North Dakota Divorce Records

How to Source Divorce Records in North Dakota - Each North Dakota state mandates or regulates the divorces that are filed in their jurisdiction. Therefore, all of the divorce records are maintained by that state in a secure location. Several of the states hold the divorce records or their copies in two locations, state and local. If the records are kept at the state level, they will be held at a state repository or general storage location. At the local level, the records can usually be found at the Prothonotary Office at the local county courthouse.

All searches or requests for divorce records should begin where the petition for divorce was filed, the county courthouse. If the name of the county is unknown, then an individual search of each county can take place. A search can be conducted at the state repository if one exists. However, only uncertified copies of divorce decrees are issued from state offices.

The typical courthouse files divorce records by the husband�s name. Therefore, the initial search for divorce records begins there. If the county name where the divorce was filed is not known, the search for the records can begin in any one of three initial ways.

� The search can begin at the state repository. Once the information that you need has been located, such as the county name, your search can continue at the county level.
� A search can begin one county at a time. In states with numerous counties, this will be time consuming. Additionally, a fee will be requested for each county search.
� A search can begin with a search for past and current spouses of the person. This type search will produce a list of the spouses� names and accompanying addresses. The county location can be found using the addresses, and you can continue your search. This also limits the number of counties that you will be searching.

Several pieces of information about the divorced couple are included in the divorce records. The husband�s full name, the wife�s full name with her maiden name, and the name of the county where the divorce took place will be in the document. Also included are the recorded filing date of the divorce, the actual date of the finalized divorce, and a certificate.

The number of children under the age of eighteen at the time the divorce was filed is also included by some states. Most of this information is requested from you with your application for a copy of the records.

Providing unnecessary information will not assist the search. However, in the case of genealogical searches, where little information is available, additional information can prove useful. The requests for divorce records that provide most of the requested information will produce quicker results in most cases.

It usually takes between two to ten days to conduct a typical search for records. Factors exist that might influence this. They are: the time of the year (some times are busier with requests), the size or number of offices of the county courthouse, the number of available staff members who conduct searches, and the type of information that is provided. A nominal fee of five to twenty dollars is requested to recover the cost of materials and time. More extensive searches can require additional fees.

A certified copy of a divorce certificate can be obtained for a small fee and some basic personal identification.