| Clerk of District Court | Burleigh County Clerk of District Court — Jackie Keller |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Burleigh County Courthouse, 514 E. Thayer Ave., Bismarck, ND 58501 (mailing: P.O. Box 1055, Bismarck, ND 58502) |
| Phone | (701) 222-6690 ext. 1 (Clerk's Office); (701) 222-6690 ext. 3 (Jury Line); fax (701) 222-6758 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | $0.10 per page for a paper copy from a state-employed clerk; electronic copies are free |
| Certified copy fee | $20 for a certified copy or abstract of a judgment, order, or other filed paper; $10 for each additional copy of the same document |
Burleigh County, home to the state capital of Bismarck, keeps all district-court records — felony and misdemeanor criminal, civil, family, and probate — with the Burleigh County Clerk of District Court, part of the South Central Judicial District, at the Burleigh County Courthouse. As in every North Dakota county, there is no separate county clerk for civil or probate matters; one office holds the full district-court file.
Because Bismarck is also the seat of state government, the courthouse sits close to the North Dakota Supreme Court and the Attorney General's office, which runs the statewide BCI criminal history check from the same city. Bismarck also operates its own Municipal Court for city ordinance violations and police-issued traffic tickets, separate from the county system.
Searchers sometimes assume the county clerk can look up a criminal history check; that request instead goes to the Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation, a different state office.
Search Burleigh County court records online
Clerk of District Court
Burleigh County Clerk of District Court — Jackie Keller
- Cost
- Free index search at courthouse terminals and on NDCRI; fees apply for certified copies
- Coverage
- All district-court criminal, civil, family, and probate cases filed in Burleigh County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
The county's own government website was not used as a source page here because its facility pages could not be independently verified from the shell; the official state court page above lists the current clerk and hours.
Other courts
Bismarck Municipal Court
- Coverage
- City ordinance violations, Class B misdemeanors under city code, infractions, and traffic tickets issued by Bismarck police within city limits
- Records
- Traffic
Located at 514 E. Thayer Ave., Bismarck, ND 58501, in the same building as the county courthouse; phone (701) 355-1350. Window hours Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; office hours 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A separate city court with its own clerk, not part of the county district-court file, although the city's page links to the statewide NDCRI search for case lookups and payments.
What is available online
Case indexes for Burleigh County district-court cases are searchable through the North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov by selecting Burleigh County or "State of North Dakota." Coverage includes criminal, civil, family, probate, and judgment records, plus court calendars. Document images available online vary by case type.
Which clerk has your record
In North Dakota, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the North Dakota page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| District Court | Felony and misdemeanor criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other family cases; Civil suits of any amount | Clerk of District Court for the county |
| Municipal Courts | City ordinance violations; Traffic tickets issued by city police | Municipal court clerk for that city (or the municipal judge where no clerk is appointed) |
Request records in person or by mail
Burleigh County clerk offices
Burleigh County Courthouse, 514 E. Thayer Ave., Bismarck, ND 58501 (mailing: P.O. Box 1055, Bismarck, ND 58502)
Phone: (701) 222-6690 ext. 1 (Clerk's Office); (701) 222-6690 ext. 3 (Jury Line); fax (701) 222-6758
Hours: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
In person. Visit the Clerk of District Court at the Burleigh County Courthouse, 514 E. Thayer Ave., Bismarck. A public access terminal is available for searching the case index at no charge.
By mail. Write to the Burleigh County Clerk of District Court, P.O. Box 1055, Bismarck, ND 58502-1055, with the case number or party names and approximate filing year, the specific document needed, whether you need a certified copy, and payment or a request for a fee quote. The office fax number is (701) 222-6758.
Online. Search the case index for free through NDCRI. Certified copies must still be requested from the clerk directly.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in North Dakota |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $0.10 per page for a paper copy from a state-employed clerk; electronic copies are free |
| Certified copy | $20 for a certified copy or abstract of a judgment, order, or other filed paper; $10 for each additional copy of the same document |
Fees are set statewide by the North Dakota Court Fee Schedule under N.D.C.C. § 27-05.2-03 and are the same in every county for state-employed clerks; a few counties employ the clerk directly and may set limited local charges, so confirm before mailing payment. Figures above are effective July 1, 2025.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
North Dakota's judicial records are presumed open under Supreme Court Administrative Rule 41 (Access to Court Records), which implements the state's constitutional open-records provision for the courts. Several categories are removed from public search or never appear in the index at all:
The North Dakota guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
How do I search Burleigh County court records online?
Use the North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov and select Burleigh County, or "State of North Dakota" to search every county. It covers criminal, civil, family, probate, and judgment records for free.
Who keeps probate records in Burleigh County?
The Burleigh County Clerk of District Court. North Dakota's district court is the single trial court of general jurisdiction, so probate, along with criminal, civil, and family cases, is filed there.
Are Bismarck traffic tickets in the county court system?
Only if a county officer wrote the ticket. Tickets issued by Bismarck police go to Bismarck Municipal Court, a separate city system not indexed by the county clerk or NDCRI.
How do I get a criminal history check in Burleigh County?
Request it from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation through the North Dakota Attorney General's office, not the county clerk. A name-based check costs $15 and takes about 7-10 business days.
Sources
- City of Bismarck — Municipal Court — https://www.bismarcknd.gov/93/Municipal-Court
- North Dakota Court System — Burleigh County — https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations/burleigh-county
- North Dakota Court System — South Central Judicial District — https://www.ndcourts.gov/districts/south-central-judicial-district
- North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) — https://publicsearch.ndcourts.gov/default.aspx
- North Dakota Court System — About Us — https://www.ndcourts.gov/about-us
- North Dakota Court System — Public Access (District Court Case Search and Payment Processing) — https://www.ndcourts.gov/public-access
- North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry — Locations and Types of Searches — https://www.ndcourts.gov/public-access/help/types-of-searches
- North Dakota Attorney General — Requesting a Criminal History Record Check — https://attorneygeneral.nd.gov/public-safety/criminal-history-records/requesting-a-criminal-history-record-check/
- North Dakota Supreme Court Docket Search — https://www.ndcourts.gov/supreme-court/docket-search
- North Dakota Court Fee Schedule (effective July 1, 2025) — https://www.ndcourts.gov/Media/Default/district-courts/Court-Fees.pdf
- North Dakota Century Code, Chapter 12-60.1 — Sealing Criminal Records — https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t12c60-1.html
- North Dakota Century Code, Chapter 27-05.2 — Clerk of District Court Funding and Fees — https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t27c05-2.pdf
- North Dakota Supreme Court Administrative Rule 41 — Access to Court Records — https://www.ndcourts.gov/legal-resources/rules/ndsupctadminr/41
- United States District Court for the District of North Dakota — https://www.ndd.uscourts.gov/
See also: all North Dakota counties.