North Dakota Public Records
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To Search Public and Vital Records -
Vital records are records of life events important enough that
some level of government acquires, organizes, and preserves
them. While the term "vital records" is often applied
to a wide variety of life events... Read
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North Dakota Vital Records
A state law passed in 1893 made it mandatory to file vital records
with township clerks. It was repealed in 1895 but re-enacted in 1899.
The State Department of Vital Records was eventually formed in 1923,
and all copies of prior birth and death information were required
to be sent there. Marriage records generally dating from county organization
can be obtained from the county judge of the county where the license
was issued. Only marriage records after 1 July 1925 are on file at
the Division of Vital Records in Bismarck.
For birth and death records from 1 July 1893 to present and marriage
records from 1 July 1925 to present, write:
Division of Vital Records
State Department of Health
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, North Dakota 58505-0200
For earlier marriage records, write to the judge of the county in
question.
North Dakota Land Records
North Dakota is a federal-land state. Lands were generally acquired
from the federal government or from other individuals. The State
Archives and Historical Research Library holds a few original records
of the GLO for North Dakota and a microfilmed copy of the BLM's
original tract books and survey plats. The North Dakota Water Commission,
State Office Building, 900 East Boulevard Avenue, Bismark, ND 58505,
maintains original township plats although patents and copies of
tract books and plats are located at the BLM in Montana. Microfilm
copies of the tract books are also available at the Family History
Library in Salt Lake City. Land-entry case files are located in
the National Archives in Washington, D.C. These files include many
of the most beneficial documents involved in homesteading and other
federal land acquisition programs.
After initial purchase from the government, transfers of land usually
occurred between individuals and were recorded at the county level.
The original deeds remain in the office of the county's register
of deeds. Most land records in North Dakota are extant at the county
level from the time the county was organized, though many have not
been microfilmed. For further information on land and property,
see:
Hone, E. Wade. Land and Property Research in the United States.
Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1997.
North Dakota Court Records
Court records include probate records (which include wills), guardianship,
naturalization, and a wide variety of other sources, ranging from
criminal trials to simple road orders. All contain information about
individuals within the area. It should be remembered that there
are different levels of jurisdiction for courts in the United States,
all of which should be considered for research under various circumstances.
Court of Common Pleas, Orphan's Court, Probate Court, District Court,
Superior Court, Supreme Court, and other titles are among those
encountered. To study more about court records in general, see "Research
in Court Records," by Arlene H. Eakle, in:
Szucs, Loretto Dennis, and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, eds. The
Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. Rev. ed. Salt Lake City:
Ancestry, 1997.
North Dakota Military Records
The Historical Research Library has the National Archives microfilm
(M536) Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers
Who Served in Organizations from the Territory of Dakota. Also of
interest is Jerry Cooper's Citizens as Soldiers: A History of the
North Dakota National Guard (Fargo: North Dakota Institute for Regional
Studies, 1986), North Dakota State Historical Society's North Dakota
Soldiers, Sailors and Marines in World War I, 1917–1918, 4
vols. (Bismarck: North Dakota State Historical Society, 1931), and
North Dakota Adjutant General's Office's Roster of Men and Women
from the State of North Dakota in the World War, 1917–1918,
4 vols. (Bismark, N.D.: 1931). Other rosters exist for World War
II and the Korean and Vietnam eras. Contact the Office of the Adjutant
General, P.O. Box 551, Attention, SIDPERS, Bismark, ND 58502. For
further military records, consult:
Neagles, James C. U.S. Military Records: A Guide to Federal and
State Sources. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1994.
Additional Sources
Wick, Douglas A. North Dakota Place Names. Bismarck: Hedemarken
Collectibles, 1988.
Hennesey, W. B. Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota.
Chicago: George A. Ogle & Co., 1900.
Hennesey, W. B. History of North Dakota. Bismarck: Bismarck Tribune,
1910.
Collections of the State Historical Society of North Dakota. 7 vols.
Bismarck: North Dakota Historical Society, 1906–25. (Vol. 4
[1913] contains a transcription of the 1885 census for some counties.)
North Dakota Vital
Records:
Event: Birth
Cost of copy: $7.00
Address:
Division of Vital Records
State Capitol
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58505-0200
Remarks: State office has had some records since
July 1893. Years from 1894 to 1920 are incomplete. Additional copies
of birth records are $4.00 each. Copies are generally mailed within
2-3 working days after request is received.
Money order should be made payable to ND Department
of Health. To verify current fees, the telephone number is (701)
328-2360. This is an automated attendant with a recorded message.
Information on how to obtain certified copies is also available
via the internet at ND Department of Health.
Search All North Dakota Records
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Event: Death
Cost of copy: $5.00
Address:
Division of Vital Records
State Capitol
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58505-0200
Remarks: State office has had some records since
July 1893. Years from 1894 to 1920 are incomplete. Additional copies
of birth records are $4.00 each. Copies are generally mailed within
2-3 working days after request is received.
Money order should be made payable to ND Department
of Health. To verify current fees, the telephone number is (701)
328-2360. This is an automated attendant with a recorded message.
Information on how to obtain certified copies is also available
via the internet at ND Department of Health.
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Event: Marriage (State)
Cost of copy: $5.00
Address:
Division of Vital Records
State Capitol
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58505-0200
Remarks: Records since July 1925. Requests for earlier
records will be forwarded to appropriate office. Additional copies
are $2.00 each.
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Event: Marriage (county)
Cost of copy: Varies
Address:
See remarks
Remarks: Clerk of District Court in county where
license was issued.
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Event: Divorce (State)
Cost of copy: See remarks
Address:
Division of Vital Records
State Capitol
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58505-0200
Remarks: Index of records since July 1949. Some items
may be verified. Certified copies are not available from State Health
Department. Inquiries will be forwarded to appropriate office.
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Event: Divorce (county)
Cost of copy: Varies
Address: See remarks
Remarks: Clerk of District Court in county where
divorce was granted.
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