Ward County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Ward County is found in North Dakota and was created in 1885 from sections of Renville County and the now-extinct Stevens and Wynn counties. With a population of nearly 70,000 people, it is the fourth most populous county in the state. It is also North Dakota's fifth-biggest county with an area of 2,056 square miles and has Minot as its county seat. The Ward County trial court structure encompasses two court types:

• District Court
• Municipal Court

The North Central Judicial District Court is the highest authority court in Ward County, and it is located in Minot. It has original and general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil suits outside the exclusive jurisdiction of other lower courts, such as ordinance violations in municipalities and cities. It also has limited jurisdiction over certain municipal ordinance offenses transferred to it from other lower courts and for which a jury-trial right has been aptly exercised. Ward County District Court has various court Divisions, including a Small Claims Court and a Juvenile Court. While the Small Claims Court hears general civil disputes for claims under $5,000, general money recovery cases, and cases involving agreement cancellations and deception/misrepresentation; the Juvenile Court presides over cases involving delinquent minors. Civil cases under the District Court's jurisdiction include general civil suits, juvenile, and probate cases. Four Ward County municipal courts, located in Burlington, Kenmare, Surrey, and Minot, exercise exclusive jurisdiction over cases of municipal ordinance violations such as infractions, traffic offenses, and Class B Misdemeanors. Ordinance violations involving juveniles/minors are, however, excluded from their purview.

The total case dispositions for the North Central District courts, including Ward County District Court, per a 2023 annual report, rose by 15.2% from 19,164 in 2022 to 22,139 in 2023. In 2023, 3,816 civil cases were filed in contrast to 3,192 in the previous year, while criminal case filings increased from 2,654 to 2,854 within the same period under review. In addition, a 2022 crime statistics analysis showed that simple assault and burglary were the most reported crimes of 580 reported offenses in Ward County. Similarly, 501 arrests were also made within the same period, comprising 486 adult arrests and 75 juvenile arrests. The North Dakota Open Records Law confers eligibility on any interested person seeking to access court records upon request. The Clerk of the District Court maintains district court case records and can generally be visited in person during official working hours to obtain copies of court records. Interested members of the public can also make direct court records requests online, by email, phone, or fax.

Summarily, Ward County District and Municipal Courts make up its court system and form the bedrock of its administration, enhancing its citizens' access to justice and facilitating easy access to non-confidential court records.