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North Dakota · Red River Valley · #507
Grand Forks County, North Dakota
At the confluence of the Red River and Red Lake River on the North Dakota-Minnesota border, Grand Forks was rebuilt from the ground up after the 1997 Red River flood inundated 80% of the city - a rebuilding that fundamentally changed the city's geography and its relationship with the river that defines it.
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Office: Grand Forks Emergency Management – coordinates jointly for city and county per the Local Emergency Operations Plan (LEOP) | (701) 780-8217 or (701) 746-2631; sign up for CodeRED alerts.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. Grand Forks County is genuinely, tragically the site of the catastrophic April 1997 Red River flood – the river crested at just over 54 feet, forcing a full evacuation, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses, and sparking a massive downtown fire at the Security Building. Personnel from Grand Forks Air Force Base converted airplane hangars into shelters for flood refugees. It remains one of the most significant natural disasters in North Dakota history, and post-flood rebuilding reshaped much of the city, including the development of University Village on UND’s campus.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-29 and US-2 serve Grand Forks, the county seat and largest city, in eastern North Dakota on the Red River of the North, across from East Grand Forks, Minnesota.
Notes: Grand Forks County, created 1873 and organized 1875, is North Dakota’s third-most populous county, nicknamed the “Heart of the Red River Valley.”
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Grand Forks County Planning and Zoning – (701) 780-8413.
Notes: Grand Forks County is home to the University of North Dakota (UND), whose University Village area – anchored by the Ralph Engelstad Arena – has been called the most valuable piece of real estate in the state; it was developed on land donated by UND’s first master’s degree recipient, Harrison A. Bronson.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Grand Forks County Veterans Services – 151 South 4th Street, Grand Forks, ND 58201 | (701) 780-8296 | Fax: (701) 787-8603; VSO Lou Lombardi, [email protected].
Federal: Grand Forks Vet Center – 151 South 4th Street, Grand Forks, ND 58201 (Grand Forks County Office Building).
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Grand Forks: Grand Forks Public Library – confirm current address/hours via gfcounty.nd.gov or grandforksgov.com.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Flood Memorial Monument (Memorial Park, N. 3rd St. and DeMers, Grand Forks, honoring the rescue workers of the April 18, 1997 flood), the Ralph Engelstad Arena, and the Grand Forks Greenway are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine 1997 Red River flood – one of the most devastating natural disasters in North Dakota history – is a defining local fact.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Grand Forks County Recorder’s Office – 151 South 4th Street, Grand Forks, ND 58201 | (701) 780-8262.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Nonprofit: Circle of Friends Humane Society – 4375 North Washington Street, Grand Forks, ND 58203 | (701) 775-3732.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Grand Forks County Highway Department – (701) 780-8248.
NOTES: Grand Forks County is the fourth county in the North Dakota v2 redo’s third batch (Emmons, Foster, Golden Valley, Grand Forks, Grant, Griggs, Hettinger). The genuine 1997 Red River flood – one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in North Dakota history – is a defining local fact. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Grand Forks County
Grand Forks County’s defining modern event is the April 1997 Red River flood – one of the most destructive inland floods in American history – which inundated approximately 80% of Grand Forks and forced the evacuation of nearly the entire city population. The subsequent rebuilding fundamentally altered Grand Forks’s urban form: the lowest-lying neighborhoods near the river were acquired and converted to greenway, creating a riverside park system that has become one of the city’s most valued amenities. The flood is not merely a historical event for Grand Forks residents; it is the before/after line that organizes how the city understands itself.
The University of North Dakota, with about 14,000 students and particular strength in aerospace, aviation, medicine, and law, anchors the county’s economy and cultural life. UND’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences is one of the most comprehensive aviation programs in the country, training pilots, air traffic controllers, and aerospace engineers. Grand Forks Air Force Base, home of the 319th Air Base Wing and significant drone (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) operations, is the second major institutional employer. The city’s healthcare sector – Altru Health System – serves a broad regional catchment extending into northwestern Minnesota. Grand Forks’s downtown rebuilt itself after 1997 with deliberate investment in pedestrian-friendly retail and arts, and the result is a functioning small-city downtown that many comparably sized cities cannot match.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
North Dakota assesses residential property at 9% of true value. Property owners may appeal to the County Board of Equalization. North Dakota’s elderly and disabled credit reduces property taxes for qualifying residents. North Dakota has no income, estate, or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
SENIOR SERVICES
Aging Services – Northeast ND Human Service Zone
East Grand Forks contact: (218) 773-2400
Senior transportation, Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, and long-term care counseling for Grand Forks County residents.
Senior Services
Aging Services – Northeast ND Human Service Zone
East Grand Forks contact: (218) 773-2400
Senior transportation, Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, and long-term care counseling for Grand Forks County residents.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT
151 South 4th St, Grand Forks, ND 58201
(701) 780-8250
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Grand Forks County Clerk of District Court, Grand Forks (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, holds significant regional archival collections.
Local societies
No dedicated Grand Forks County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Grand Forks County Clerk of District Court – Northeast Central Judicial District 124 South 4th Street (mail: P.O. Box 5939), Grand Forks, ND 58206 (701) 787-2700
Grand Forks County is in eastern North Dakota along the Minnesota border, seated in Grand Forks, home to the University of North Dakota. One of the state’s most populous counties.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
North Dakota has adopted the Uniform Probate Code (UPC), under Title 30.1 of the North Dakota Century Code – one of only about 18 states to do so. Probate is handled through the state District Court in the county where the decedent was domiciled.
Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of the Decedent (Form 1, NDCC § 30.1-23) – available when the estate’s personal property, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $100,000 (raised from $50,000 by 2025’s HB 1224) AND there is no real property in the estate. Requires a 30-day wait after death, no court filing. Mineral and oil/gas rights are classified as real property and can never be transferred by this affidavit.
Informal Probate – available when less than 3 years have passed since death, the validity of the will isn’t disputed, and everyone with equal or higher priority for appointment agrees on the personal representative. No court hearing required; unsupervised administration is the default.
Formal Probate – required when the will’s validity is contested, someone objects to informal probate, or more than 3 years have passed since death.
Supervised Administration – a court can require ongoing supervision if protection of the estate calls for it.
Step 2: filing for administration
File an Application (informal) or Petition (formal) for Probate of Will and Appointment of Personal Representative with the Clerk of District Court in the county where the decedent was domiciled.
The court/registrar issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (intestate) to the personal representative.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors; North Dakota’s creditor claim period is 3 months from first publication.
The personal representative inventories and manages the estate’s assets, pays debts and expenses, and distributes what remains according to the will or North Dakota’s intestacy law.
The estate is closed with a final accounting/closing statement.
What it costs
No court filing fee for the Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property.
Filing fees for informal/formal probate vary but generally follow the statewide statutory schedule.
North Dakota does NOT have a statutory fee schedule for attorneys or personal representatives – fees must be “reasonable” based on services provided.
No state estate tax, no state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax could apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
122 South 5th St, Grand Forks, ND 58201
(701) 780-8226
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
151 South 4th St, Grand Forks, ND 58201
(701) 780-8226
Department
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Grand Forks Public Health
151 South 4th St, Grand Forks, ND 58201
(701) 787-8100
Social Services
151 South 4th St, Grand Forks, ND 58201
(701) 780-8226
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Grand Forks Public Health – (701) 787-8113; coordinates a five-county emergency preparedness region covering Grand Forks, Griggs, Nelson, Pembina, and Walsh counties.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Grand Forks
Population: 73,000
Tier: 4
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Grand Forks County facilities via Amazon.
