Guide
North Dakota Expungement Research Resources
North Dakota courts can seal criminal records on petition under NDCC chapter 12-60.1, but a sealed court file does not clear a conviction from the state criminal history. The official North Dakota sources are listed below.
- ND Courts Legal Self Help, Criminal MattersSealing and expungement research guides and forms
- ND Attorney General, Expunging a Criminal RecordA sealed court file does not clear the state criminal history
- NDCC Chapter 12-60.1Sealing criminal records
This directory is for informational and research use only. Expungement eligibility, waiting periods, filing fees, notice rules, and the effect on background checks can differ significantly depending on the state, offense level, case outcome, and later law changes.
Guide
Sealing a divorce or civil file in North Dakota
North Dakota closes one divorce document by statute and leaves the rest to a motion. N.D.C.C. 14-05-24.3 provides that, except as its later subsections allow, the property and debt listing of the parties to a divorce which is filed with the court or included in a judgment for divorce is a confidential record; those subsections let a non-party obtain access only by written motion for good cause. Supreme Court Administrative Rule 41, section 3(b)(6)(J), lists the same document among confidential case records, and Rule 8.3(c)(4) of the Rules of Court, amended effective August 1, 2017, says the joint property and debt listing filed before trial is confidential.
For any other document, Administrative Rule 41, section 4, applies. A party files a written motion with notice to all parties asking the court to restrict access, and the court must consider that the presumption of openness may only be overcome by an overriding interest, make findings on the risk of injury, privacy, proprietary information and public safety, and use the least restrictive means. Under Administrative Rule 41, section 5, remote access through Records Inquiry reaches only records that are not confidential. The rule is at ndcourts.gov.
Guide
Research Notes
- Start with the court and the originating agency. Expungement or sealing requests are often handled through the court that heard the case, sometimes with supporting records from police, prosecutors, or corrections agencies.
- Terminology differs by state. Some jurisdictions use terms such as sealing, set-aside, vacatur, dismissal relief, or nondisclosure instead of expungement.
- Verify current law. Eligibility rules can change through legislation or court decisions, so always confirm the current process before relying on older instructions or third-party summaries.
- Understand downstream effects. Even after record relief, treatment of court, police, private-background check, and federal records may differ depending on the system involved.
By state