| Clerk of District Court | Grand Forks County Clerk of District Court — Amber Manninen |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Grand Forks County Courthouse, 124 South 4th St., Grand Forks, ND 58201 |
| Phone | (701) 787-2700 (Clerk's Office) |
| Hours | Confirm current hours with the clerk before visiting |
| 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 |
Grand Forks County, part of the Northeast Central Judicial District, keeps all district-court records — felony and misdemeanor criminal, civil, family, and probate — with the Grand Forks County Clerk of District Court at the Grand Forks County Courthouse. As statewide, one office holds the full district-court file; there is no separate county clerk for probate or civil cases.
The county courthouse also hosts the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota's Grand Forks location for federal matters, which is a completely separate system from the state district court and is searched on PACER, not NDCRI. Grand Forks Municipal Court handles city ordinance and traffic matters within city limits.
A frequent point of confusion is the federal courthouse sharing a city with the state courthouse: federal criminal or bankruptcy cases are not in the county clerk's index or NDCRI at all.
Search Grand Forks County court records online
Clerk of District Court
Grand Forks County Clerk of District Court — Amber Manninen
- 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 Grand Forks County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
The county's own website (gfcounty.nd.gov) also publishes a Clerk of Courts page, but it could not be independently verified from the shell; the official state court page above lists the current clerk and hours.
Other courts
Grand Forks Municipal Court
- Coverage
- City ordinance violations and traffic tickets issued by Grand Forks police within city limits
- Records
- Traffic
Clerk's mailing address P.O. Box 5324, Grand Forks, ND 58206-5324; phone (701) 787-8160, fax (701) 746-2519, per the North Dakota Court System's municipal court listing. A separate city court with its own clerk, not part of the county district-court file, though North Dakota municipal courts share the statewide case management system behind NDCRI.
What is available online
Case indexes for Grand Forks County district-court cases are searchable through the North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov by selecting Grand Forks County or "State of North Dakota." Coverage includes criminal, civil, family, probate, and judgment records, plus court calendars. Federal cases at the Grand Forks federal courthouse are on PACER and are not part of NDCRI.
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
Grand Forks County clerk offices
Grand Forks County Courthouse, 124 South 4th St., Grand Forks, ND 58201
Phone: (701) 787-2700 (Clerk's Office)
In person. Visit the Clerk of District Court at the Grand Forks County Courthouse, 124 South 4th St., Grand Forks. A public access terminal is available for searching the case index at no charge.
By mail or email. Contact the clerk's office at (701) 787-2700 to confirm the mailing address for copy requests and the current fee, since fee schedules are set statewide and may still require a written request with the case number, the documents needed, and whether certified copies are required.
Online. Search the case index for free through NDCRI. Certified copies must still be requested from the clerk directly.
Federal cases. Cases in the federal courthouse in Grand Forks are searched on PACER, not through the county clerk or NDCRI.
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 Grand Forks County court records online?
Use the North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov and select Grand Forks County, or "State of North Dakota" to search every county. It covers criminal, civil, family, probate, and judgment records for free.
Who keeps divorce and custody records in Grand Forks County?
The Grand Forks County Clerk of District Court. North Dakota's single trial court of general jurisdiction handles family cases along with criminal, civil, and probate matters.
Is the federal courthouse in Grand Forks the same as the county court?
No. The United States District Court for the District of North Dakota has a location in Grand Forks, but it is a separate federal system searched on PACER, not through the county clerk or NDCRI.
Are Grand Forks city traffic tickets in the county search?
Only if a county deputy or the sheriff's office wrote the ticket. Tickets issued by Grand Forks police go to Grand Forks Municipal Court, a separate city system.
Sources
- North Dakota Court System — Grand Forks Municipal Court — https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations/grand-forks
- North Dakota Court System — Grand Forks County — https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations/grand-forks-county
- North Dakota Court System — Northeast Central Judicial District — https://www.ndcourts.gov/districts/northeast-central-judicial-district
- North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) — https://publicsearch.ndcourts.gov/default.aspx
- United States District Court for the District of North Dakota — https://www.ndd.uscourts.gov/
- 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
See also: all North Dakota counties.