Billings County — Search & Request Arrest Records

When you have a name and need an arrest record in Billings County, the records split across two separate systems depending on what you’re after. Booking and arrest information lives with the Billings County Sheriff’s Office at 495 4th Street, Medora, ND 58645 — reachable at (701) 623-4323. Court filings and case dispositions live in the North Dakota Courts public-access search at ndcourts.gov/public-access, which covers Billings County District Court cases. The Billings County Courthouse in Medora is open Monday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday 8:00 a.m. to noon — closed weekends — and the Clerk’s main line is (701) 623-4492.

If someone you know was just booked tonight, our Billings County inmate-search page has phone-first contact info.

If you need records outside Billings County

A preliminary name scan covers Billings County and adjacent jurisdictions at no cost. Creating an account to view a full compiled report requires a paid subscription. The affiliate tool is especially useful when a case crossed county lines or involves federal court filings that don’t appear in the state courts portal.

Sponsored: Nationwide Criminal Background Check (we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

How to look up arrest records in Billings County

Arrest records and court records are maintained by different authorities in Billings County, and knowing which system holds what you need saves a wasted trip or phone call. The Sheriff holds booking data — who was arrested, when, and on what charges. The Clerk of Court holds what happened next: case filings, hearing dates, and dispositions.

Sheriff’s Office — arrest and booking records. Contact the Billings County Sheriff’s Office directly for arrest reports, booking logs, and incident reports. The office is at 495 4th Street, Medora, ND 58645. Call (701) 623-4323 to ask about records-request procedures and any applicable copy fees. The Sheriff’s records-request fee isn’t posted online — confirm the current amount when you call. The Sheriff’s quick-links records portal at billingscountynd.gov lists available Sheriff resources.

ND Courts public-access search — court filings and case history. The North Dakota Courts public-access search covers Billings County District Court cases. Search by name or case number to pull docket entries, charge descriptions, hearing dates, and dispositions. The North Dakota Court System Billings County location page lists the local court contacts and links to the case search directly. If you need help navigating search results, the ND Courts search tips guide explains name-matching and case-number formats.

Clerk of Court — in-person records requests. For certified copies of court records or documents not visible in the online portal, go to the Billings County Courthouse, 495 4th Street, Medora, ND 58645. Hours are Monday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday 8:00 a.m. to noon. Call the Clerk at (701) 623-4492 to confirm the current copy fee before driving — the courthouse parking lot can get congested during peak hours, so arriving early in the morning tends to go smoother.

DOCR Resident Lookup — state custody. If the person you’re researching may be held in a state correctional facility rather than the county level, the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation maintains a Resident Lookup tool. This covers individuals in DOCR custody statewide, not Billings County’s local jail population. For parole status specifically, the DOCR Parole Release Dashboard shows current parole release data.

Are Billings County arrest records public?

“All records of public entities are public records,” reads the core language of NDCC 44-04-18.1, North Dakota’s open-records statute — and Billings County arrest records fall squarely within that default-public framework. That means booking records, court filings, and charge information are generally available to anyone who asks, without requiring you to state a reason.

The default-public rule has narrow, well-defined exceptions. Sealed and expunged records are removed from public view by court order — they still exist in law enforcement systems but won’t appear in response to a public records request. Juvenile records carry their own protection layer: arrests and adjudications involving minors are confidential under North Dakota law and are not released through standard public-records channels.

Victim-protection redactions are the third major exception. Under NDCC 44-04-18.1 and related statutes, certain identifying details in arrest records — particularly in cases involving sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking — may be redacted before release to protect the victim’s privacy. The redaction applies to victim information, not to the existence of the arrest itself or the charges filed. You’ll see the case; you may not see all identifying details about the complaining party.

Ongoing investigations present a practical limitation even when no formal exception applies. Records tied to an active investigation may be withheld temporarily under the law-enforcement investigative exemption. Once the investigation closes or charges are filed, those records typically become accessible. If the Clerk or Sheriff tells you a record isn’t available yet, ask whether it’s under an investigative hold and when it’s expected to be released.

What’s in a Billings County arrest record?

A single arrest in Billings County can generate records in more than one system, and the fields visible to you depend on which system you’re looking at. The booking entry at the Sheriff’s Office and the court filing at the Clerk’s office are separate documents that describe the same event from different institutional perspectives.

