Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and October 4, 2026.
McLean County, North Dakota, has about 9,800 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the McLean County District Court, and the file of each case, kept by the Clerk of District Court, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, cities and common questions.
Related guides: McLean County public records, McLean County arrest records, McLean County warrants, McLean County inmate search, McLean County criminal records, North Dakota arrest records and North Dakota inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from McLean County
In McLean County, the McLean County District Court hears every civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile case.
A city with a municipal court of its own tries the tickets written under its ordinances.
Divorces go to the District Court, and the file stays with the Clerk of District Court.
The Clerk of District Court keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the North Dakota Open Records Law.
Looking Up a Case from McLean County
For McLean County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at ndcourts.gov/court-locations/mclean-county (page title: North Dakota Court System | McLean County), phone 701-462-8541, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Statewide, North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry is the North Dakota courts' free statewide case search.
The North Dakota court page SearchSystems verified is at ndcourts.gov/public-access.
What Reaches the Court from McLean County
The McLean County Sheriff's Office reported 252 arrests to the FBI for 2025; the State's Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the McLean County District Court.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at mcleancountynd.gov/departments/states-attorneys-office (page title: McLean County, North Dakota | Departments), phone (701) 462-8832, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
The court file is one record with several readers: a criminal case from the arrest to the sentence, a divorce from the petition to the judgment, a traffic ticket from the citation to the conviction the court reports to the North Dakota Department of Transportation, and an eviction or a lien on land.
The other McLean County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: McLean County criminal records, McLean County divorce records, McLean County traffic tickets and McLean County DUI.
Cities in McLean County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the McLean County District Court; tickets under a city's own ordinances go to its municipal court where it has one.
The cities and towns in the county are Garrison, Washburn, Underwood, Wilton, Turtle Lake, Max, Riverdale, Mercer, Butte, Benedict, Coleharbor and Ruso.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in McLean County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at ndcourts.gov/court-locations/mclean-county, phone 701-462-8541. Statewide, North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry is the North Dakota courts' free statewide case search.
Which court hears felonies in McLean County?
The McLean County District Court, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile case.
Who keeps the court records in McLean County?
The Clerk of District Court. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in North Dakota?
Yes: North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry, the North Dakota courts' free statewide case search.
Is this the official McLean County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.