SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 11, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.

About this guide

McLean County is a county in North Dakota with about 9,800 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are not in one place: court cases, jail bookings, deeds, property values and records requests each belong to a different office. This guide names the office that holds each kind of record, links to its own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 7 county office pages for McLean County, every one opened and checked.

In this guide: Where the records live, Jail and arrests, Court records, County Clerk, Deeds and property, Vital records, State's Attorney, Records requests, Statewide sources, More directory links, Cities and towns, Other counties and Questions.

Where McLean County public records live

Each kind of McLean County record is kept by a different office. The list below names the office SearchSystems verified for each one; the sections that follow give its phone, address and hours where the office publishes them.

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Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in McLean County

A person arrested in McLean County is booked into the jail, and the booking record (name, charges, bond and the next court date) is public in most cases. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for jail and inmate information in McLean County.

Jail rosters usually show the people in custody now. Once a person is released, the case continues in the court records below.

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Court records and case lookups in McLean County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in McLean County are kept by the clerk of the court that heard them. Many courts offer an online case search; the page below is the one SearchSystems verified for McLean County.

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County Clerk of McLean County

The county clerk is the county's record keeper. What the office holds differs by state: in some states it files marriage licenses and vital records, in others deeds, court papers or the meeting records of the governing board. Its own website below says what it holds in McLean County.

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Deeds, land records and property values in McLean County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in McLean County. The assessment office sets the taxable value of each parcel and usually offers a free parcel search by address or owner name.

Recorded documents: County Recorder

Property values: Tax Equalization

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Birth, death and marriage records in McLean County

In North Dakota, certified birth and death certificates are ordered from the state vital records office rather than a county office. Marriage license records are kept locally; the county clerk listed above can say where in McLean County.

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State's Attorney for McLean County

The State's Attorney is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in McLean County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.

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Public records requests to McLean County

Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it. Many counties run one request page for every department; it is listed below when SearchSystems verified one for McLean County.

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Statewide North Dakota sources

Some records are kept by the state rather than the county. These are the North Dakota state offices SearchSystems verified; each link opens the state office's own page.

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These links come from the SearchSystems directory for McLean County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in McLean County

McLean County has 12 incorporated cities and towns (2024 Census Bureau count, population in parentheses). City records such as council minutes, permits, business licenses and police reports are kept by each city; the records on this page are county records whatever the city.

  • Garrison (1,465)
  • Washburn (1,275)
  • Underwood (771)
  • Wilton (714)
  • Turtle Lake (532)
  • Max (325)
  • Riverdale (222)
  • Mercer (126)
  • Butte (72)
  • Benedict (66)
  • Coleharbor (62)
  • Ruso (5)

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McLean County Arrest Records

The McLean County arrest records guide names the agency that reports arrests to the FBI here and the 252 arrests it reported for 2025. It also says where a person arrested here is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.

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McLean County Records Guides

SearchSystems has nine more guides to McLean County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: McLean County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), McLean County inmate search (the jail page of the McLean County Sheriff's Office, the jail numbers and who books people), McLean County criminal records (the court file, the North Dakota criminal history and the local arrest records), McLean County court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), McLean County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the North Dakota Open Records Law requires), McLean County traffic tickets (which court takes the ticket, who writes them and the driving record), McLean County DUI (the DUI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case), McLean County divorce records (which court holds the file and how a certified copy is had) and McLean County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official McLean County website?

No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official offices listed above; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.

How do I find out if someone is in jail in McLean County?

Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for McLean County at mcleancountynd.gov, or call (701) 462-8103. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.

Where do I look up a court case in McLean County?

The court records page SearchSystems verified for McLean County is at ndcourts.gov/court-locations/mclean-county, phone 701-462-8541. A case number finds a case fastest; a name search returns every case with that name.

Who records deeds in McLean County?

The County Recorder, at mcleancountynd.gov. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in McLean County are filed there.

How do I get a birth or death certificate for McLean County?

From the North Dakota state vital records office at hhs.nd.gov/vital/birth, which issues certified copies for every event in the state.

How do I request a public record from McLean County?

Through the records request page at mcleancountynd.gov. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.