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North Dakota County
Mercer County, North Dakota
Knife River Indian Villages and lignite coal country - from the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site (the archaeological remains of the Hidatsa earthlodge villages at the confluence of the Knife and Missouri rivers - where Sacagawea was living as a captive when Lewis and Clark recruited her and Charbonneau as guides - the site preserves the outlines of hundreds of earthlodges in one of the most significant Mandan-Hidatsa archaeological complexes in the Upper Missouri) to Mercer County's significant lignite coal mining and power generation (the lignite coal seams beneath Mercer County power the Antelope Valley and Coyote stations - coal-fired power plants that generate electricity for the region and make Mercer County a significant energy-producing county).
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Office: Mercer-Oliver 911 Emergency Management – 410 Van Slyck Ave, Stanton, ND 58571 (a joint department serving both Mercer and Oliver counties, located in the Mercer County Courthouse) | (701) 745-3022 | PO Box 39, Stanton, ND 58571.
Sheriff: Mercer County Sheriff’s Office – PO Box 39, Stanton, ND 58571 | (701) 745-3333 | Fax: (701) 745-3347; dispatch handles police, fire, and medical calls countywide.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: ND-200A serves Stanton, the county seat, in west-central North Dakota; Beulah is the county’s largest city.
Notes: Mercer County, organized 1883, is named for W.H.H. Mercer. Stanton was founded 1883 and became county seat in 1884.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Mercer County Auditor – 410 Van Slyck Ave, Stanton, ND 58571.
Notes: Stanton genuinely, significantly hosts the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, a 1,749-acre National Park Service unit preserving the remains of Hidatsa earthlodge villages dating to roughly 1525 CE – including the Awatixa Village, believed to be the home of Sacagawea and her husband Toussaint Charbonneau when Lewis and Clark hired Charbonneau as an interpreter for the expedition. The site includes a reconstructed earthlodge, ranger-led tours, and hosts the annual Northern Plains Indian Culture Fest in July. Mercer County is also a genuine center of North Dakota’s energy industry – Beulah is home to the Dakota Gasification Company, the only coal gasification plant in North America, supplied by lignite strip mines operated by Coteau Properties.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Mercer County Veterans’ Service Office – confirm current contact via mercercountynd.com; VSO Jessica McClellan, (701) 456-7654, [email protected] (shared regional service).
Federal: Fargo VA Medical Center (long distance, eastern ND).
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Stanton: Stanton Public Library – 600 County Rd 37, Stanton, ND 58571 | (701) 745-3235 | [email protected] | Hours: Mon 12-7 PM, Wed 12-4 PM, Fri 10 AM-4 PM, Sat 9 AM-12 PM; hosts a monthly book club and story time.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, Lake Sakakawea (multiple access points at Pick City, Hazen, Beulah, and Zap), the Pfenning Wildlife Museum (Beulah), and Nelson Lake (Center) are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine Sacagawea/Hidatsa earthlodge heritage and the only coal gasification plant in North America are distinctive, nationally significant local facts.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Mercer County Recorder – 410 Van Slyck Ave, Stanton, ND 58571.
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 mercercountynd.com.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Mercer County Regional Landfill – confirm current contact via mercercountynd.com.
NOTES: Mercer County is the first county in the North Dakota v2 redo’s fifth batch (Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Pierce). The genuine Sacagawea/Hidatsa earthlodge heritage at Knife River Indian Villages and the coal gasification plant are distinctive, nationally significant 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 Mercer County
Mercer County is where Sacagawea lived before joining Lewis and Clark – the Knife River Indian Villages where the Hidatsa held the young Shoshone woman captive are one of the most significant archaeological and historical sites on the entire Lewis and Clark route, and the lignite coal mines beneath the county power the regional electrical grid.
Stanton (the county seat, population ~400) and Hazen (population ~2,600) serve the county’s agricultural, coal, and tourism communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Mercer County Tax Director at 1021 Arthur Street, Stanton, ND 58571, phone 701-745-3262. ND residential assessed at 50% of true value.
Courts & Legal
Mercer County District Court at 1021 Arthur Street, Stanton, ND 58571, phone 701-745-3262, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT
214 4th Ave NE, Stanton, ND 58571
(701) 745-3282
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Mercer County Clerk of District Court, Stanton (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Mercer 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
Mercer County Clerk of District Court – South Central Judicial District 1021 Arthur Street (mail: P.O. Box 39), Stanton, ND 58571 (701) 745-3262 Mercer County is in west-central North Dakota along Lake Sakakawea, seated in Stanton.
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
214 4th Ave NE, Stanton, ND 58571
(701) 745-3313
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
214 4th Ave NE, Stanton, ND 58571
(701) 745-3308
Department
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Public Health
214 4th Ave NE, Stanton, ND 58571
(701) 745-3308
Social Services
214 4th Ave NE, Stanton, ND 58571
(701) 745-3292
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Mercer County Public Health – 410 Van Slyck Ave, Stanton, ND 58571; confirm current phone via mercercountynd.com.
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Stanton
Population: 8,400
Established: 1875
Tier: 3
Public Records
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