Pulled Over on the Ice or Served an Eviction at 2am? Minnesota's Free Legal Hotline Answers Now.

Is the Legal Hotline really free, and is it available at night and on weekends in Minnesota?

Yes. Calling 1-844-690-0555 is completely free and the line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, across all of Minnesota, from Minneapolis and St. Paul to Duluth, Rochester and the rural counties with few private attorneys. There's no income test and no waitlist, which is the key difference from legal aid and the bar referral service that run on weekday hours. You'll speak to an AI legal assistant trained on Minnesota and federal law that gives you legal information, not legal advice. If you then want representation, we can book a paid consultation with a Minnesota-licensed attorney.

I was just arrested in Hennepin County. What should I do right now?

Stay calm and remember you have the right to remain silent and the right to a lawyer, exercise both. Don't discuss the facts with police beyond identifying yourself. Most criminal charges in the Twin Cities are handled at the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis or the Ramsey County Courthouse in St. Paul, under the Criminal Code (Minn. Stat. Ch. 609). Then call 1-844-690-0555 for free, around-the-clock legal information on bail, your first appearance and what the charge means. It's information, not advice, but it helps you understand your situation fast, and we can book a Minnesota-licensed defense attorney if you need one.

I got a DWI in Minnesota. Will I lose my license, and what about refusing the test?

Under Minnesota's implied-consent law (Minn. Stat. Ch. 169A), driving, operating or being in physical control of a vehicle, even out on the ice of a lake, means you consented to chemical testing. Refusing a lawful test is a separate crime and triggers automatic license revocation. DWI is graded in four degrees, and crucially the civil license case and the criminal case run on separate tracks with separate short deadlines. Missing the window to challenge your revocation can cost you your license regardless of the criminal outcome. Call 1-844-690-0555 now for free legal information on both tracks before those deadlines pass.

I was hit in a car accident in Minnesota. Can I sue the other driver?

Minnesota is a no-fault auto-insurance state under Minn. Stat. Ch. 65B. Your own mandatory Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage pays your medical bills and lost wages regardless of who caused the crash. You generally cannot sue the other driver for pain and suffering unless your injuries cross a statutory threshold, such as more than $4,000 in medical expenses, a permanent injury, permanent disfigurement, disability lasting 60 days or more, or death. This changes what you should do after a wreck on I-35W or anywhere else: report it, get treatment, and open your PIP claim. Call 1-844-690-0555 free, 24/7, for legal information on PIP, the thresholds and whether a claim against the other driver is even possible.

Can I clear an old conviction in Minnesota, including an old cannabis charge?

Often, yes. Criminal expungement runs under Minn. Stat. Ch. 609A, and many records can be sealed depending on the offense and how much time has passed. Minnesota also did something unusual when it legalized adult-use cannabis in 2023: the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has already automatically sealed tens of thousands of low-level cannabis records, while a Cannabis Expungement Board reviews higher-level cannabis cases for expungement or resentencing, so yours may already be cleared or eligible without you lifting a finger. Many Minnesotans simply don't realize this. Call 1-844-690-0555 for free legal information on whether your record qualifies and what the process looks like, then book a Minnesota attorney if you want help filing.

My landlord shut off my heat or changed the locks. What are my rights as a Minnesota tenant?

A self-help lockout, changing your locks or cutting utilities to force you out, is illegal in Minnesota; tenant protections live in the Landlord and Tenant Act (Minn. Stat. Ch. 504B). In deep cold, heat and habitability are urgent, and evictions are heard in dedicated Housing Court in Hennepin and Ramsey counties (other counties handle them in District Court). You may have rent-escrow and emergency remedies available. Call 1-844-690-0555 free, any hour, for legal information on lockouts, repairs, security deposits and eviction defense, and reach the renter specialists at HOME Line (612-728-5767) during their hours.

I want to take someone to small-claims court in Minnesota. How does that work?

Minnesota's small-claims forum is Conciliation Court, governed by Minn. Stat. Ch. 491A, and it's built for people without lawyers. The limit is high at $20,000 (though only $4,000 for consumer-credit collection cases). You file in the county District Court where the dispute belongs, and there's strong self-help support through the Minnesota Judicial Branch self-help centers. Common cases: an unreturned security deposit, unpaid work, or a botched repair. Call 1-844-690-0555 for free legal information on whether Conciliation Court fits your dispute, what to bring, and how to prepare, before you file.

I need an Order for Protection or there's a firearm-safety concern. Can you help fast?

Orders for Protection in domestic-abuse situations are issued under the Domestic Abuse Act (Minn. Stat. Ch. 518B), and courts can grant emergency relief quickly. Minnesota also has a red flag law (Extreme Risk Protection Orders), effective January 1, 2024, letting family or household members, police and certain officials petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from someone deemed a danger. If you're in immediate danger, call 911 first. Then call 1-844-690-0555, free and 24/7, for legal information on which order fits, how to petition, and where to file in your county District Court. We can book a Minnesota attorney if you want representation at the hearing.

Do you have lawyers who speak Spanish, Somali or Hmong?

Minnesota is home to the nation's largest Somali community and one of its largest Hmong communities, and Spanish is the most common non-English household language, so language access matters. The free AI legal assistant on 1-844-690-0555 can help you understand your situation in plain terms, any hour. When you're ready to book a paid consultation, tell us your language needs and we'll work to match you with an attorney licensed in Minnesota who can serve you. This is legal information first; representation is a separate, clearly disclosed booking. Either way, start with the free call.

Is Legal Hotline a law firm or the state bar's referral service?

No, and we're careful to say so. Legal Hotline is not a law firm, not a government program, and not affiliated with the Minnesota courts or the Minnesota State Bar Association's referral service. When you call 1-844-690-0555 you get legal information from an AI legal assistant trained on Minnesota and federal law, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is formed. If you need representation, connecting you with an attorney licensed in Minnesota is a separate, paid consultation booking, disclosed up front. Think of the free call as the fast, honest first step to figure out what you're actually dealing with.