When you need to pull an arrest record for someone in Adams County, the records split across two separate systems: the Adams County Clerk of Court holds the court-side docket, and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office holds the booking-side record. The Clerk’s Office is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and can be reached at (701) 567-2537. Court filings for Adams County cases are also searchable online through the North Dakota Courts public-access portal at ndcourts.gov/public-access, which covers district court records statewide including Adams County cases.
If someone you know was just booked tonight, our Adams County inmate-search page has phone-first contact info.
If your person has a history in other states
A name search on the North Dakota Courts portal covers Adams County cases but stops at the state line. Running a nationwide preliminary scan takes about two minutes and surfaces records from all 50 states in a single report. The preliminary scan is free; a full background report requires creating an account.
Sponsored: Nationwide Criminal Background Check (we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).
How to look up arrest records in Adams County
Pull up the name you’re researching and work through the pathways below in order — court portal first, then Sheriff, then Clerk in person if you need certified copies or want to check on a family member’s attorney of record.
The ND Courts public-access portal at ndcourts.gov/public-access is the fastest route for Adams County district court cases. Enter a last name and the system returns case numbers, charge descriptions, hearing dates, and disposition status. The ND Courts case search also has a dedicated search-tips guide at ndcourts.gov/search-help — worth a quick read if the name returns too many results or none at all. Note that the portal reflects court-side data; booking details from the Sheriff’s Office are a separate record and may not appear here.
For the Sheriff’s booking record, contact the Adams County Sheriff’s Office directly. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (701) 567-2530 to ask about a specific booking or to request a records release form. The Sheriff’s Office accepts cash, credit cards, personal checks, and money orders for any applicable fees.
For certified court records or attorney-of-record information, the Adams County Clerk of Court is your contact. If you’re helping a family member prepare for a hearing and need to confirm who the attorney of record is, the Clerk can pull that from the case file. The Clerk’s Office is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Reach them at (701) 567-2537. The courthouse building itself is open 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays — allow extra time for security screening at the entrance before you reach the Clerk’s window.
If you’re checking whether someone has moved to a state facility, the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation maintains a Resident Lookup for people currently in DOCR custody. This is separate from the county jail and the court portal — it covers state prison placements only.
Guardians or attorneys pulling records on behalf of another person should bring a signed authorization or court order. The Clerk’s Office can advise on what documentation is required for third-party access before you make the trip. The ND Courts data-access policy explains what bulk or programmatic access is available for researchers and legal professionals.
Are Adams County arrest records public?
Under North Dakota law, 29 of the state’s 53 counties have had at least one criminal case filed in the past decade — Adams County among them, with a modest but consistent filing volume reflected in the 2015–2025 Clerk of Court case filings data. The default rule is openness. Court filings are public records under NDCC 44-04-18.1 — sealed cases, juvenile records, and victim-protection redactions are the narrow exceptions.
What that means practically: an Adams County district court case — the charge, the case number, the hearing dates, the disposition — is accessible to anyone who asks, whether in person at the Clerk’s Office or through the ND Courts public-access portal. You don’t need to be a party to the case or show any special authorization.
The exceptions are real but limited. Juvenile records are confidential by statute and won’t appear in a public search. Cases that have been sealed or expunged under NDCC 12.1-32-07.2 are removed from public view — the Clerk’s Office will show no record for a sealed case when a member of the public asks. Victim-identifying information in certain offense categories (sexual assault, domestic violence) is redacted from public-facing documents even when the underlying case remains open.
Booking records held by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office are also generally public, but the Sheriff’s Office controls the release format and timing. A booking may appear in the Sheriff’s system before it generates a court case number — so you may find a booking record with no matching court entry yet, or vice versa if charges were filed directly without a formal booking at the county level.
Mugshot release in Adams County follows the Sheriff’s Office policy — call (701) 567-2530 to ask about a specific booking photo, as the policy isn’t posted online.
What’s in an Adams County arrest record?
“Arrest record” covers two distinct documents that live in different systems and show different fields — understanding which one you need saves a trip.
The booking entry is the Sheriff’s side. It’s created when someone is processed into custody at the Adams County jail. Fields typically include: full legal name, date of birth, booking date and time, arresting agency, charge or charges as written at booking (which may differ from what the prosecutor later files), bond amount if set, and release date or current custody status. The booking entry is the Sheriff’s record — it lives at the Adams County Sheriff Office, not at the courthouse.
The docket entry is the court side, generated at the Adams County Courthouse once a case is formally filed. It contains the case number, the formal charge or charges as filed by the prosecutor, all hearing dates and outcomes, the judge assigned, the attorney of record (both prosecution and defense), and the final disposition — guilty plea, dismissal, acquittal, or conviction with sentence. You access docket entries through the ND Courts public-access portal or in person at the Clerk’s Office at the Adams County Courthouse.
The two records don’t always match perfectly. A booking charge of “aggravated assault” might become a lesser charge once the prosecutor reviews the case. A dismissed case will show a disposition on the docket but the booking entry at the Sheriff’s Office will still reflect the original arrest. Background-check services typically pull from court records, not booking records — so what shows on a background check may differ from what the Sheriff’s booking log shows.
