Williams County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Organized in December 1891 and named for the European settler Erastus Appleman Williams, Williams County is located at the western border of North Dakota, with an estimated population of over 39,000. This makes it the fifth most populous county within the state of North Dakota and its county seat is Williston. Considered to be part of the Williston Micropolitan Statistical Area, it encompasses the cities of Williston, Tioga, McGregor, Alamo, Wildrose, Epping, Grenora, Ray, and Springbrook. The court system in Williams County consists of two trial courts which include the District Court and the Municipal Court.

The District Court in Williams County is located in Williston and has jurisdiction over all types of civil and criminal cases. The court mostly hears criminal cases related to felonies and civil cases relating to juvenile matters, adoptions, probate matters, and so on. Municipal Courts in Williams County exercise limited jurisdiction over some types of cases. They mostly handle cases relating to violations of municipal ordinances. The Municipal Courts in the county are located in:

• Ray
• Tioga
• Williston

The crime rate in Williams County stands at 41.77 per 1,000 residents. According to North Dakota Crime Statistics, in 2023, there were 15 cases of violent crimes, 31 cases of drug and narcotics violations, and 153 property crimes reported in William County. Court records in the county are kept up to date and recorded by the county's Clerk of District Court. To access these records, interested persons can search for the records online. If the records are not available online, a visit to the Williams County courthouses in person is another alternative. It is important to note that only the public court records are the only records that will be accessible to the public. Certain records are regarded as confidential and may not be open to public access. Examples of these confidential records include adoption records, child protection records, termination of parental rights records, personal identifying matters, as well as mental health and medical records. If access is needed to such records, the County Clerk is available to give information on how to obtain special permission or court order to do so.

In summary, Williams County's judicial system includes the District and Municipal Courts. The courts are responsible for adjudicating criminal offenses and resolving disputes in the area of Williams County. To encourage transparency, the courts make its records accessible to members of the public.