| Clerk of District Court | Morton County Clerk of District Court — Jackie Keller |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Morton County Courthouse, 210 2nd Ave NW, Mandan, ND 58554 |
| Phone | (701) 667-3358 ext. 1 (Clerk's Office); (701) 667-3358 ext. 2 (Jury Line); fax (701) 667-3474 |
| 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 |
Morton County sits directly across the Missouri River from Bismarck, and its seat, Mandan, is the western half of the state's second-largest metro area. Every district-court record filed in the county — felony and misdemeanor criminal cases, civil suits, divorce and custody, and probate — is kept by the Morton County Clerk of District Court at the Morton County Courthouse, 210 2nd Ave NW, Mandan. The county is part of the South Central Judicial District, the same district that covers Burleigh County, and the two courthouses share judges, so a case caption may list a Bismarck-based judge even though the file itself is held in Mandan.
As elsewhere in North Dakota there is no separate probate or county court; the district court is the single trial court of general jurisdiction and one clerk's office holds the whole file. Mandan also has a Municipal Court for city ordinance violations and tickets written by Mandan police. Unusually, the municipal court office and its Wednesday sessions are housed inside the Morton County Courthouse, on the second floor next to Courtroom 200, so both courts are reached through the same front door, but they remain different offices with different clerks and case numbers.
A common source of confusion is the river: a person who lives in Mandan but was arrested or sued in Bismarck will have a Burleigh County case, not a Morton County one. The statewide North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) search avoids the problem, since it can search every county at once.
Search Morton County court records online
Clerk of District Court
Morton County Clerk of District Court — Jackie Keller
- Cost
- Free index search at courthouse terminals and on NDCRI; statewide fee schedule applies for copies
- Coverage
- All district-court criminal, civil, family, and probate cases filed in Morton County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
The North Dakota Court System's official county page lists the clerk, courthouse hours, phone extensions, and fax. The county's own site (mortonnd.gov) does not carry a separate clerk-of-court page, so the state court page is the primary source here.
Other courts
Mandan Municipal Court
- Coverage
- City ordinance violations, infractions, and traffic tickets issued by Mandan police within city limits
- Records
- Traffic
Court is held Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 200 on the second floor of the Morton County Courthouse, and the municipal court office is beside that courtroom. Clerk phone (701) 667-3270, fax (701) 667-3292. A separate city court, not part of the county district-court file, although Mandan municipal cases do appear in the statewide NDCRI search.
What is available online
Case indexes for Morton County district-court cases are searchable through the North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov by selecting Morton County or "State of North Dakota." Coverage includes criminal, traffic, civil, family, probate, and judgment records plus court calendars. Mandan Municipal Court cases also appear in NDCRI, because North Dakota's municipal courts use the same statewide case management system, but the paper file for a city ticket stays with the city clerk. Document images available online vary by case type; older, sealed, or sensitive filings require an in-person or mail request to the clerk of district court.
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
Morton County clerk offices
Morton County Courthouse, 210 2nd Ave NW, Mandan, ND 58554
Phone: (701) 667-3358 ext. 1 (Clerk's Office); (701) 667-3358 ext. 2 (Jury Line); fax (701) 667-3474
Hours: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
In person. Visit the Clerk of District Court at the Morton County Courthouse, 210 2nd Ave NW, Mandan, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. A public access terminal is available for searching the case index at no charge. Parking in front of and around the courthouse is limited to 90 minutes; longer-term lots are nearby.
By mail. Write to the Morton County Clerk of District Court, 210 2nd Ave NW, Mandan, ND 58554, with the case number or the parties' names and approximate filing year, the specific document you need, whether you want a certified copy, and payment or a request for a fee quote. North Dakota's statewide fee schedule sets $20 for a certified copy or abstract and $10 for each additional copy of the same document. The clerk's fax number is (701) 667-3474.
Online. Search the case index for free through NDCRI. Certified copies must still come from the clerk's office.
City tickets. For a ticket written by Mandan police, contact Mandan Municipal Court at (701) 667-3270 rather than the clerk of district court.
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 Morton County court records online?
Use the North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov and select Morton County, or "State of North Dakota" to search every county at once. It is free and covers criminal, civil, family, probate, and judgment records.
Is Mandan Municipal Court the same as the Morton County district court?
No. They share the Morton County Courthouse building, but Mandan Municipal Court is a city court that handles ordinance violations and Mandan police tickets, with its own clerk on the second floor by Courtroom 200. District-court records are held by the Clerk of District Court.
My case was in Bismarck but I live in Mandan. Which clerk has the file?
Cases are filed where the offense or dispute arose, not where a party lives. A Bismarck case is held by the Burleigh County Clerk of District Court across the river. Searching NDCRI by "State of North Dakota" finds cases in either county.
How much does a certified copy cost in Morton County?
Morton County follows the statewide North Dakota Court Fee Schedule: $20 for a certified copy or abstract of a judgment, order, or other filed paper, and $10 for each additional copy of the same document. Plain paper copies are $0.10 per page.
Sources
- North Dakota Court System — Morton County — https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations/morton-county
- North Dakota Court System — Mandan Municipal Court — https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations/mandan
- City of Mandan — Municipal Court — https://www.cityofmandan.com/court
- 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 Fee Schedule (effective July 1, 2025) — https://www.ndcourts.gov/Media/Default/district-courts/Court-Fees.pdf
- 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 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.