| Clerk of District Court | Stark County Clerk of District Court — Kimberly L. Schwartz |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Stark County Courthouse, 51 3rd St E, Dickinson, ND 58601 |
| Phone | (701) 227-3184; fax (701) 227-3185 |
| Hours | Monday–Thursday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Friday 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (Mountain Time); closed legal holidays |
| 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 |
Stark County is the population center of southwestern North Dakota, and its seat, Dickinson, is the largest city between Bismarck and the Montana line. All district-court records for the county — felony and misdemeanor criminal cases, civil suits, divorce and custody, and probate — are kept by the Stark County Clerk of District Court at the Stark County Courthouse, 51 3rd St E, Dickinson. The county anchors the Southwest Judicial District, whose judges also travel to the smaller counties around it, so Dickinson is where most of the region's contested hearings take place.
Two practical details set Stark County apart from the eastern half of the state. First, Dickinson is on Mountain Time, an hour behind Fargo and Bismarck, so phone hours listed by the clerk are Mountain hours. Second, the clerk's office keeps shorter Friday hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, but only 8:00 a.m. to noon on Fridays. A Friday-afternoon visit will find the counter closed.
As in every North Dakota county there is one trial court of general jurisdiction, so there is no separate probate or county court to check. Dickinson does run its own Municipal Court at City Hall for ordinance violations and tickets written by Dickinson police; those files belong to the city, not the county clerk, even though both sets of cases show up in the statewide NDCRI search.
Search Stark County court records online
Clerk of District Court
Stark County Clerk of District Court — Kimberly L. Schwartz
- 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 Stark County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
The North Dakota Court System's official county page lists the clerk, address, Mountain Time hours, phone, and fax, and the county's own site (starkcountynd.gov) links to that same page rather than hosting its own clerk-of-court page.
Other courts
Dickinson Municipal Court
- Coverage
- City ordinance violations, infractions, Class B misdemeanors under city code, and traffic tickets issued by Dickinson police
- Records
- Traffic
Located at Dickinson City Hall, 38 1st Street W, Dickinson, ND 58601; phone (701) 456-7726. The city's own page at dickinsongov.com/municipal-court blocks automated requests, so the North Dakota Court System's municipal court listing is linked here instead. A separate city court, not part of the county district-court file.
What is available online
Case indexes for Stark County district-court cases are searchable through the North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov by selecting Stark County or "State of North Dakota." Coverage includes criminal, traffic, civil, family, probate, and judgment records plus court calendars. Dickinson Municipal Court cases also appear in NDCRI and city fines can be paid through the same site, but the paper file for a city ticket stays with the municipal clerk at City Hall. 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
Stark County clerk offices
Stark County Courthouse, 51 3rd St E, Dickinson, ND 58601
Phone: (701) 227-3184; fax (701) 227-3185
Hours: Monday–Thursday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Friday 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (Mountain Time); closed legal holidays
In person. Visit the Clerk of District Court at the Stark County Courthouse, 51 3rd St E, Dickinson. Enter through the front doors, where security officers screen bags and purses. Free parking is available in front of the courthouse and in the lot on its east side. A public access terminal is available for searching the case index at no charge. Remember the Friday half-day: the office closes at noon Mountain Time.
By mail. Write to the Stark County Clerk of District Court, 51 3rd St E, Dickinson, ND 58601, 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) 227-3185.
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 Dickinson police, contact Dickinson Municipal Court at City Hall, (701) 456-7726, 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 Stark County court records online?
Use the North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov and select Stark County, or "State of North Dakota" to search every county at once. It is free and covers criminal, civil, family, probate, and judgment records.
What time zone are the Stark County clerk's hours in?
Mountain Time. Dickinson is an hour behind Fargo and Bismarck, and the clerk's office is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to noon on Friday, Mountain Time.
Are Dickinson traffic tickets in the county court system?
Only if a county or state officer wrote the ticket. Tickets issued by Dickinson police go to Dickinson Municipal Court at City Hall, a separate city court whose files are kept by the municipal clerk, though the case index appears in NDCRI.
Who keeps probate and divorce records in Stark County?
The Stark County Clerk of District Court. North Dakota's district court is the single trial court of general jurisdiction, so probate, family, criminal, and civil cases are all filed there and held by one clerk.
Sources
- North Dakota Court System — Stark County — https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations/stark-county
- North Dakota Court System — Dickinson Municipal Court — https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations/dickinson
- North Dakota Court System — Southwest Judicial District — https://www.ndcourts.gov/districts/southwest-judicial-district
- Stark County, North Dakota — official site (links to the state court page) — https://www.starkcountynd.gov/
- 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.