North Dakota, county records
Find the right office in Ward County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.
Start here
Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
County court
The U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota sits in Bismarck and Fargo and hears federal civil and criminal cases. Dockets are searched through PACER; state cases through the North Dakota Courts.
Open official site North Dakota Federal CasesState records
Search property and claim status by individual name or business through the ND State Unclaimed Property Division.
Open official site North Dakota Unclaimed PropertyVital records
Request birth and death certificates from the ND Dept. of Health.
Open official site North Dakota Birth RecordsState records
Find active and inactive corporations by name from the North Dakota Secretary of State.
Open official site North Dakota Business & Corporation SearchCounty court
Verify an attorney's licensing status with the ND Lawyers Directory.
Open official site North Dakota Lawyer LookupVital records
North Dakota Health and Human Services Vital Records sells certified death records in three versions: complete, facts of death, and informational. Order online, by mail or by appointment.
Open official site North Dakota Death RecordsVital records
Public search of the North Dakota marriage index.
Open official site North Dakota MarriagesVital records
Access divorce records or request divorce certificates from the ND Dept. of Health.
Open official site North Dakota Divorce RecordsLocal record guide
County profile
Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Ward County Sheriff's Office is responsible for maintaining law and order in the unincorporated areas of Ward County.
Police Departments. Ward County is served by several law enforcement agencies, including Ward County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments such as the Minot Police Department and the Burlington Police Department.
Law Enforcement & Arrests. Law enforcement in Ward County is primarily provided by Ward County Sheriff's Office, located at 315 3rd Street SE in Minot, North Dakota 58701. Other municipalities in Ward County include Burlington, Des Lacs, Donnybrook, Kenmare, and Berthold, some of which have their own police departments or contract with the Sheriff's Office. Arrest records in Ward County are considered public records under North Dakota Century Code Chapter 44-04, the state's open records law.
Arrest Records. Arrest records in Ward County are maintained by Ward County Sheriff's Office. Residents and attorneys can request arrest records by contacting the Sheriff's Office directly.
Jail & Inmate Records. Inmate lookup is available through the Sheriff's Office, allowing family members and legal representatives to find information on current detainees.
Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Ward County are taken and retained by Ward County Sheriff's Office during the booking process. These booking photos are part of the public record and can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office.
Abandoned mine records
Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.
From the old mine records
The mine records hold 25 named mine sites inside the county, 3 of them worked out or abandoned; the old survey maps add 139 holes drawn inside the county, 11 of them shafts or tunnels. The mineral the records name is construction sand and gravel.
A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area. The PSC asks anyone building in a historic lignite mining town to ask the AML program first.
Rows taken off the old survey maps open the USGS record of what sits at that spot, because no single feature on those maps has a page of its own. Rows from the mine records open their own USGS page.
Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Ward County Sheriff or a city police department in Ward County. Ask that agency for its record.
The North Dakota criminal history record comes from the North Dakota Attorney General, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). Name based or fingerprint based check on anyone: mail the signed request form with the full name and Social Security number or fingerprints, and a check or money order payable to ND Attorney General, or drop it off at the BCI office in Bismarck. Fee: $15 per Request for Criminal History Record Information.
Search the North Dakota Sex Offender Registry (Offender Search, North Dakota Attorney General), or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Register with the county auditor or through the North Dakota Secretary of State. North Dakota has no online voter registration. North Dakota is the only state without voter registration; you vote with a valid form of ID after living in North Dakota for 30 days before Election Day.
Deeds and other recorded land documents in Ward County are kept by the Ward County recorder. Property values are set by the local assessor, and tax bills come from the county treasurer. Source: official state page.
Certified birth and death certificates for North Dakota come from the North Dakota Health and Human Services, Vital Records. Online through the Vital Records order site, or by mail with the form, fee and identification to Vital Records, 600 E. Boulevard Ave. Dept 325, Bismarck, ND 58505-0250. Fee: $15.00 per certified birth record; $15.00 for the first certified death record and $10.00 for each added copy ordered at the same time.
Business entity filings are searched with the North Dakota Secretary of State. The Secretary of State says you may need added licenses depending on your business, and that city, county and state licensing or permit requirements may apply.
Same county
Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.