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North Dakota · How-To Guide

How do I access court records?

Clerk of District Court (county level - each of ND's 53 counties / 7 judicial districts) / North Dakota Supreme Court (state level)
Step by Step

How to do it

  1. Identify what type of record you need: District Court (felonies, civil over $15,000, domestic/family, juvenile, probate), Municipal Court (city ordinances, traffic, misdemeanors within city limits), or North Dakota Supreme Court
  2. Search online:
  3. NORTH DAKOTA COURTS CASE SEARCH (NDCOURTS): ndcourts.gov - North Dakota's statewide court website; provides public access to case information through the ND Court System's case management system
  4. NDCOURTS PUBLIC ACCESS PORTAL: ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help/court-forms-and-records - case searches available for District Court civil and criminal cases; free access to basic case information
  5. For full case documents or certified copies: contact the Clerk of District Court in the county where the case was filed
  6. In-person access: visit the county courthouse; bring photo ID and case details
Details

What you need to know

Required Docs
  • Valid photo ID (for in-person requests)
  • Case number or full legal name of parties
Fee
Online basic case search: free; certified copies: typically $0.50-$2 per page; contact specific county Clerk of District Court for current schedule
Processing Time
Online search: immediate; same day or by mail for certified copies
Online Option
Yes - ndcourts.gov (statewide case search)
Where to Go
Clerk of District Court in the county where the case was filed
County-specific variations apply

ND's 53 counties are organized into 7 judicial districts. Each district has its own presiding judge but cases are filed at the county level. Cass County (Fargo - East Central Judicial District), Burleigh County (Bismarck - South Central), Grand Forks County (Northeast), Ward County (Minot - Northwest), Morton County (Mandan - South Central), Williams County (Williston - Northwest), and Stark County (Dickinson - Southwest) are the larger counties. Very small ND counties (population under 2,000 in some cases) may have minimal court activity and limited staffing.

North Dakota Notes

Important state-specific details

  • ND Courts (ndcourts.gov): provides statewide online case search; accessible and reasonably comprehensive.
  • North Dakota Supreme Court opinions: ndcourts.gov/court/opinions.
  • Criminal history background checks: ND Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) - ag.nd.gov/bci; fee-based.
  • ND Sex Offender Registry: sexoffender.nd.gov - searchable online.
  • Juvenile records: sealed; special access rules.
  • North Dakota Open Records Law (NDCC Chapter 44-04): presumption of public access; agencies must respond promptly.
Official Source

State office contact

State Office
North Dakota Supreme Court / State Court Administrator - ndcourts.gov | (701) 328-4216; ND BCI (criminal history) - ag.nd.gov/bci | (701) 328-5500