. Subd. 4. Government authority. "Government authority" means any agency or department of the state or a local unit of government, or any officer, employee, or agent of it. Subd. 5. Customer. "Customer" means any natural person or authorized representative of that person who utilized or is utilizing any service of a financial institution, or for whom a financial institution is acting or has acted as a fiduciary, in relation to an account maintained in the person's name. Subd. 6. Law enforcement inquiry. "Law enforcement inquiry" means a lawful investigation or official proceeding inquiring into a violation of, or failure to comply with, any criminal or civil statute or any rule or order issued pursuant to it. 1983 c 225 s 1

Minn. Stat. § 13A.02 ACCESS TO FINANCIAL RECORDS BY GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES PROHIBITED.

13A.02. ACCESS TO FINANCIAL RECORDS BY GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES PROHIBITED. Subdivision 1. Access by government. Except as authorized by this chapter, no government authority may have access to, or obtain copies of, or the information contained in, the financial records of any customer from a financial institution unless the financial records are reasonably described and: (1) the customer has authorized the disclosure; (2) the financial records are disclosed in response to a search warrant; (3) the financial records are disclosed in response to a judicial or administrative subpoena; (4) the financial records are disclosed to law enforcement, a lead investigative agency as defined in section 626.5572, subdivision 13, or prosecuting authority that is investigating financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult in response to a judicial subpoena or administrative subpoena under section 388.23; or (5) the financial records are disclosed pursuant to section 609.527 or 609.535 or other statute or rule. Subd. 2. Release prohibited. No financial institution, or officer, employee, or agent of a financial institution, may provide to any government authority access to, or copies of, or the information contained in, the financial records of any customer except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. Nothing in this chapter shall require a financial institution to inquire or determine that those seeking disclosure have duly complied with the requirements of this chapter, provided only that the customer authorization, search warrant, subpoena, or written certification pursuant to section 609.527, subdivision 8; 609.535, subdivision 6; 626.557; or other statute or rule, served on or delivered to a financial institution shows compliance on its face. Subd. 3. Notice to customer. Within 180 days after a government authority obtains access to the financial records of a customer pursuant to a search warrant or a judicial or administrative subpoena, it shall notify the customer of its action unless a delay of notice is obtained pursuant to section 13A.03. The notice shall be sufficient to inform the customer of the name of the government authority or government authorities having had access to the records, the financial records to which access was obtained, and the purpose of the law enforcement inquiry, including transfers of financial records made pursuant to subdivision 5. Notice may be given by providing the customer with a copy of the search warrant or subpoena. Subd. 4. Duty of financial institutions. Upon receipt of a request for financial records made by a government authority, the financial institution shall, unless otherwise provided by law, proceed to assemble the records requested within a reasonable time and be prepared to deliver the records to the government authority upon receipt of the search warrant or subpoena required under this section. Subd. 5. Use of information. Financial records originally obtained pursuant to this chapter may be transferred to another government authority provided the transferred records are pertinent and necessary to the receiving authority in initiating, furthering, or completing a law enforcement inquiry. When financial records subject to this chapter are transferred to another government authority, the transferring authority shall include the name of the receiving authority and the financial records transferred in the notice required by subdivision 3 of this section or, if the transfer occurs after the notice has been sent to the customer, the transferring authority shall, upon written request by the customer, inform the customer of the name of the government authority to which the financial records were transferred. Subd. 6. Status of records. All financial records obtained by a government authority pursuant to this section are subject to the provisions of section 13.82, subdivision 7. 1983 c 225 s 2; 1999 c 227 s 22; 2009 c 119 s 1,2; 2010 c 214 s 1; 2011 c 28 s 17; 2023 c 52 art 9 s 1,2

Minn. Stat. § 13A.03 DELAYED NOTICE.

