North Dakota's criminal history system operates through the Bureau of Criminal Investigation under the Office of Attorney General, with a $15 mail-in request for name-based or fingerprint-based checks. The BCI's database covers only conviction data for public requesters -- arrests that did not result in a conviction are not included in what the general public receives. For the general public seeking court case information without restrictions, the North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry page at ndcourts.gov provides free public access. North Dakota also enacted significant sealing legislation in 2019 that opened record sealing to most misdemeanor and eligible felony convictions, with a separate and more limited expungement track available for specific narrow circumstances. This guide covers the full system.
What Makes North Dakota Arrest Records Public
North Dakota's public records framework is governed by the Open Records Law at North Dakota Century Code Chapter 44-04. Under NDCC 44-04-18, all government records are presumed open to public inspection unless specifically exempted by law.
The Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), operating under the Office of the Attorney General, serves as the state's central repository for criminal history information. The BCI compiles records of arrests and prosecutions submitted by local law enforcement agencies, state's attorneys, courts, and parole and probation offices.
The BCI's public access limitation mirrors several other states in this series: the BCI database provided to the general public does not include arrests that did not result in convictions. Public requesters receive only conviction data. Full criminal history including non-conviction arrests is available to law enforcement, authorized employers, and criminal justice agencies.
Note: A signed consent or authorization from the subject is not required for a third-party name-based check, but the BCI will notify the subject by mail that their criminal history was released unless a signed authorization accompanies the request.
Exemptions from public access include juvenile records, sealed records, active investigation materials, and arrest records that did not result in conviction.
What a North Dakota Arrest Record Contains
An arrest record is a booking document. It reflects the facts of an arrest at the time of booking and carries no presumption of guilt.
A North Dakota criminal history record from the BCI includes personal identifying information, arrest data, and court dispositions for reported offenses. The public-facing record provides conviction information. A fingerprint-based check is more accurate and can identify records even if the subject used an unknown alias. A name-based check may miss records associated with a different name.
Local law enforcement records at county sheriff offices include full booking information: name, date and time of arrest, location, arresting agency, charges, bail, court date, and booking photograph.
How to Search North Dakota Arrest Records
The BCI criminal history record check is the primary state-level tool. Submit the completed Record Request Form with a $15 fee by mail to: North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, 600 East Boulevard Avenue, Dept. 125, Bismarck, ND 58505-0100. Phone: 701-328-5500. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Turnaround is typically 7 to 10 business days. Name-based or fingerprint-based checks are both available; fingerprint-based is more reliable. The BCI's Attorney General page at attorneygeneral.nd.gov has current forms.
The North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry system at ndcourts.gov provides free public access to court case records. You can search criminal cases by name or case number and access charges, case status, and dispositions for cases handled in district courts and municipal courts statewide.
County sheriff offices maintain booking records for recent arrests. North Dakota has 53 counties and each county sheriff manages the local jail. Most county sheriff offices publish online inmate rosters or booking information, often including recent mugshots. For anyone recently arrested, the county sheriff's website is where to look.
For broader multi-source searches that aggregate public record data across North Dakota's 53 counties and other jurisdictions, TruthFinder is a practical option.
VINELink at vinelink.com connects to the North Dakota DOCR system and many county facilities and provides free real-time custody status and notification registration.
County Jail Records in North Dakota
North Dakota has 53 counties and each county sheriff manages the local jail. County jails hold people recently arrested, those awaiting trial, and individuals serving shorter sentences.
When someone is sentenced to state prison, they enter the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR) system. The DOCR provides a free online inmate search accessible through the DOCR website at docr.nd.gov. You can search by name to locate current state inmates and get facility and sentence information.
Federal Arrests in North Dakota
Federal arrests in North Dakota are made by agencies including the FBI, the DEA, U.S. Marshals, the ATF, and Homeland Security Investigations. After federal sentencing, individuals enter the Bureau of Prisons rather than the North Dakota DOCR.
The BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc is the official free tool for locating anyone serving a federal sentence. Search by name or BOP register number. Federal court records are available through the PACER system at pacer.gov.
Federal arrests and convictions are not part of the BCI criminal history system.
Arrest Records Versus Conviction Records
An arrest record documents that law enforcement took someone into custody. A conviction record documents a court's finding of guilt. North Dakota's BCI public database returns only conviction information -- non-conviction arrests are excluded from public release. This protects people from having an arrest without a resulting conviction affect their background check profile.
Charges can be dropped, cases dismissed, and juries acquit. Conviction records remain in the BCI system indefinitely unless sealed or expunged through the processes under NDCC Chapter 12-60.1.
North Dakota Record Sealing and Expungement
North Dakota draws a clear distinction between sealing and expungement, and each has its own scope.
Sealing (NDCC Chapter 12-60.1): Sealing is defined as prohibiting the disclosure of the existence or contents of court or prosecution records unless authorized by a court order. After sealing, the record is inaccessible to the public, most government agencies, and private entities without a court order. However, courts, judges, probation officers, the defendant and their counsel, and the state's attorney retain access.
