North Dakota Court Records Search by Name

Independent website notice: Public-Court-Records.us is an independent educational website. It is not the North Dakota Judicial System, North Dakota Supreme Court, a North Dakota District Court, municipal court, Clerk of Court, Tyler Technologies, PACER, tribal court, law firm, law-enforcement agency, background-check company, or government agency. This guide explains lawful public court-record access. It cannot certify, seal, expunge, restrict, modify, or guarantee an official court record.

North Dakota Court Records Search by Name: NDCRI, Odyssey Coverage, Name-Search Limits & Older Cases

North Dakota’s official public case-search system is North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI). It searches publicly accessible records stored through the state’s Odyssey case-management environment and can search all participating locations at once when you select State of North Dakota.

But a North Dakota name search has several state-specific limitations that matter. Historical coverage begins at different dates in different counties, selected municipal courts have separate Odyssey coverage dates, some closed criminal cases without a conviction cannot be remotely retrieved through a name search, and NDCRI data is updated only through the end of the previous business day.

NDCRI reviewed: Aug. 31, 2026 53 district-court counties 8 judicial districts Data: through previous business day

Do not begin with a county if you do not know where the case was filed

North Dakota’s search screen begins with a location selector. This is more important than it first appears.

If you already know that a case was filed in Cass County, Burleigh County, Ward County, Williams County, or another specific location, you can search that court. If you do not know the location, select:

NDCRI is actually four different public-search tools

North Dakota Court Record Route Finder

Select what you are trying to find

This tool does not search names or collect personal information. It only identifies the correct official route.

Criminal by name Civil / family Known case number Court date Judgment Official copy State appeal Federal case

Select State of North Dakota → Criminal/Traffic → Defendant.

Enter Last Name and First Name or use the supported wildcard search. Middle Name, Date of Birth, case status, filing dates, and case types can be used to narrow appropriate searches.

Open NDCRI

Select State of North Dakota → Civil, Family & Probate Case Records → Party.

Search a person or select Business when the party is an organization. Maiden-name searching can also be important where applicable.

Use the complete case number.

North Dakota’s search instructions say dashes and leading zeros may be omitted. A case such as 09-2009-CR-00001 may therefore be searched in several accepted number formats.

Use Court Calendar.

You can search by party, business, attorney, case number, judicial officer, or magistrate. To search a date range other than today’s date, enter both beginning and ending dates.

Use Judgments Search.

Search an individual or business and then open the case-number link for the judgment details. Review later case events before assuming an old judgment remains unsatisfied.

Contact the clerk maintaining the case.

A courthouse public terminal can access statewide Odyssey records. For written clerk searches and copies, identify the county/court and record precisely before requesting staff assistance.

Find a North Dakota Court

Use the North Dakota Appellate Case System.

The new appellate public portal went live April 8, 2024 and supports Case, Party, Calendar, Document, and Publication searches without public registration.

Search North Dakota Appellate Records

Use PACER.

Federal civil and criminal cases belong to the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota. Federal bankruptcy cases are also separate from NDCRI.

Open PACER

How to search North Dakota criminal court records by name

1. Open North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry.
2. Choose a location. Select State of North Dakota when you do not know the county or municipal-court location.
3. Select Criminal/Traffic.
4. Select Defendant.
5. Enter Last Name and First Name.
6. Use Middle Name only when it helps distinguish common names.
7. If spelling is uncertain, use the supported wildcard or Soundex method.
8. Add Date of Birth only when appropriate and lawfully known.
9. Use Case Status, Date Filed, or Case Types to narrow an overly broad search.
10. Select Search.
11. Review every plausible match. Compare case number, location, filing date, case type, status, judicial officer, charges, and lawful identifying details.
12. Open the case number and review the Register of Actions.
13. Check later entries and disposition before describing the outcome.

The no-conviction criminal name-search rule is unusually important

North Dakota Administrative Rule 41 places a specific restriction on remote access to certain closed criminal cases.

If a criminal case is closed and there is no conviction, ordinary remote name searching may not reveal it. North Dakota also allows a defendant whose charges were dismissed or who was acquitted to ask the court to prohibit public internet access to the electronic criminal record under the applicable rule.

