The MAARC mandated reporter form is Minnesota’s online intake for reporting suspected maltreatment of a vulnerable adult, hosted by the Department of Human Services and available every hour of the day. You reach it through the DHS website, work through a series of screens covering the adult, the suspected harm, the alleged responsible party, and your own contact details, and submit electronically. If you cannot use the portal, the same report can be made by calling 1-844-880-1574.
Minnesota runs this centralized system under Minnesota Statutes section 626.557 so that every report lands with the right investigative agency no matter where the adult lives or receives care.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 626.557 – Reporting of Maltreatment of Vulnerable Adults
Confirm the Person Is a Vulnerable Adult
Before you open the form, check that the person you’re reporting about fits Minnesota’s definition. It is broader than most people assume and not limited to older adults. Under Minnesota Statutes section 626.5572, a vulnerable adult is anyone 18 or older who falls into at least one of these categories:
- A resident or inpatient of a facility such as a nursing home, hospital, or group home.
- A recipient of services that require a license under Chapter 245A, including day programs and residential support for people with disabilities.
- A person receiving licensed home care services or personal care assistance through Medical Assistance.
- Any adult whose physical, mental, or emotional condition impairs both their ability to care for themselves (food, shelter, clothing, health care, supervision) and their ability to protect themselves from maltreatment.
That last category is the one people miss. The adult does not have to live in a facility or receive any government service to qualify. If their condition leaves them unable to meet their own needs and unable to protect themselves, they are a vulnerable adult under Minnesota law.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 626.5572 – Definitions
Gather Your Information First
The portal times out if you linger too long on a screen, so pull your details together before you start. You will need:
- The adult’s first and last name. If you don’t know it, the fields accept “Unknown.”
- A date of birth or an estimated age. The person must be 18 or older.
- The adult’s current location: street address, facility name, or both. This routes the report to the correct investigator.
- The type of suspected maltreatment. Minnesota law covers physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, among others. Pick what fits, and use the narrative fields if you’re unsure which label applies.
- Specific details of the incident: dates, times, what you observed, dollar amounts if money is involved, and any visible injuries.
- The alleged responsible party’s name, relationship to the adult, and any identifying information you have.
- Contact information for any witnesses.
Including the facility name or care setting matters because it determines which agency takes the case. Fields marked with an asterisk are required, and the form will not submit without them.3Minnesota Department of Human Services. MAARC Mandated Reporter Form
Fill Out and Submit the Online Form
Open the MAARC portal through the DHS website. The form moves through screens covering the vulnerable adult, the maltreatment, and your own contact information as the reporter. You will also write a narrative account of what happened.
Be concrete in the narrative. “Bruises on both forearms, first noticed on March 3” gives screeners far more to work with than “signs of possible physical abuse.” Specific observations speed up screening and cut down on follow-up calls asking you to clarify.
When every screen is complete, you reach a review page. Check the entries before you submit. Once you click submit, the system sends the report to MAARC’s centralized database and generates a Web Report number. That is your confirmation. Write it down or save it where you can find it, because you will need it if you follow up with a state agency later.4Minnesota Department of Human Services. Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC) Mandated Reporter Form – Helpful Hints
After submission, download the PDF copy of the completed report. Save it. That file is your professional record and your proof that you met your legal obligation. If your employer asks for documentation, the PDF and the confirmation number are what you produce.
Reporting by Phone
If the portal is down, you have no internet, or the situation is too urgent to type out, call MAARC at 1-844-880-1574. The line runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and a screener will collect the same information the form would. When someone is in immediate physical danger, call 911 first, then make the MAARC report.
What Happens After You Submit
Your report enters triage. MAARC screeners review it and route it to the appropriate Lead Investigative Agency based on where the alleged maltreatment occurred and who is alleged to be responsible.
- The Minnesota Department of Health investigates when the alleged responsible party is connected to an MDH-licensed facility or service, such as nursing homes and hospitals.
- The Department of Human Services investigates when the alleged party is connected to a DHS-licensed facility, program, or service, such as group homes and day programs.
- County Adult Protective Services takes the lead when no MDH- or DHS-licensed provider is alleged to be responsible, which most often means maltreatment in a private home or by an informal caregiver.
Routing usually happens within hours. The assigned agency then decides whether the report meets the statutory criteria for a formal investigation. If it does, investigators verify the claims and assess the adult’s ongoing safety. If not, the agency may keep the report on file or refer the adult to non-investigative services. Either way, your report creates a documented record that matters if further reports come in.5Minnesota Department of Human Services. Lead Investigative Agency (LIA) Responsible for Response to Vulnerable Adult Maltreatment Referred by MAARC
Your Identity Stays Confidential and You Have Immunity
Under section 626.557, your name as the reporter is not disclosed to the vulnerable adult, the alleged perpetrator, or anyone else unless you give written consent or a court specifically orders it. Court-ordered disclosure is rare and generally comes up only in criminal proceedings where a defendant’s rights are at stake. The confidentiality holds through the investigation and any legal proceedings that follow.
You also have statutory immunity from civil suits and criminal prosecution when you report in good faith. As long as you honestly believed maltreatment was occurring or might be, you are protected even if the investigation finds the claim unsubstantiated. Good faith is a low bar; it essentially means you were not knowingly filing something false.
You Cannot Hand Off the Obligation
Some employers require staff to notify a supervisor before or alongside filing. Following that internal process is fine, but it does not replace your personal legal duty. A mandated reporter cannot pass the responsibility to a supervisor and consider the job done. If a supervisor tells you not to report or says they will take care of it, you still have to file with MAARC yourself. Your obligation runs to the state, not to your employer.
Retaliation against an employee for a good-faith report is prohibited under Minnesota law. Discipline, demotion, or termination tied to a mandated report is itself a legal violation. Keep the confirmation number and the PDF; they document the timeline if a retaliation dispute comes up.
Penalties for Not Reporting or Filing a False Report
A mandated reporter who knows or has reason to believe that a vulnerable adult is being maltreated and does not report it faces potential criminal liability. Failure to report is a misdemeanor under Minnesota law. A silent reporter also risks civil liability if the adult suffers additional harm that a timely report could have prevented. The good-faith immunity only covers people who actually file; silence forfeits it.
Filing a report you know to be false carries its own consequences and can result in criminal charges. Good-faith immunity does not stretch to fabricated allegations. If you’re genuinely uncertain whether what you observed amounts to maltreatment, file anyway. Uncertainty is exactly the scenario the system is built for, and an honest report made with incomplete information is protected.