Privacy Statement for Minnesota Department of Public Safety Websites
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) Websites provide an electronic means for accessing information about the programs and services available through DPS. We attempt to keep our content as current as possible.
Information Collected and Used
If you visit our sites to browse, read, and/or download information, the following information is collected and used.
We use "cookies," the small text files that our websites place on your computer's hard drive to collect information about your activities on the sites. We collect and store the Internet Protocol (IP) address for the computer you used to access the sites; the identification of your browser software and operating system; the date and time you accessed the sites; and the Internet address of the website from which you linked directly to our sites.
We use this information to measure the number of visitors to the different sections of our sites and to help us make our sites more useful. We cannot and do not associate any of this information with individual persons, distribute this information to any third parties, or use it in any manner other than for statistical analysis in improving our sites for visitors. This information is classified as private or nonpublic. We retain this information indefinitely.
If you choose to identify yourself by sending us an email or completing our online forms, we use the personally identifying information to process or respond to your request. If you complete an online form, the information you provide is up to you. However, if you do not provide certain information, such as your name, it may be impossible for us to respond to your request.
DPS Websites use industry standard technology for secure online transactions. We may retain this information in our files, either in electronic form or hardcopy. Some of this information is public data under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.
Information emailed to us via the Internet is not secure and can be intercepted and read by others. We recommend that you not use email to send us private or sensitive data about yourself or others unless the data is encoded or encrypted. Also, users are cautioned that the collection of personal information requested from or volunteered by children on-line or by e-mail will be treated the same as information given by an adult and may be subject to public access.
Photographs and Images
Photographs and images posted on the Department of Public Safety Website are licensed material. The Department of Public Safety prohibits downloading any and all photographs or images for purposes other than personal use. Licensing restrictions prohibit republication, retransmission, reproduction, or other use of the licensed material.
Your Rights as the Subject of Government Data
The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act governs your right to see and know about the data that government entities collect, keep or can release about you:
- All data DPS collects are public and can be seen by anyone unless classified as private or not public by state or federal law.
- You have the right to know what data is collected about you and to view all public or private data about yourself at no cost or be charged a reasonable fee for copies.
- You have the right to have the meaning of data explained to you in a way you understand.
Disclaimer of Endorsement
Our websites may contain links to other public or private organizations. DPS does not guarantee the accuracy of the information on other organizations' web pages that we are linked to, and DPS is not responsible for the privacy policies or content of such websites. Links to any product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply any endorsement, recommendation, or association with those sites, the material contained therein, or the sponsoring entities by the State of Minnesota, DPS, or any of their employees or contractors.
Disclaimer of Liability
While DPS strives to provide accurate, timely and comprehensive information, the State of Minnesota, DPS, and their employees or contractors assume no legal liability for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, data, or process disclosed herein and do not represent that use of such information, apparatus, product, data, or process would not infringe on privately owned rights.
Not Legal Advice
The DPS Website provides timely and useful information on topics of public safety. It is for general information purposes only. It is not legal advice and should not be relied on for resolution of evaluation of legal issues or questions. Readers are advised to consult with their private legal advisors for specific legal advice on any legal issues they may have.
Accessibility
We have attempted to design our site to offer our visitors easy and efficient access to all of our information. We appreciate that visitors to our website may be concerned about accessibility to digital government. We make every effort to make our sites accessible by adhering to section 508 requirements as set forth by the Federal Government.
Please contact us if you are having difficulties accessing any portion of DPS websites or would like to request any of our documents in an alternative format (i.e. large print, Braille or audio).
Visit our
Affirmative Action and
Reasonable Accommodation pages for information about those topics.
Contact Information
If you have any questions about the privacy statement of the data practices of our sites or accessibility, contact:
Phone: 651-201-7574
TTY: 651-282-6555
Mailing Address:
Webmaster
Minnesota Department of Public Safety
445 Minnesota St.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