What to do when you know a case existed but a name search shows nothing

1. Use the complete case number if you have it.
2. Check a citation number where applicable.
3. Identify the likely county.
4. Confirm whether you are searching District Court or a municipal court.
5. Visit or contact the appropriate Clerk of Court.
6. Ask whether the record remains public but is unavailable through remote name search.
7. Use the courthouse public-access terminal when appropriate.
8. Respect any order prohibiting internet or public access.

North Dakota’s wildcard rules are precise

NDCRI normally looks for records that match the information entered. If spelling, punctuation, or a full first name is uncertain, the system supports an asterisk wildcard.

Example search sequence

Soundex is available—but North Dakota publishes a warning about it

NDCRI offers a Use Soundex option for name searching. Soundex is designed to find names with similar English-language pronunciation.

The Court System warns that:

• at least three letters are needed for useful Soundex searching;
• it does not work accurately when only one first-name letter is known;
• English phonetic matching can perform poorly for names from other linguistic or cultural traditions;
• silent letters and non-English pronunciation can produce misleading results.

Capital letters do not matter—but some special characters do

NDCRI names are not case-sensitive. Searching SMITH, Smith, or smith should not change the result solely because of capitalization.

The system does limit which characters can be entered.

The Court’s instructions specifically say characters such as / and & are not accepted in search fields.

Civil, family, and probate name searches have more routes than criminal searches

The Civil, Family & Probate search supports:

• Case Number
• Case Cross Reference Number
• Party Name
• Party Business Name
• Attorney Name
• Attorney Bar Number
• Date Filed

How to search a person

1. Select State of North Dakota or the known location.
2. Select Civil, Family & Probate Case Records.
3. Select Party.
4. Enter Last Name and First Name.
5. Add Middle Name if useful.
6. Search a maiden name separately when applicable.
7. Use Soundex or wildcard only when necessary.
8. Add filing dates or case status for a common name.
9. Select one or more relevant case types when known.
10. Open the matching case and verify the person’s role.

Business-party searches use a separate setting

1. Select Party.
2. Select Business.
3. Enter the company or organization name.
4. Use wildcard searching if necessary.
5. Add Date Filed, Case Status, or Case Types when useful.
6. Open the result and confirm the legal entity and case location.

Known case number? Use it instead of repeatedly searching a name

The official Criminal and Civil search instructions use examples such as:

09-2009-CR-00001

and

09-2009-CV-00001

North Dakota’s public-search instructions say a complete case number may be entered without dashes and without leading zeros.

NDCRI data is not live courtroom data

The current public-search interface states:

This means a hearing, filing, payment, dismissal, order, or sentence entered today may not yet appear in the public internet result.

For time-sensitive questions such as:

• “Was the hearing continued this morning?”
• “Did the judge sign the order today?”
• “Did today’s payment clear the balance?”
• “Was the charge dismissed this afternoon?”

contact the Clerk of Court or review the official court process rather than relying on a cached or previous-day NDCRI result.

NDCRI is free and normally available around the clock

The North Dakota Court System currently states that NDCRI is:

• free to the general public;
• available without public registration;
• generally available 24 hours a day;
• subject to scheduled maintenance, emergency maintenance, and technical outages.

Public Access and Secure Public Access are different

Historical coverage varies dramatically by county

North Dakota does not have one reliable statement such as “all online court records begin in 1990.” Each county began using the Odyssey predecessor/current case-management data environment at a different time.

The Court System says records normally appear from approximately the date a county began using the system onward. An older closed case may also appear if it was reopened after that county joined the system.

North Dakota has court services in all 53 counties

District Court services exist in each of North Dakota’s 53 counties. The state is divided into eight judicial districts.

Municipal court records are a separate North Dakota search issue

North Dakota currently reports municipal courts established in 66 cities. Municipal courts generally handle violations of municipal ordinances rather than ordinary violations of state law.

But not all municipal courts necessarily appear as independent locations in the NDCRI Odyssey coverage table.

The current Courts on Odyssey page lists these municipal locations:

District Court and Municipal Court do not have the same jurisdiction

A July 1, 2026 municipal-court change matters for appeals

North Dakota’s current municipal-court guidance distinguishes between criminal ordinance appeals and non-criminal traffic appeals.

