| Clerk of District Court | Cass County Clerk of District Court — Brittany Leadbetter |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Cass County Courthouse, 211 9th St. S., Fargo, ND 58103 (mailing: P.O. Box 2806, Fargo, ND 58108) |
| Phone | (701) 451-6900 (Clerk's Office); (701) 451-6901 (Jury Reporting Line) |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday |
| 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 |
Cass County is North Dakota's most populous county and home to Fargo, the state's largest city. All district-court records — felony and misdemeanor criminal cases, civil suits, divorce and custody, and probate — are kept by the Cass County Clerk of District Court, part of the East Central Judicial District, at the Cass County Courthouse in downtown Fargo. There is no separate county clerk for probate or civil matters here; the district clerk's office keeps everything filed with the district court.
Cass County's public terminals and the statewide North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) portal cover case indexing for the county. Because Fargo is a large city, it also runs its own Fargo Municipal Court for city ordinance violations and police-issued traffic tickets, which is a separate city court with its own clerk, even though its case index appears in the statewide NDCRI search.
A common mix-up in Cass County is looking for a traffic ticket in the district court index when it was actually written by Fargo police and belongs to Fargo Municipal Court, or vice versa for tickets written by county deputies or the sheriff's department.
Search Cass County court records online
Clerk of District Court
Cass County Clerk of District Court — Brittany Leadbetter
- 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 Cass County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
The county's own website (casscountynd.gov) also has a Courts section, but its facility-directory pages block automated requests; the North Dakota Court System's official county page above is the most reliable link for contact details and hours.
Other courts
Fargo Municipal Court
- Cost
- Free search on NDCRI and at the court's public terminals; $10 per name for a clerk-performed record search, which includes one set of copies of one case
- Coverage
- Criminal and non-criminal violations of Fargo city ordinances, including Class B misdemeanors, infractions, and traffic tickets issued by Fargo police within city limits
- Records
- Traffic
Located at 402 Northern Pacific Ave., Fargo, ND 58102; phone (701) 241-1316; office hours Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Court sits Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 1:30 p.m. A separate city court with its own clerk, but Fargo Municipal Court cases do appear in the statewide NDCRI search, and fines can be paid there. Public terminals at the court allow free viewing and printing of public documents.
What is available online
Case indexes for Cass County district-court cases are searchable statewide through the North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov by selecting Cass 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; older or sensitive filings may require an in-person or mail request to the clerk.
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
Cass County clerk offices
Cass County Courthouse, 211 9th St. S., Fargo, ND 58103 (mailing: P.O. Box 2806, Fargo, ND 58108)
Phone: (701) 451-6900 (Clerk's Office); (701) 451-6901 (Jury Reporting Line)
Hours: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
In person. Visit the Clerk of District Court on the second floor of the Cass County Courthouse, 211 9th St. S., Fargo. A public access terminal is available for searching the case index at no charge.
By mail. Write to the Cass County Clerk of District Court, P.O. Box 2806, Fargo, ND 58108-2806, 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.
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 Cass County court records online?
Use the North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov and select Cass County, or "State of North Dakota" to search every county at once. It covers criminal, civil, family, probate, and judgment records for free.
Who keeps divorce and custody records in Cass County?
The Cass County Clerk of District Court. North Dakota has a single trial court of general jurisdiction, so all family cases, along with criminal and civil cases, are filed with the district court and kept by the same clerk.
Are Fargo traffic tickets in the county court system?
Only if a county officer wrote the ticket. Tickets issued by Fargo police for city ordinance or traffic violations go to Fargo Municipal Court, a separate city court with its own clerk, although its case index does appear in the statewide NDCRI search.
How much does a certified copy cost in Cass County?
Cass County follows the statewide North Dakota Court Fee Schedule: $20 for a certified copy or abstract of a judgment or order, and $10 for each additional copy of the same document.
Sources
- City of Fargo — Municipal Court — https://fargond.gov/city-government/departments/municipal-court
- City of Fargo — Municipal Court Record Search Online — https://fargond.gov/city-government/departments/municipal-court/record-search-online
- North Dakota Court System — Cass County — https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations/cass-county
- North Dakota Court System — East Central Judicial District — https://www.ndcourts.gov/districts/east-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.