How it works in North Dakota

These steps cover the court-petition process — the path that applies if you don't qualify for the automatic sealing process.

  1. Get Fingerprinted

    Visit your local police or sheriff's station and have your fingerprints taken.

    Fingerprint fee: $40.00

  2. Request your Record

    Complete and submit your application to request an official copy of your criminal history record from the North Dakota Attorney General's office.

    Record request fee: $15.00

  3. Review your Record

    Confirm there is no disqualifying information in your history. If there is something incorrect, follow the process to challenge the issue. If everything is accurate, make a copy for your file and keep the original somewhere safe.

  4. Request Certified Documents

    Collect certified copies of relevant documents. These include a copy of the disposition of the case from the clerk of court that handled the original case and the arrest record from the arresting agency. If you had probation or parole, had to take classes, had to pay fees, or had any other obligations, you also need certified proof that you completed those requirements.

    Certified copy fee: $20.00

  5. Verify the Final Documents

    Review each document for accuracy. Confirm each one is certified and clearly shows you completed your obligations. Make copies of every original.

  6. Prepare your Petition

    Complete the petition based on the type of charge and outcome you are seeking. Under N.D. Cent. Code Ch. 12-60.1, the waiting periods vary by charge class: certain arrest records require sixty-one days, certain misdemeanor convictions require three years, and certain felony records require five years. Confirm the applicable wait for your charge class before submitting.

  7. Finalize your Petition

    Take the completed petition from Step 6, the documents collected in Step 4, and the background check from Step 2, and put them together in a complete package. Double-check every file in the package is the original and ensure you have a copy of the complete package for your personal file.

  8. File your Expeal Request

    File the petition with the court that handled the case.

    Filing fee: — No statewide ND District Court filing fee for criminal-record sealing per the ND Courts' Sealing Criminal Records Research Guide. Prior $160 figure (Court-Fees.pdf) was a misattribution — that fee category covers marriage-annulment petitions, not record-sealing. Any filing charge, if applicable, would be set county-by-county.

  9. Work with the Court

    After the North Dakota court confirms it has received your filing, watch for the next instructions — typically a hearing notice or a request for additional documents. Respond promptly to anything the court asks for, and prepare for the hearing if one is scheduled.

  10. Receive the Court's Order

    Once the judge rules, the court issues a written order either granting or denying your petition. Review the order's terms carefully — they spell out exactly which records are covered by the sealing order. Keep a certified copy for your own files.

  11. Verify the Record is Sealed

    Under N.D. Cent. Code Ch. 12-60.1, the court sealing order applies to the court's records of the case. Because North Dakota's sealing does not automatically reach the criminal history records held by the arresting agency and other repositories, confirm with each agency that handled your case what their records will show after the order. Your certified copy of the court's order is your authoritative reference if a background-check provider later produces an outdated report.

If you have to mail anything, remember to keep a copy of whatever you send and to use a method with a tracking number like the USPS Flat Rate Envelope.

Official agencies

Court forms

North Dakota record-clearing statutes

Last reviewed