For municipal criminal-ordinance cases filed on or after July 1, 2026, the appeal to District Court is based on the record created in Municipal Court.

A qualifying appeal from a non-criminal traffic violation can involve a trial anew under the applicable rules.

How to find a North Dakota court date

NDCRI Court Calendar can search publicly accessible hearings by:

• Attorney Name
• Attorney Bar Number
• Case Number
• Judicial Officer
• Magistrate
• Party Name
• Business Name

Search a date range

If you want a range other than today’s date, the Court System instructs you to enter dates in both:

• On or After
• On or Before

Calendar results can display:

• case number;
• case type;
• case style/caption;
• judicial officer;
• physical location;
• date and time;
• hearing type;
• charges where applicable.

Judgment Search is not the same as a general civil name search

The Judgment search is specifically designed to search indexed civil judgments by:

• individual party name; or
• business name.

A name search can use wildcard or Soundex features. The results can display:

• case number;
• court location;
• judgment entry date;
• docketed date;
• debtor;
• creditor;
• other judgment details where available.

What NDCRI search results actually show

Register of Actions: this is where the case history becomes useful

When a result is found, the case-number link can lead to the case details and Register of Actions.

The Register of Actions is more useful than the search-result title because it helps show the chronology of the matter.

“No records found” has at least eight different possible explanations

Some records are excluded from ordinary public access

North Dakota Administrative Rule 41 and other laws restrict public access to particular records or information.

Examples can include:

• juvenile proceedings;
• adoption proceedings;
• certain paternity information;
• mental-health commitment information;
• certain domestic-violence protection-order and disorderly-conduct restraining-order files;
• deferred-imposition or pretrial-diversion records resulting in dismissal;
• cases where a magistrate found no probable cause for issuance of a complaint;
• Social Security numbers;
• financial-account numbers;
• protected birth-date information;
• certain minor-identifying information;
• victim and witness contact information;
• court personnel work product;
• records restricted by specific court order.

Adoption records illustrate why an online zero result can be intentional

North Dakota adoption cases are confidential District Court cases. The Judicial Branch states that adoption case documents cannot be viewed by the general public and that adoption cases are not included in the ordinary online public court-record search.

Older court documents can have narrower remote access than the case index

North Dakota’s current public-access rule distinguishes between:

• a public case index;
• a register of actions;
• documents inside the file;
• remote internet access;
• courthouse-terminal access;
• individual clerk requests.

Current Administrative Rule 41 also provides that certain documents that were not available through remote public access before January 1, 2020 are not simply made remotely available now, in part because of redaction-compliance concerns.

Records filed before March 1, 2009 require extra privacy caution

North Dakota’s access rules explain that records filed before the state’s modern privacy-protection filing requirements took effect on March 1, 2009 may contain information that would now be protected or redacted.

The rule does not require every older record to be retrospectively reviewed and redacted before courthouse access.

Every county courthouse should provide a statewide Odyssey public-access terminal

North Dakota’s court-access rule provides for a public-access terminal at each county courthouse for records stored statewide in Odyssey.

This is useful when:

• remote access is narrower than courthouse access;
• an older document is not available online;
• a known public record is difficult to locate remotely;
• you need to inspect the statewide Odyssey record at a court facility.

Clerk record requests have very specific North Dakota rules

If the online search and courthouse terminal do not solve the problem, the Clerk of Court can be asked for a record.

North Dakota’s current guidance says a written record-information request should:

• clearly identify the record;
• provide enough information for the Clerk to locate it without extensive research;
• identify the person/name involved;
• identify whether the requested search is civil or criminal;
• avoid vague continuing requests for records that do not yet exist.

Current written-search fee

Fees reviewed: August 31, 2026.

How to request a North Dakota court record from the Clerk

1. Search NDCRI first.
2. Save the complete case number when available.
3. Identify the court and county.
4. Identify the exact record. Examples include judgment, order, docket, complaint, sentencing document, probate filing, or another specific item.
5. Determine whether you need a civil or criminal record search.
6. Use the Court Locations directory to find the correct Clerk.
7. Contact the Clerk before sending payment.
8. If a formal written search is needed, provide enough information to avoid extensive research.
9. Confirm the current search, copy, and certification charges.
10. Follow the Clerk’s current method for inspection, copy delivery, or certification.

