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North Dakota County
McKenzie County, North Dakota
Watford City's Bakken oil boom and Theodore Roosevelt National Park's North Unit - from McKenzie County's Bakken oil dominance (McKenzie County is among the most oil-productive counties in the United States - the Bakken and Three Forks formations beneath McKenzie County produce millions of barrels annually, and Watford City transformed from a community of 1,500 to over 7,000 residents during the boom, with infrastructure investment that has made it one of North Dakota's most rapidly modernized small cities) to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit (the less-visited but arguably more dramatic northern unit of the park - whose river bend overlooks, wildlife-rich breaks, and dramatic Badlands scenery in McKenzie County reward visitors who venture beyond the South Unit).
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Office: McKenzie County Emergency Management – c/o McKenzie County Public Works, 1300 12th St SE, Watford City, ND 58854 | (701) 444-7483 | Cell: (701) 580-6936; Emergency Manager Karolin Jappe, [email protected].
Sheriff: McKenzie County Sheriff’s Office – 1201 12th Street SE, Suite B, Watford City, ND 58854 | (701) 842-6010 | Fax: (701) 842-6455 | Non-emergency dispatch: (701) 444-3654.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. McKenzie County was the epicenter of the 2008-and-after Bakken oil boom, which rapidly transformed Watford City’s population and economy – expect real infrastructure and housing growth pressures reflected in local services.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-85 serves Watford City, the county seat, in northwestern North Dakota.
Notes: McKenzie County is named for Alexander McKenzie, an influential North Dakota political figure. The county seat moved several times – after the Schafer courthouse burned, government relocated to Watford City in 1941, which had rail access and a growing population.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: McKenzie County Auditor – 201 5th Street NW, Watford City, ND 58854 | (701) 444-3616.
Notes: McKenzie County genuinely contains the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, 15 miles south of Watford City – a more remote, less-visited unit than the South Unit near Medora, featuring a 14-mile scenic drive, bison, elk, bighorn sheep, and prairie dog towns, plus a CCC-built shelter at the River Bend Overlook. The county was also profoundly reshaped by the 1950s Garrison Dam project, which created Lake Sakakawea and flooded the most fertile lands of the Fort Berthold Reservation, forcing tribal relocation.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: McKenzie County Veterans Service Office – confirm current contact via mckenziecountynd.gov or veterans.nd.gov. Veteran’s Park in downtown Watford City honors past and present McKenzie County veterans; the Veteran’s Memorial Building, built alongside the library, was completed in 1997.
Federal: Fargo VA Medical Center (long distance, eastern ND).
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Watford City: McKenzie County Public Library – 112 2nd Ave NE, PO Box 990, Watford City, ND 58854 | (701) 444-3785 | [email protected] | Hours: Mon-Tue 10 AM-6 PM, Wed 10 AM-8 PM, Thu-Fri 10 AM-6 PM, Sat 10 AM-1 PM, closed Sun; roughly 21,000-25,000-item collection with a bookmobile serving outlying areas.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s North Unit, the Little Missouri National Grasslands, Tobacco Gardens Resort and Marina on Lake Sakakawea, and the Maah Daah Hey Trail are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine North Unit of TRNP – quieter and more remote than the South Unit – and the Bakken oil boom’s dramatic transformation of Watford City are distinctive local facts.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: McKenzie County Auditor – 201 5th Street NW, Watford City, ND 58854 | (701) 444-3616.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county animal shelter was confirmed in this search – animal-related concerns likely route through the Sheriff’s Office. Confirm directly via mckenziecountynd.gov.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: McKenzie County Public Works – 1300 12th St SE, Watford City, ND 58854.
NOTES: McKenzie County is the sixth county in the North Dakota v2 redo’s fourth batch (Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean). The genuine North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the dramatic Bakken oil boom transformation are distinctive local facts. 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 McKenzie County
McKenzie County is one of America’s most oil-productive counties – the Bakken Formation beneath McKenzie County has made it a top-10 oil-producing county in the US, and Watford City’s transformation from 1,500 to 7,000+ residents during the boom is one of the most dramatic small-city growth stories in recent American history.
Watford City (the county seat, population ~7,000) has invested its oil tax revenue in schools, hospitals, and recreation facilities that reflect long-term community planning.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
McKenzie County Tax Director at 201 5th Street NW, Watford City, ND 58854, phone 701-444-3452. ND residential assessed at 50% of true value.
Courts & Legal
McKenzie County District Court at 201 5th Street NW, Watford City, ND 58854, phone 701-444-3616, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT
201 5th St NE, Watford City, ND 58854
(701) 444-3745
Genealogy
County-level record sources
McKenzie County Clerk of District Court, Watford City (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site holds significant regional fur-trade era history.
Local societies
No dedicated McKenzie 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
McKenzie County Clerk of District Court – Northwest Judicial District 201 5th Street NW, Suite 524, Watford City, ND 58854 (701) 842-8230
McKenzie County was founded March 9, 1883, named for Alexander McKenzie, in western North Dakota, seated in Watford City. Home to the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site. This county sits at the heart of North Dakota’s Bakken oil-producing region and has seen major population growth tied to the oil boom.
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 – this is an especially important distinction in McKenzie County, given the concentration of mineral estates tied to Bakken oil production.
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
305 5th St NE, Watford City, ND 58854
(701) 444-3819
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
201 5th St NE, Watford City, ND 58854
(701) 444-3451
Department
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Public Health
201 5th St NE, Watford City, ND 58854
(701) 444-3451
Social Services
201 5th St NE, Watford City, ND 58854
(701) 444-3454
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: McKenzie Health – Watford City, ND; confirm current contact via mckenziehealth.com.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Watford City
Population: 15,000
Established: 1883
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for McKenzie County residents.
