How a Background Check Works in North Dakota

North Dakota keeps its criminal history at the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the central repository that compiles records of arrests and prosecutions from local law enforcement, state's attorneys, the courts and parole and probation, for use by law enforcement, the courts and the public. The Attorney General says a criminal history record check is much more detailed and accurate than a regular background check, and that by law only the BCI can supply one.

The public may order one on anyone for $15, by name or by fingerprints. What comes back depends on who asks: a general public check, the kind a landlord or private employer gets, carries every conviction but drops non convictions and custody records older than three years, while a regulatory or licensing check required by state law carries everything regardless of age. Unless the subject signed an authorization, the BCI mails them a notice that their record was released.

  • Fee and form: the Request for Criminal History Record Information, $15 by check or money order payable to ND Attorney General, mailed to the BCI, or $15 by check, money order or exact cash when dropped off at the Bismarck office; $5 for an eligible nonprofit after an approved fee reduction.
  • What to supply: the subject's full name with maiden, former and alias names, date of birth, Social Security number or fingerprints, and current address or a signed authorization.
  • Turnaround: approximately 7 to 10 business days; an expedited response needs a prepaid overnight envelope and payment by cashier's check or money order; certification or notarization needs a written request attached.
  • Not on any North Dakota check: juvenile records, federal records, most traffic offenses, civil judgments, other states' records and tribal records.

Written by SearchSystems.net from North Dakota's own systems: the North Dakota Attorney General's Criminal History Records page, the Attorney General's Requesting a Criminal History Record Check page, the Attorney General's Background Check versus ND Criminal History Record Check page, the Attorney General's Understanding the Criminal History Record Results page, the Attorney General's Expunging a Criminal Record page, each read on October 14, 2026 by the SearchSystems editorial team.

A background check is not a criminal history record check

The Attorney General's comparison page separates the two terms. A background check, the kind an employer or landlord announces, is often a search of publicly available online records such as court records and sex offender registries, cross referenced by name or name and date of birth, which may return data on more than one person or be out of date; questions about such a report go to the private company, and the BCI is prohibited from verifying anything in it. A North Dakota criminal history record check is a search of confidential law enforcement databases cross referenced by name, date of birth, Social Security number and other identifiers including fingerprints, so the result relates only to that person even across several names, and foster parents and licensed professionals are required to obtain one. A name based search will miss a record if the person was arrested under another name; a fingerprint based search finds it even under an unknown alias, with the prints taken by local law enforcement.

Ordering a record check: $15 and the subject notice

The request page lists what a requester needs: the subject's full name including maiden name, former name and any known aliases, date of birth, Social Security number or fingerprints, and either the subject's current address or a signed authorization form. Unless a signed authorization accompanies the request, the BCI mails the subject a notice that the criminal history record has been released. The original signed form goes by mail with the fee, by check or money order and never cash, payable to ND Attorney General; a request dropped off at the Bismarck office pays $15 by check, money order or exact cash. The Request for Criminal History Record Information costs $15, an eligible nonprofit charitable organization may apply for a reduction to $5, and public schools have their own request. The BCI does not confirm receipt, so certified mail or a tracked delivery service is suggested.

Processing takes approximately 7 to 10 business days. An expedited response requires a prepaid, self addressed overnight or priority envelope and payment only by certified cashier's check or money order. A certified or notarized response requires a written request attached to the form. Someone who applied through a state agency or licensing board more than three weeks earlier is told to ask the board, since some boards batch their submissions monthly and review completed checks only at their next meeting. Apostilles are handled by the Secretary of State at (701) 328-2900, and the Attorney General's general line is (701) 328-2210.

The three year rule: public checks and licensing checks

The results page distinguishes two non law enforcement checks. A general public record check, used by prospective landlords, private employers and others, provides North Dakota convictions regardless of age; charges that were dismissed, did not result in conviction or have no court disposition and are less than three years old; and jail or prison custody records less than three years old. A dismissed deferred charge keeps appearing for three years from the dismissal date even if the court record was sealed. Non convictions and custody records older than three years are left off, and when nothing is found or releasable the requester receives a notice that no information is available either because none exists or dissemination is prohibited. A regulatory or licensing record check, required by state law for licensure from a state agency, board or commission, for entry into certain licensing academic programs and for entities with authority under N.D.C.C. 12-60-24(2), provides convictions, non convictions and custody records regardless of age; information too old for a public check is always available to a licensing check and to law enforcement.

No North Dakota record check, even a law enforcement one, includes juvenile records, federal records, most traffic offenses, which the Department of Transportation holds, civil judgments, which the courts hold, records from other states or tribal records. A pardon shows on the record beside the conviction, and a pardon granted with removal of guilt wipes the conviction so that the person may correctly answer no when asked about it, as a memo from Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem explains; the Pardon Advisory Board has the rest.

FBI checks through the BCI

A request for criminal history record information returns North Dakota records only. People required by state or federal law to obtain a national FBI record check, including professional license applicants, foster care providers, prospective adoptive parents and the others listed in N.D.C.C. 12-60-24, make the request through the BCI, with instructions and forms supplied by the agency or entity that requires it. Everyone else requests a federal record from the FBI directly.

Why a sealed court record does not clear the BCI file

Court records and criminal history records are two separate systems: the district courts keep court records and the BCI keeps criminal history records. The Attorney General's expungement page states that sealing or expunging a court record does not remove the information from the criminal history record, and that a guilty plea or finding cannot be expunged from the criminal history even when expunged from the court's file; a conviction shows on the record no matter how many years have passed. Further help, it says, comes from an attorney in private practice.

Reading a North Dakota result

A North Dakota record check is a repository record, not a court index, and the BCI itself calls it more detailed and accurate than a background check. The level decides the contents: a public check is a conviction record with a three year window on everything else, a licensing check is the whole file. A name search can miss an alias; fingerprints cannot. And because the subject is notified of a release made without their signature, a check run on another person is rarely a secret.

Questions about background checks in North Dakota

Can I get a North Dakota criminal history record check on another person?
Yes. The public can request one for $15 with the subject's names, date of birth, Social Security number or fingerprints and current address, and the BCI mails the subject a notice of the release unless they signed an authorization.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
$15 by check or money order payable to ND Attorney General, reduced to $5 for an approved nonprofit; approximately 7 to 10 business days, or faster with a prepaid overnight envelope and a cashier's check or money order.
What does a public check leave out?
Dismissed, non conviction and undisposed charges older than three years and custody records older than three years, which a regulatory or licensing check still receives. No North Dakota check includes juvenile, federal, traffic, civil, other state or tribal records.
Is the check name based or fingerprint based?
Either. A name based search misses arrests under a different name; a fingerprint based search, with prints taken by local law enforcement, finds them even under an unknown alias.
Can I get the result certified or notarized?
Yes, by attaching a written request to the record request form. Apostilles come from the Secretary of State.
If my court record is expunged, is my BCI record cleared?
No. The Attorney General says a sealed or expunged court record does not remove the information from the criminal history record, and a conviction cannot be expunged from the BCI file regardless of age.

Related North Dakota records

The BCI record is one of the North Dakota records this site covers: the North Dakota court records guide explains the district court case search the comparison page refers to, the arrest records guide covers what an arrest makes public, the sex offender registry guide covers the state's offender website, and the North Dakota county pages list each sheriff and clerk of district court.