If you’re pulling records for a family member preparing for a court appearance, the docket entry is what the judge and attorneys are working from. The attorney of record appears on every docket entry once counsel has been entered — the Clerk at (701) 567-2537 can confirm that information over the phone for open cases.
How to expunge an arrest record in Adams County
Roughly one in four North Dakota criminal cases ends in dismissal or acquittal — meaning a significant number of people carry an arrest record for a charge that never resulted in a conviction. Petitioning to seal an arrest record in Adams County is a routine legal procedure governed by NDCC 12.1-32-07.2, and it’s worth understanding whether your situation qualifies.
Dismissed or acquitted cases have the most direct path. If the charge was dismissed or you were found not guilty, you can petition to seal the record without a waiting period. The arrest and case will no longer appear in public searches once the order is entered. Law enforcement agencies retain access to sealed records — sealing removes public visibility, not the underlying data.
Conviction cases require a waiting period and a clean record during that time. The specific waiting period depends on the offense class. Certain offense categories — violent felonies, sex offenses — are not eligible for sealing regardless of how much time has passed. If you’re unsure whether a specific conviction qualifies, the ND Courts lawyer-finder tool can connect you with a licensed North Dakota attorney who can assess eligibility.
Self-petition vs. attorney-assisted filing are both valid routes. Many people successfully petition to seal their own records without an attorney, particularly in dismissed-case situations where the paperwork is straightforward. The North Dakota Courts system provides self-help resources, and the Clerk’s Office at the Adams County Courthouse can tell you which forms to use. Attorney assistance makes sense when the case involved multiple charges, when the conviction was a felony, or when you want someone to handle the hearing on your behalf — neither approach is wrong, and the outcome is the same either way.
To file, you submit a Petition to Seal to the Clerk of Court in Adams County — the same courthouse where the original case was filed. The filing fee applies; if you can’t afford it, a Filing Fee Waiver Request is available through the ND Courts self-help system. The Clerk’s Office at (701) 567-2537 can confirm the current filing fee and tell you whether a hearing date will be required.
After the order is entered, the Adams County Clerk updates the court record and the public-access portal removes the case from public view. The ND Courts system does not automatically notify background-check vendors — if you’ve had a record sealed and it still appears on a commercial background check, you’ll need to contact that vendor directly with a copy of the sealing order.
Quick-contacts table
| Resource | What it confirms | What it cannot confirm | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| ND Courts public-access portal | Case numbers, charges as filed, hearing dates, dispositions, attorney of record for Adams County district court cases | Booking details, bond amounts, custody status, sealed or juvenile records | Search by last name; use search tips if results are unclear |
| Adams County Sheriff Office | Booking records, arrest dates, charges at booking, bond set, current custody status at county jail | Court dispositions, attorney of record, sealed records | Call (701) 567-2530 — Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
| Adams County Clerk of Court | Certified copies of court records, attorney of record, case file documents, sealing petition filing | Booking records, Sheriff-side data | Call (701) 567-2537 — Mon–Fri 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
| DOCR Resident Lookup | Current placement in a North Dakota state prison or DOCR facility | County jail bookings, court records, cases not resulting in state incarceration | Search by name on the DOCR website; no phone required |
| Nationwide background check (affiliate) | Multi-state arrest and court records in a single search; useful when the person has lived outside North Dakota | Real-time booking data; sealed or expunged records | Run preliminary scan above — full report requires account creation |
Sources used for this page, verified 2026-06-08:
- North Dakota Court System — Adams County — county-level court location, Clerk contact, and records links
- ND Courts public-access portal — statewide case search including Adams County district court records
- ND Courts — Access to Court Records — data-access policy for bulk and programmatic requests
- 2015–2025 Case Filings / FTE Needs by County — Adams County filing volume data (ND Courts Research and Planning)
- Adams County Sheriff Office — booking records, inmate services, visitation scheduling
- DOCR Resident Lookup — North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, state facility placement search
- Adams County Inspection report — DOCR correctional facility standards and inspection records
- Filing Fee Waiver Request — ND Courts self-help, indigency waiver for court filings
- ND Courts Lawyer Search — licensed North Dakota attorney directory
- ND Courts Search Tips — guidance for name-based case searches
Found an error? Submit a correction — we review and update within 48 hours.
Adams County arrest records — frequently asked questions
How do I find out what’s on my own Adams County arrest record?
Pull your own record from two places. The ND Courts public-access portal shows everything filed in Adams County district court under your name — case numbers, charges, and dispositions. For the booking side, contact the Adams County Sheriff Office at (701) 567-2530 and ask for a personal records request. If you want a certified copy for a job application or housing application, the Clerk of Court at (701) 567-2537 can provide one — the Clerk’s Office is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Can an Adams County arrest record be sealed, and will it still show on background checks?
Yes — North Dakota’s sealing statute, NDCC 12.1-32-07.2, covers both dismissed cases and certain convictions after a waiting period. Once a sealing order is entered by the Adams County district court, the record is removed from the ND Courts public-access portal and is no longer visible to the public. Law enforcement retains access. Commercial background-check vendors don’t update automatically — after sealing, send the vendor a copy of the court order to request removal from their database. The Clerk of Court at (701) 567-2537 can confirm the current filing fee and process for submitting a Petition to Seal.