Judicial notice is a court’s acceptance of a well-known and indisputable fact without requiring the party relying on the fact to prove it. The doctrine of judicial notice is one of common sense, and is based on the theory that where a fact is well-known in the community—or its existence is easily determined from sources that cannot be reasonably questioned—it would not be a good use of judicial time and resources to require formal proof of the fact in court. A court may take judicial notice of both facts and laws.

In Minnesota, the concept of judicial notice is governed by both state statutes and the Minnesota Rules of Evidence. Specifically, Rule 201 of the Minnesota Rules of Evidence outlines the parameters for when a court may take judicial notice of adjudicative facts. These are facts that are not subject to reasonable dispute because they are either generally known within the territorial jurisdiction of the trial court or can be accurately and readily determined from sources whose accuracy cannot reasonably be questioned. Minnesota courts can take judicial notice of both state and federal law, as well as the laws of foreign countries if the issue arises. The rule also provides that parties must be notified and given the opportunity to be heard on the propriety of taking judicial notice and the tenor of the fact to be noticed. This ensures fairness and due process in the proceedings. The doctrine simplifies the legal process by acknowledging that certain facts and laws are so well established that they do not need to be proven through additional evidence.