Minnesota Rules of Evidence

Full text of the Minnesota Rules of Evidence — governing what evidence can be presented in Minnesota courts.

The Minnesota Rules of Evidence govern what evidence can be admitted in court proceedings. They apply in both civil and criminal cases and cover witness testimony, documents, hearsay, privilege, and expert witnesses. All rule text is public domain, sourced from the Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes.

Key Rules

• Rule 401 — What counts as relevant evidence
• Rule 403 — Excluding evidence that is more prejudicial than probative
• Rule 404 — Character evidence and prior bad acts
• Rule 501 — Privilege (attorney-client, spousal, etc.)
• Rule 602 — Witnesses must have personal knowledge
• Rule 608 — Attacking a witness’s credibility
• Rule 611 — How questioning works (direct, cross, redirect)
• Rule 702 — Expert witness testimony
• Rule 801 — Hearsay definition
• Rule 803 — Exceptions to the hearsay rule
• Rule 901 — Authenticating evidence (proving it is what you say it is)