You usually inspect physical records under court supervision

When a physical or other non-terminal court record is made available, North Dakota rules allow the Clerk to set reasonable conditions that protect the integrity of the file.

Inspection may occur:

• during normal courthouse business hours;
• in an area visible to court personnel;
• under requirements designed to keep the record complete and undamaged.

Audio recordings and transcripts are not the same thing

Many North Dakota court proceedings are recorded, but access rules differ depending on whether you are a party or a non-party.

A non-party may sometimes be allowed to listen to an audio recording in supervised space without making a personal copy.

North Dakota appeals use a separate public portal

The North Dakota Appellate Case System went live on April 8, 2024.

The new public portal allows people to search appellate records without registration.

North Dakota does not operate a normal permanent intermediate appellate court like many states

The North Dakota Supreme Court is the state’s principal appellate court.

North Dakota also has a statutorily authorized temporary Court of Appeals that can be used to assist the Supreme Court with workload. Cases are assigned to it by the Supreme Court under applicable law and court rules.

Possible assigned matters can include certain:

• family-law appeals;
• administrative-agency appeals;
• summary-judgment appeals;
• juvenile matters;
• misdemeanor-conviction appeals.

North Dakota Supreme Court records and Clerk contact

Tribal courts are separate from North Dakota state NDCRI

North Dakota includes federally recognized tribal court systems. These are not ordinary North Dakota District Court case files merely because the tribal court is geographically located within North Dakota.

The state Judicial Branch identifies tribal courts associated with:

• Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate;
• Spirit Lake Nation;
• Standing Rock Sioux Tribe;
• Three Affiliated Tribes / MHA Nation;
• Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.

Federal North Dakota court records use PACER

Federal cases are separate from North Dakota’s state Odyssey system.

The U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota currently identifies:

• Bismarck headquarters;
• Fargo divisional office;
• Minot satellite courthouse;
• Grand Forks satellite courthouse.

Federal court-record workflow

1. Open PACER.
2. Sign in or register if needed.
3. Search the District of North Dakota if you know it is a federal North Dakota case.
4. Use PACER Case Locator when the federal court is uncertain.
5. Confirm the party and federal case number.
6. Open the docket.
7. Review later docket entries before describing the outcome.
8. Check the displayed PACER charge before opening large documents or reports.

PACER pricing is changing in 2027

North Dakota bankruptcy records are federal too

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of North Dakota is separate from NDCRI.

Bankruptcy case information can be obtained through:

• PACER;
• the federal bankruptcy court’s CM/ECF system;
• the bankruptcy Clerk’s Office;
• McVCIS voice case information where applicable.

Federal appeals from North Dakota go to the Eighth Circuit

A federal appeal from the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota is not a North Dakota Supreme Court case.

Do not confuse ND court records with other North Dakota records

Name matching requires more than finding the same first and last name

The North Dakota Court System itself cautions that online name searches are not completely reliable for identity matching.

Two people can share:

• the same first and last name;
• the same or similar birth date;
• similar middle names;
• aliases;
• another person’s identifying information.

Use this verification checklist

• Compare full legal name.
• Check middle name or initial.
• Search maiden or prior surnames where appropriate.
• Confirm the court location.
• Confirm the case number.
• Compare filing date.
• Confirm case type.
• Confirm party role.
• Compare date of birth only where lawfully available and appropriate.
• Review attorney information where useful.
• Check the final/latest disposition.
• If meaningful uncertainty remains, do not claim that the case belongs to that person.

NDCRI is not a complete criminal-history database

The Judicial Branch expressly states that the public-search data is not a full, complete, or official criminal history.

Reasons include:

• county-specific historical start dates;
• remote name-search restrictions;
• sealed or restricted cases;
• confidential information;
• municipal-court differences;
• records outside the state court system;
• update timing;
• identity ambiguity.

FCRA and background-screening limitation

Public-Court-Records.us is not a Consumer Reporting Agency and does not provide FCRA consumer reports.

This guide and the information reached through it should not be represented as an FCRA-compliant employment, tenant, credit, insurance, or similar eligibility report.

A public court search is not the same as:

• fingerprint-based criminal history;
• formal consumer reporting;
• identity-verified background screening;
• certified court-record research;
• a complete national criminal-history search.

