State Resources
North Dakota
Free statewide court records search, a good free business portal, and an Attorney General who issues binding opinions on records denials. North Dakota punches well above its size — but there’s no voter file, because there’s no voter registration.
At a glance
| Record | Held by | Cost | Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business and entity search | Secretary of State — FirstStop | Free to search | Yes |
| UCC filings | Secretary of State — Central Indexing System | Free to search | Yes |
| Property and land records | County recorder and director of tax equalization | Free online in some counties | By county |
| Court records | Supreme Court — public case search | Free | Yes |
| Criminal records | Attorney General, Bureau of Criminal Investigation | Fee; consent required | Consent required |
| Vital records | Health and Human Services, Vital Records | Certified copies carry a fee | Yes |
| Unclaimed property | Department of Trust Lands | Free | Yes |
| Voter and resident records | None — North Dakota doesn’t register voters | n/a | None exists |
Worth knowing about North Dakota
The Attorney General’s opinions are binding
North Dakota gives you something most states don’t. You can ask the Attorney General whether a records denial was lawful, and the resulting opinion is binding on the public entity.
It’s free, it needs no lawyer, and you have 30 days from the alleged violation to ask. An entity that fails to comply with the opinion becomes liable for costs and attorney fees.
That’s a stronger and faster remedy than litigation in most states, and it’s available to anyone — no residency requirement, no purpose requirement.
North Dakota also presumes openness: records are open unless a specific statute closes them.
There’s no voter registration in North Dakota
North Dakota is the only state in the country that doesn’t register voters. You turn up with identification and vote.
For an investigator that removes a source you would normally reach for. There’s no voter file to search for an address, no registration date to bracket a move, and no party affiliation.
It also means a subject claiming North Dakota residency can’t be confirmed or contradicted by a voter record, because none exists. Don’t spend time looking.
Substitute the free court records search, the property records and the business registry — all of which are good here.
Record by record
Business and entity search
Open FirstStop →- Held by
- Secretary of State — FirstStop
- Cost
- Free to search
Free entity search returning status, formation date, registered agent and principals, with filed documents viewable.
An annual report is required, so an entity in good standing has been refreshed within the year.
UCC filings
Open FirstStop →- Held by
- Secretary of State — Central Indexing System
- Cost
- Free to search
North Dakota runs a Central Indexing System that covers UCC filings, agricultural liens and notices of potential lien — broader than a plain UCC index.
Given how much of the state’s wealth sits in agriculture and oil, these filings are frequently the best free asset inventory available on a person or a business.
Property and land records
- Held by
- County recorder and director of tax equalization
- Cost
- Free online in some counties
No statewide property search. The county recorder holds documents; the director of tax equalization handles assessment across 53 counties.
Mineral rights are frequently severed from the surface in the oil-producing west of the state, and a mineral interest is a real, valuable asset that a surface search won’t show you.
Court records
Open case search →- Held by
- Supreme Court — public case search
- Cost
- Free
Free statewide district court records search covering every judicial district. Search by party name.
North Dakota district courts handle everything from felonies to small claims, so there’s no hidden second tier the way there is in Ohio or Nevada.
Criminal records
Open Attorney General →- Held by
- Attorney General, Bureau of Criminal Investigation
- Cost
- Fee; consent required
Criminal history checks run through BCI. A record check on another person requires the subject’s notarized consent.
The free statewide court search is the practical route for most work.
Vital records
Open vital records →- Held by
- Health and Human Services, Vital Records
- Cost
- Certified copies carry a fee
Births and deaths from the state office. North Dakota publishes a free public death record index and a public index for older birth records, which is more generous than most states.
Unclaimed property
Open unclaimed property →- Held by
- Department of Trust Lands
- Cost
- Free
Free name search. The holder named on a reported item is a confirmed bank, insurer or employer relationship with a last known address.
Voter and resident records
- Held by
- None — North Dakota doesn’t register voters
- Cost
- n/a
There’s no voter registration in North Dakota and therefore no voter file to search. See above.
Public records requests in North Dakota
- Statute
- N.D. Cent. Code ch. 44-04 (Open Records)
- Response deadline
- A reasonable time; no fixed number
- Appeal to
- Attorney General — binding opinions
- Appeal window
- 30 days from the violation
North Dakota presumes openness — records are open unless a statute closes them.
The Attorney General issues opinions that are binding on the public entity, free of charge, on request within 30 days of the alleged violation. An entity that ignores a binding opinion becomes liable for costs and attorney fees.
No residency requirement and no purpose requirement. There’s no numeric response deadline; the standard is a reasonable time.
What North Dakota will not give you
- A voter file. North Dakota has no voter registration at all.
- Name-based criminal history. Requires notarized consent from the subject.
- Driver and vehicle records. Closed under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act.
- Juvenile records. Not public.
Course
The Ultimate FOIA and Public Records Course
Every state page here tells you what the law says. The course shows you how to write the request, what to do when it comes back gutted, and how to appeal without a lawyer — the part that decides whether you actually get the records.
See the FOIA courseRelated
- South Dakota — next door and considerably less open
- Minnesota — free public criminal history
- Montana — a constitutional right to know
- Appealing a public records denial
- UCC filings name the lender
Fees and procedures verified August 2026. Clerks change their counter rules more often than the statutes change — call before you drive.