North Dakota Court Records
- Search By:
- Name
- Case Number
NorthDakotaCourtRecords.us is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the FCRA and does not provide consumer reports. All searches conducted on NorthDakotaCourtRecords.us are subject to the Terms of Service and Privacy Notice.

Williams County Arrest Records
Williams County arrest records are official documents prepared by law enforcement officers that contain the details pertaining to an individual being detained and taken into custody under suspicion of committing a crime. Arrests are necessary to ensure that an individual who breaks the law is tried in the criminal justice system.
The Williams County Sheriff’s Office and local police departments are responsible for generating and maintaining arrest records. Per state law, they provide a comprehensive record of arrest histories to authorized individuals upon request. Williams County court records, including arrest records, are important to citizens and the legal system as they inform them about current justice practices and influence future case outcomes.
Are Arrest Records Public in Williams County?
Yes, arrest records are public in Williams County, North Dakota. According to the North Dakota Open Records Statute, all government records should be publicly accessible unless restricted by law.
Examples of records exempt from public disclosure include juvenile records, records of ongoing investigation, and financial and personal information that can result in identity theft.
To access restricted arrest records, requesters need to be authorized by a court order or be from a law enforcement agency exempt from the restriction, such as the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the North Dakota Attorney General’s Office.
What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?
Public arrest records typically include the following information:
- Personal information of the arrestee (full name, date of birth, physical description)
- Arrest information (date of arrest, description of charge, arresting agency)
- Case information (case number and disposition)
- Mugshot of the arrestee
- Previous arrest history
- Bail information.
Williams County Arrest Statistics
According to the 2023 Crime Index Offense Analysis published by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Williams County recorded 217 arrests. The most popular Group A offenses were simple assault, with 34 arrests; drug/ narcotic violations, with 16 arrests; and all other offenses (violations of state and local laws that are not under Part I or Part II offenses), with 19 arrests. The most popular group B offense was driving under the influence (DUI), with 72 arrests.
Find Williams County Arrest Records
State and federal resources are available for interested individuals to find Williams County Arrest records and inmate information. These resources include the following:
- North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (ND DOCR): The agency offers a resident lookup tool for finding information on inmates currently incarcerated in a North Dakota correctional facility. Individuals can search using the subject's last name. For additional information, contact the NDDOCR at:
3100 Railroad Avenue
P.O. Box 1898
Bismarck, ND 58502-1898
Phone: (701) 328-6390
- Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Inmate Locator: This federal tool allows individuals to search for inmate information by number or name as long as they were incarcerated after 1982.
Free Arrest Record Search in Williams County
To conduct a free arrest record search in Williams County, individuals can use any of the following resources:
- The county district courthouse
- The Sheriff's Office
- Online databases
- Third-party websites
Third-party sources provide access to free arrest records on their searchable databases. However, most third-party websites provide only limited information for free. To access comprehensive arrest information, users may need to pay a one-time fee or subscribe to the service. In addition, note that, third-party websites are not government-affiliated. Thus, records from these sources may vary in completeness and accuracy.
How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?
Indefinitely. In North Dakota, arrests remain on a person’s record indefinitely unless expunged or sealed. Some arrest records of criminal offenses, such as juvenile and adult sex offenses, are automatically destroyed 50 years from the date of disposition.
Expunge Williams County Arrest Records
Expunction is the legal process of removing a criminal charge from an individual’s record. Before a charge can be expunged, the individual has to meet the eligibility criteria, including completing the waiting period for the charge, having no new criminal charges, and completing all sentences. Expunction in North Dakota is also limited to the following criminal records:
- Arrest as a result of being a victim of human trafficking
- Arrest for possessing one ounce or less of marijuana
- Juvenile court unruly/delinquency charges
- Criminal records containing DNA profiles
- Dismissed arrests
- Overturned convictions.
To apply for expungement, individuals confirm their eligibility, complete an expungement form, and submit it to the county court that handled their case. If the court grants the expungement, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) is notified to delete or destroy all records of the criminal history.
Williams County Arrest Warrants
Arrest records in Williams County are documents detailing accounts of a person being arrested or apprehended for allegedly committing a crime. They are created and maintained by the local county Sheriff’s Office and municipal police departments. They work by authorizing a law enforcement officer to take an accused person into custody, an act which if unauthorized is a violation of the citizen’s rights.
For an arrest warrant to be issued, a law enforcement officer submits an affidavit to a judge which contains evidence of probable cause that the defendant committed the crime. If the judge believes probable cause is established, they will proceed to authorize the arrest by signing the warrant. In North Dakota, only peace officers can execute an arrest warrant. Reasons why an arrest record is issued include the following:
- For failure to appear in court after a summons
- When probable cause is established that the named individual committed the crime
- For defaulting in parole or probation.
Information typically contained in an arrest warrant includes the following:
- Jurisdiction of the warrant
- Name and signature of the issuing judge
- Full name of the person to be arrested
- Description of offense or charge
- Special instructions for executing the warrant if necessary.
Do Williams County Arrest Warrants Expire?
No arrest warrants do not expire in Williams County. Once issued, they remain active even after the statute of limitations for the case. Active arrest warrants can be executed anytime and accessed by public inquiry (citizens, landlords, certification bodies).
Arrest warrants only become inactive when they have been executed or the person named on the warrant dies. Other factors that can delay the execution of an arrest warrant include the resources of the law enforcement agency in charge of the case, and new developments in the case (new evidence or a judge quashing the warrant).