The Sheriff-side booking record typically contains: the arrested person’s full name and date of birth, the booking date and time, the arresting agency, the charge or charges as written at the time of arrest (which may differ from what’s eventually filed in court), the case or incident number assigned by the Sheriff, and the facility where the person was held. Mugshot policy for Billings County — whether booking photos are released publicly — isn’t posted online; call the (701) 623-4323 Sheriff’s Office to ask about their current practice.

The court-side docket entry at the Billings County Courthouse records system — accessible through the ND Courts public-access search — shows the formal charges as filed by the prosecutor, the case number assigned by the court, all scheduled and completed hearing dates, the attorney of record for the defendant (if one has appeared), and the disposition once the case resolves. Disposition entries include outcomes like guilty plea, dismissal, acquittal, or conviction with sentence.

The gap between these two systems matters in practice. An arrest that doesn’t result in charges being filed will appear in the Sheriff’s booking records but produce no court docket entry at all. Conversely, a case that was charged but later dismissed will show a docket entry with a dismissal disposition — which is important context if you’re doing a background check and want to understand the full outcome. Always check both systems before drawing conclusions about what a record shows.

For cases that were appealed, the ND Supreme Court Docket Search covers appellate proceedings that won’t appear in the district court case search. Most Billings County criminal cases resolve at the district level, but this is worth knowing if you’re researching a case with a longer history.

How to expunge an arrest record in Billings County

Wondering whether a Billings County arrest record qualifies for sealing? The answer depends on how the case resolved and how much time has passed — and the process is more straightforward than many people expect.

North Dakota’s sealing statute is NDCC 12.1-32-07.2. It authorizes the court to seal criminal records under specific conditions, removing them from public view while preserving law enforcement access. Sealing is a routine legal procedure. It doesn’t erase history from law enforcement databases — agencies with legitimate access can still see sealed records — but it does remove the record from public searches, background check databases, and court portals.

Dismissed and acquitted cases have the clearest path. If charges were dismissed or you were acquitted at trial, you can petition to seal the arrest record without a waiting period. The arrest itself — even without a conviction — can remain visible in public searches until sealed, which is why many people pursue this option after a dismissal.

Cases with a conviction require meeting a waiting period and maintaining a clean record during that time. The specific waiting period under NDCC 12.1-32-07.2 varies by offense class. Certain serious felonies are not eligible for sealing regardless of time elapsed. If you’re unsure whether a specific conviction qualifies, the Clerk of Court at the Billings County Courthouse can tell you whether the case type is eligible — call (701) 623-4492 to ask.

Filing the petition. You file a Petition to Seal in the same court where the original case was heard — for Billings County cases, that’s the Billings County District Court at the Billings County Courthouse, 495 4th Street, Medora, ND 58645. The petition form is available through the ND Courts self-help resources. Call the Clerk to confirm the current filing fee before you go. If the filing fee creates a financial hardship, ask about an indigency waiver — North Dakota courts have a process for fee waivers based on income, and the Clerk can provide the appropriate form.

Self-petition vs. attorney assistance. You can file a Petition to Seal without an attorney. The ND Courts Access to Court Records page and the self-help resources at the Billings County court location page provide procedural guidance. That said, if your case involved multiple charges, a conviction, or any complicating factors, having an attorney review the petition before filing reduces the risk of a procedural error that delays the process.

After a sealing order is entered, the record is removed from the ND Courts public-access search. It will no longer appear in standard background checks. Law enforcement agencies retain access for their own purposes, but the public record is closed.

Quick reference: Billings County records resources

Frequently asked questions about Billings County arrest records

How do I find out what’s on my own Billings County arrest record?

Run your name through the ND Courts public-access search to see any court filings tied to Billings County cases. That covers charges filed, hearing history, and dispositions. For the booking record itself — the Sheriff-side entry created at the time of arrest — contact the Billings County Sheriff’s Office at (701) 623-4323 and ask about their records-request process. Checking both systems gives you the complete picture: what was recorded at booking and what happened in court.

Can a Billings County arrest record be sealed, and does it disappear from background checks?

Yes — under NDCC 12.1-32-07.2, Billings County arrest records can be sealed by petition to the District Court. Dismissed and acquitted cases are generally eligible without a waiting period. Conviction-based records require meeting a waiting period and a clean record during that time. Once a sealing order is entered, the record is removed from the ND Courts public-access search and standard background check databases. Law enforcement agencies retain access, but the public record is closed. File the Petition to Seal at the Billings County Courthouse; call the Clerk at (701) 623-4492 to confirm the current filing fee and ask about fee waivers if cost is a concern.