77.01 District Courts Always Open The district courts shall be deemed always open for the purpose of filing any pleading or other proper documents, of issuing and returning mesne and final process, and of making and directing all interlocutory motions, orders, and rules.
Rule 77.District Courts and Court Administrators
Last amended July 1, 2015 · Last verified July 1, 2026
In one sentenceRule 77 explains that district courts are always available for filing documents and routine motions, describes when hearings must be held in open court versus in chambers, and requires the court administrator to notify parties when orders and judgments are filed.
Full Text of Rule 77
77.02 Trials and Hearings; Orders in Chambers All trials upon the merits shall be conducted in open court and so far as convenient in a regular courtroom. All other acts or proceedings may be done or conducted by a judge in chambers, without the attendance of the court administrator or other court officials and at any place either within or outside the district; but no hearing, other than one ex parte, shall be conducted outside the district without the consent of all parties affected thereby.
77.03 Court Administrator’s Office and Orders by Court Administrator All motions and applications in the court administrator’s office for issuing mesne process, for issuing final process to enforce and execute judgments, for entering judgments by default, and for other proceedings which do not require allowance or order of the court are grantable of course by the court administrator; but the court administrator’s action may be suspended, altered, or rescinded by the court upon cause shown.
77.04 Notice of Orders or Judgments Immediately upon the filing of an order or decision or entry of a judgment, the court administrator shall transmit a notice of the filing or entry by mail, e-mail, or by use of an e-filing and e-service system, to every party affected thereby or upon such party’s attorney of record, whether or not such party has appeared in the action, at the party or attorney’s last known mail or e-mail address, and shall make note the transmission in the court records. Notice under this rule shall not limit the time for taking an appeal or other proceeding on such order, decision, or judgment.
Advisory Committee Comments
Amendment History
- (Amended effective July 1, 2015.)
Plain-English Summary
Rule 77 covers the everyday operations of district courts. Rule 77.01 establishes that district courts are considered always open for filing pleadings and other documents, issuing process, and handling interlocutory motions and orders, meaning there is no formal closure that blocks these routine actions. Rule 77.02 distinguishes between trials on the merits, which must happen in open court, generally in a courtroom, and other proceedings, which a judge may handle in chambers, even outside the district, except that a non-ex-parte hearing outside the district needs the consent of everyone affected.
Rule 77.03 describes the court administrator’s authority to grant routine motions and applications, like issuing process or entering default judgments, without needing a judge’s separate order, while still allowing the court to review or reverse those actions for good cause. Rule 77.04 requires the court administrator to promptly notify every affected party or their attorney, by mail, email, or an e-filing and e-service system, whenever an order, decision, or judgment is filed or entered, and to note that the notice was sent. Importantly, that notice does not itself change or extend the deadline for an appeal or any other proceeding based on the order, decision, or judgment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I file a document with the district court even outside normal business hours or when court is not formally in session?
Yes, Rule 77.01 deems the district courts always open for purposes such as filing pleadings and other proper documents.
Does every court proceeding have to happen in an open courtroom?
No. Rule 77.02 requires trials on the merits to be conducted in open court, but allows a judge to handle other acts or proceedings in chambers, with limits on holding non-ex-parte hearings outside the district without consent.
Who notifies me when a judgment is entered in my case?
Rule 77.04 requires the court administrator to transmit notice of the filing or entry to every affected party or their attorney by mail, email, or an e-filing and e-service system.
Does getting notice from the court administrator extend my deadline to appeal?
No. Rule 77.04 specifically states that notice under this rule does not limit the time for taking an appeal or other proceeding on the order, decision, or judgment.
Source & verification. The rule text and Advisory Committee Comments are reproduced verbatim from the
official Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure (Minn. R. Civ. P. 77). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Minnesota (Minn. Stat. § 480.051). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 1, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: court administrator notice
Advisory Committee Comment—2012 Amendment
Rule 77.04 is amended to permit any notice required by the rule to be sent by electronic means in all cases. Although this will necessarily occur in cases using mandatory e-filing and e-service, the rule permits court administrators to use e-mail or electronic noticing in any other case where it is feasible. Notice is required to be provided to the last known address of the party or attorney. The burden is squarely on the party or attorney to advise the court of any change in address. This rule should be read in conjunction with Rule 13.02 of the General Rules of Practice which permits the court administrator to discontinue providing postal notice where that last known address is known to be obsolete, typically by the return of prior mailings by the postal service.