Official North Dakota sources reviewed

• North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry — Official Public Search
• North Dakota Public Access Help
• Locations and Types of Searches
• NDCRI Public Access Searching Tips
• Criminal Case Records Search Instructions
• Civil, Family and Probate Search Instructions
• Judgment Search Instructions
• Court Calendar Search Instructions
• Interpreting NDCRI Search Results
• NDCRI Frequently Asked Questions
• Courts on Odyssey — County and Municipal Coverage Dates
• North Dakota Judicial Branch — Data Access
• Administrative Rule 41 — Access to Judicial Records
• North Dakota Rule 3.4 — Privacy Protection for Court Filings
• North Dakota District Court
• Administrative Rule 6 — Judicial Districts
• North Dakota Court Locations
• North Dakota Municipal Courts
• Appeal a Municipal Court Decision
• North Dakota Tribal Court Directory
• Public Access to Court Case Records & Recordings
• North Dakota Search Appellate Records
• North Dakota Appellate Case System Public Portal
• North Dakota Supreme Court
• North Dakota Temporary Court of Appeals
• U.S. District Court — District of North Dakota
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court — District of North Dakota
• PACER
• PACER 2027 Temporary Fee Change

Research reviewed: August 31, 2026. Court-system coverage, fees, municipal procedures, remote-access rules, case information, schedules, and federal pricing can change. Verify time-sensitive information with the court maintaining the record.

Frequently asked questions about North Dakota court records

1. What is the official North Dakota court records search by name?

The official public search is North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry, commonly called NDCRI. Select “State of North Dakota” when you want to search available locations statewide, then choose Criminal/Traffic, Civil Family & Probate, Judgments, or Court Calendar.

2. Is the North Dakota court-record search free?

Yes. NDCRI Public Access is currently available to the general public without charge or registration and is normally available 24 hours a day except during scheduled, emergency, or technical maintenance.

3. How do I search North Dakota court records if I do not know the county?

Select “State of North Dakota” from the NDCRI location menu. This performs one search against available Odyssey locations instead of requiring you to search each county separately.

4. Why can a closed criminal case be missing from a North Dakota name search?

North Dakota’s remote-access rules state that a closed criminal case with no conviction may not be remotely accessed through an ordinary name search, except through qualifying secure access. A defendant whose charges were dismissed or who was acquitted may also obtain an order prohibiting internet access under applicable rules. A courthouse-access route can therefore differ from remote name-search access.

5. How do North Dakota wildcard name searches work?

NDCRI allows an asterisk wildcard. Current instructions require at least the first three characters of the last name followed by an asterisk and at least the first character of the first name followed by an asterisk. The system also offers Soundex searching, which should be used cautiously with non-English pronunciations.

6. How far back do North Dakota court records go online?

There is no single statewide start year. Odyssey coverage differs by county. Burleigh County is listed from approximately December 1990, Grand Forks from October 1991, Ward from October 1992, Cass from November 2002, and other counties have different start dates. Older closed files can therefore require courthouse research.

7. How current are North Dakota online court records?

The current NDCRI public-search interface states that data is current through the end of the previous business day. A same-day hearing, payment, filing, order, or disposition may therefore not yet appear online.

8. How much does North Dakota charge for court-record copies or clerk searches?

The Judicial Branch currently states that a written clerk record search costs $10 for each name and each kind of record searched, such as civil or criminal. As of July 1, 2025, ordinary court-record copies are listed at $0.10 per page. Confirm certification or specialized-request charges with the specific Clerk of Court.

9. Where do I search North Dakota Supreme Court or appellate records?

Use the North Dakota Appellate Case System public portal. It went live April 8, 2024 and allows public Case, Party, Calendar, Document, and Publication searches without requiring registration. Not every historical data field is searchable through the newer system.

10. Can NDCRI or Public-Court-Records.us be used for employment or tenant background checks?

Public-Court-Records.us is not a Consumer Reporting Agency and should not be used as an FCRA consumer-reporting service. North Dakota also states that NDCRI is not a complete or official criminal-history database. Historical coverage, restricted records, identity matching, municipal-court differences, and other limitations make a public case search different from formal background screening.