13A.03. DELAYED NOTICE. Subdivision 1. Application. Upon application of the government authority, a customer notice pursuant to section 13A.02, subdivision 3, may be delayed by order of an appropriate court if the judge finds that: (1) the law enforcement inquiry being conducted is within the lawful jurisdiction of the government authority seeking the financial records; (2) there is reason to believe that the records being sought are relevant to a legitimate law enforcement inquiry; and (3) there is reason to believe that the notice will result in (i) endangering life or physical safety of any person; (ii) flight from prosecution; (iii) destruction of or tampering with evidence; (iv) intimidation of potential witnesses; or (v) otherwise seriously jeopardizing an investigation or official proceeding or unduly delaying a trial or ongoing official proceeding. An application for delay must be made with reasonable specificity. Subd. 2. Order. If the court makes the findings required in subdivision 1, it shall enter an ex parte order granting the requested delay for a period not to exceed 180 days and an order prohibiting the financial institution from disclosing that records have been obtained. If the court finds that there is reason to believe that the notice may endanger the life or physical safety of any person, the court may specify that the delay be indefinite. Extensions of the delay of notice of up to 90 days each may be granted by the court upon application. Subd. 3. Notice. Upon expiration of the period of delay of notification under this section, the customer shall be served with a copy of the notice required by section 13A.02, subdivision 3. 1983 c 225 s 3

Minn. Stat. § 13A.04 EXCEPTIONS.

13A.04. EXCEPTIONS. Subdivision 1. Statutory violations; financial exploitation. Nothing in this chapter precludes any financial institution, or any officer, employee, or agent of a financial institution, from notifying a government authority that the institution, or officer, employee, or agent has information which may be relevant to a possible violation of any statute or rule or the financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and providing access to financial records relevant to the possible violation or financial exploitation. Subd. 2. Release incident to another proceeding. Nothing in this chapter precludes a financial institution, as an incident to perfecting a security interest, proving a claim in bankruptcy, or otherwise collecting on a debt owing either to the financial institution itself or in its role as a fiduciary, from providing copies of any financial record to any court or government authority. Subd. 3. Government assistance programs. Nothing in this chapter precludes a financial institution, as an incident to processing an application for assistance to a customer in the form of a government loan, loan guaranty, or loan insurance agreement, or as an incident to processing a default on, or administering a government guaranteed or insured loan, from providing access to an appropriate government authority with any financial record necessary to permit the authority to carry out its responsibilities under a loan, loan guaranty, or loan insurance agreement. Whenever a customer applies for participation in a government loan, loan guaranty, or loan insurance program, the government authority administering the program shall give the customer written notice of the authority's access rights under this subdivision. No further notification shall be required for subsequent access by that authority during the term of the loan, loan guaranty, or loan insurance agreement. Financial records obtained pursuant to this subdivision may be used only for the purpose for which they were originally obtained. Subd. 4. Other exceptions. Nothing in this chapter: (a) prohibits the disclosure of any financial records or information which is not identified with or identifiable as being derived from the financial records of a particular customer; (b) prohibits examination by or disclosure to the commissioner of commerce of financial records or information in the exercise of the commissioner's supervisory, regulatory, or monetary functions with respect to a financial institution; (c) shall apply when financial records are sought by a government authority under the Rules of Civil or Criminal Procedure in connection with litigation to which the government authority and the customer are parties; (d) shall apply when financial records are sought by a government authority in connection with a lawful proceeding, investigation, examination, or inspection directed at the financial institution in possession of the records or at a legal entity which is not a customer; (e) shall apply to any subpoena or court order issued in connection with proceedings before a grand jury; (f) shall apply to subpoenas issued in civil cases pursuant to the Rules of Civil Procedure; or (g) shall apply when a government authority is seeking only the name, address, account number, and type of account of any customer or ascertainable group of customers associated with a financial transaction or class of financial transaction. 1983 c 225 s 4; 1983 c 289 s 114 subd 1; 1984 c 655 art 1 s 92; 1986 c 444; 2009 c 119 s 3

Source: Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes (revisor.mn.gov)URL: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/13AFetched: 10/19/2026