The Office of Administrative Hearings is located in the Harold Stassen Office building in the Capitol complex in St. Paul. Information on our location, parking, accessibility, and public transit availability are provided on the OAH in Saint Paul Page. Check the OAH Information Page, for more details on the facilities available at the Saint Paul location, including wi-fi access. For persons unfamiliar with administrative hearings, the Video Guide to Hearings is available online.
The Administrative Law Division conducts trial-type hearings, rulemaking proceedings, and alternative dispute resolution (such as mediation). These cases include Fair Campaign Practice and Campaign Finance Act hearings. [More Information.] Ad Law Division trial-type proceedings (known as "contested cases") are conducted to resolve disputes over the actions of a State agency, board, or commission. These proceedings can also be conducted for local units of government, such as cities, counties, and school boards. Rulemaking proceedings are conducted to afford public input on proposed rules by State agencies. Visit the Administrative Law Division portal page for more information.
The Workers' Compensation Division consists of a Hearing Division and a Settlement Division. The Settlement Division conducts settlement conferences in an attempt to informally resolve cases. The Settlement Division also conducts conferences under Minn. Stat. 176.239 and Minn. Stat. 176.106. The purpose of the conferences under Minn. Stat. 176.239 is to provide a procedure for parties to obtain an expedited interim administrative decision in disputes over discontinuance of temporary total, temporary partial, or permanent total compensation. The purpose of the conferences under Minn. Stat. 176.106 is to give the parties a forum to address issues about eligibility for medical benefits or vocational benefits. There is no formal recorded outcome in the Settlement Division so there is no appeal as such. If a party is dissatisfied with the outcome of a conference at the Settlement Division, that party may ask for a de novo hearing in the Hearing Division. A de novo hearing simply means that the matter is heard "anew," "afresh," "as if it had never been heard before."
Once the matter is sent from the Settlement Division to the Hearing Division, the Hearing Division judge conducts hearings on the initial eligiblity for, continuation of, and modifications to benefits received by injured workers. Compensation judges conduct hearings on the record and issue final decisions on the merits. From the Hearing Division, cases may be appealed to the Workers Compensation Court of Appeals. If a party is not satisfied with the outcome of the case at the Workers Compensation Court of Appeals, that party may appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Municipal Boundary Adjustments is a recent addition to OAH. This unit is responsible for resolving issues of annexation and detachment between cities, townships, and landowners. More information is available on the Municipal Boundary Adjustments website (maintained currently by the Department of Administration). Boundary Adjustments has relocated to the Stassen Building, effective September 24, 2007. Contact Boundary Adjustments by telephone at (651) 361-7909. Mail to this division should be addressed to:
Office of Administrative Hearings
Municipal Boundary Adjustments
P.O. Box 64620
St. Paul, MN 55164-0620
More information about OAH is available on the OAH Information Page. Maps, directions, contact information, news, OAH initiatives and other items are located there.
Last Updated - January 20, 2010