The 2019 sealing law significantly expanded North Dakota's record relief options. Most misdemeanor convictions are eligible for sealing 3 years after completing all court-imposed penalties, provided the person has no new charges or convictions during that period. Most eligible felony convictions require 5 years from completion of all penalties with no new indictments. The petition is filed in the existing criminal case in the court where the offense was adjudicated.
Offenses not eligible for sealing include crimes involving dangerous weapons in certain circumstances, intimidation, crimes against children, sex offenses requiring registration under NDCC 12.1-32-15, and DUI offenses. The court considers rehabilitation factors and may receive input from law enforcement, prosecutors, corrections officials, victims, and others familiar with the petitioner.
Expungement (true record destruction): North Dakota limits true expungement to a small number of specific circumstances. Expungement means the deletion and permanent destruction of criminal record information -- no entity can access the record after expungement.
The circumstances eligible for true expungement include: arrests resulting from unconstitutional conduct; juvenile offenses under certain criteria (NDCC 27-20.2); possession of less than one ounce of marijuana (with a 2-year wait after conviction and no other pending charges); victims of human trafficking (NDCC 12.1-41-14 motion to vacate and expunge); and certain DNA records under NDCC 31-13-07.
Minor felony conviction reduction: North Dakota also authorizes courts to reduce a minor felony conviction to a misdemeanor after service of sentence, which can open additional pathways.
InmateAid's guides on sealing and expungement cover North Dakota's framework in more detail. Mugshot removal from third-party sites after sealing is addressed in InmateAid's resources on that topic.
Frequently asked questions
Are North Dakota arrest records public?
Yes, under the Open Records Law at NDCC Chapter 44-04. Most government records are presumed public. However, the BCI's public criminal history database covers only conviction data -- arrests that did not lead to a conviction are not included in what the general public receives. Sealed, expunged, and juvenile records are not accessible to the public.
How do I search North Dakota arrest records?
The BCI provides name-based and fingerprint-based criminal history record checks for $15 by mail to 600 East Boulevard Avenue, Dept. 125, Bismarck, ND 58505-0100, phone 701-328-5500. The ND Courts Records Inquiry at ndcourts.gov provides free public access to court case records. For recent arrests, check the relevant county sheriff's website. For multi-source results, TruthFinder aggregates public record data. For custody notifications, VINELink at vinelink.com is free. For DOCR state inmates, search at docr.nd.gov.
What does a North Dakota arrest record contain?
The BCI's public criminal history record includes personal identifying information, arrest data for conviction cases, and court dispositions. Non-conviction arrests are excluded from what the public receives. Local sheriff office booking records include full arrest details: name, date/time, location, charges, bail, court date, and photograph.
Is an arrest the same as a conviction in North Dakota?
No. An arrest documents that someone was taken into custody. A conviction reflects a court's finding of guilt. North Dakota's public BCI database provides only conviction data -- non-conviction arrests are not included in public releases. Conviction records remain in the BCI system until sealed or expunged.
How do I find someone in a North Dakota county jail?
Check the county sheriff's website where the arrest occurred. North Dakota's 53 counties each operate a local jail and most publish online inmate rosters or booking information. VINELink at vinelink.com connects to many ND facilities and provides free notification registration. For someone in state prison, use the DOCR inmate search at docr.nd.gov.
Can I search federal arrest records in North Dakota?
Federal court records are available through PACER at pacer.gov. For someone serving a federal sentence, the BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc is the free official tool. Federal arrests and convictions are not part of the BCI system.
How long does an arrest stay on record in North Dakota?
Conviction records remain in the BCI system and court records indefinitely unless sealed under NDCC Chapter 12-60.1 or expunged in one of the specific narrow circumstances available. Non-conviction arrest records are not publicly accessible through the BCI system. Sealing becomes available 3 years after completing sentence for most misdemeanors, and 5 years for eligible felonies.
Who qualifies for record sealing in North Dakota?
Under NDCC Chapter 12-60.1: most misdemeanor convictions qualify after 3 years from completing all court-imposed penalties with no new charges. Most eligible felony convictions qualify after 5 years with no new indictments. The petition is filed in the original criminal case court. Excluded: DUI offenses, sex offenses and crimes against children requiring registration under NDCC 12.1-32-15, and offenses involving dangerous weapons in specified circumstances.
What is the difference between sealing and expungement?
In North Dakota, sealing restricts public access to the record -- the record still exists but is not accessible without a court order. Law enforcement, judges, and the defendant retain access. Expungement is true record destruction -- the information is permanently deleted and inaccessible to any entity. Expungement is available only in limited specific circumstances: unconstitutional arrests, juvenile records, marijuana possession under 1 oz (2-year wait), human trafficking victims, and certain DNA database records. Sealing under the 2019 law is the available remedy for most adult criminal convictions.
Why does my record show an arrest but no conviction?
The BCI's public database does not include arrests without a resulting conviction, so such arrests should not appear in the BCI public check. If a non-conviction arrest is showing up on a third-party background check, it was likely sourced from a local law enforcement booking log or court filing rather than the BCI system. The ND Courts Records Inquiry at ndcourts.gov also includes case records that may predate final disposition. For unconstitutional arrests, a petition for expungement may be available under narrow statutory criteria. ---
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