| Clerk of District Court | Ward County Clerk of District Court — Susan Hoffer |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Ward County Courthouse, 315 3rd St. SE, Minot, ND 58701 (mailing: P.O. Box 5005, Minot, ND 58702-5005) |
| Phone | (701) 857-6600 (Clerk's Office); fax (701) 857-6623; Jury Line (701) 857-6624 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m.–4:30 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 |
Ward County, home to Minot, is part of the North Central Judicial District and keeps all district-court records — felony and misdemeanor criminal, civil, family, and probate — with the Ward County Clerk of District Court at the Ward County Courthouse. As statewide, this single office holds the full district-court file; there is no separate county clerk for probate or civil matters.
Ward County's courthouse also houses the Court Administrator's office for the North Central Judicial District. Minot Municipal Court handles city ordinance violations and traffic tickets issued by Minot police, a separate system from the county's.
As elsewhere in North Dakota, a common mistake is expecting a county divorce record search to include a municipal traffic ticket, or vice versa; the two are kept by different offices with different online tools.
Search Ward County court records online
Clerk of District Court
Ward County Clerk of District Court — Susan Hoffer
- 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 Ward County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
Other courts
Minot Municipal Court
- Coverage
- City ordinance violations and traffic tickets issued by Minot police within city limits
- Records
- Traffic
Clerk's mailing address P.O. Box 5006, Minot, ND 58702; phone (701) 857-4759, fax (701) 857-1522, 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 Ward County district-court cases are searchable through the North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov by selecting Ward County or "State of North Dakota." Coverage includes criminal, civil, family, probate, and judgment records, plus court calendars.
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
Ward County clerk offices
Ward County Courthouse, 315 3rd St. SE, Minot, ND 58701 (mailing: P.O. Box 5005, Minot, ND 58702-5005)
Phone: (701) 857-6600 (Clerk's Office); fax (701) 857-6623; Jury Line (701) 857-6624
Hours: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
In person. Visit the Clerk of District Court at the Ward County Courthouse, 315 3rd St. SE, Minot. A public access terminal is available for searching the case index at no charge.
By mail. Write to the Clerk of District Court, Ward County Courthouse, P.O. Box 5005, Minot, ND 58702-5005, 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) 857-6623.
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 Ward County court records online?
Use the North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry (NDCRI) at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov and select Ward County, or "State of North Dakota" to search every county. It covers criminal, civil, family, probate, and judgment records for free.
Who keeps probate and divorce records in Ward County?
The Ward County Clerk of District Court. North Dakota's single trial court of general jurisdiction handles probate and family matters along with criminal and civil cases.
Are Minot traffic tickets in the county court system?
Only if a county deputy wrote the ticket. Tickets issued by Minot police go to Minot Municipal Court, a separate city system not indexed by the county clerk or NDCRI.
What are the Ward County Clerk of District Court's hours?
The office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (701) 857-6600 to confirm before visiting, especially around holidays.
Sources
- North Dakota Court System — Minot Municipal Court — https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations/minot
- North Dakota Court System — Ward County — https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations/ward-county
- North Dakota Court System — North Central Judicial District — https://www.ndcourts.gov/districts/north-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.