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. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site on September 24, 2026.
Ramsey County, North Dakota, has about 12,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Ramsey County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Ramsey County District Court and a license case before the Department of Transportation, and leaves three records. This guide follows the arrest from the roadside to the court file and the driving record.
This guide covers the law, the arrest, booking, the court case, the license case, the records and common questions.
Related guides: Ramsey County public records, Ramsey County arrest records, Ramsey County warrants, Ramsey County inmate search, Ramsey County criminal records, North Dakota arrest records and North Dakota inmate search.
The DUI Law in North Dakota
Drunk driving is charged as DUI in North Dakota, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in North Dakota is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect DUI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Department of Transportation, separately from the criminal case.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Ramsey County
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Devils Lake make the DUI arrests in Ramsey County.
Together, the two agencies in Ramsey County with all twelve months of 2021 on file reported 814 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Ramsey County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Ramsey County
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, held about 46 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at ramseycountynd.gov/161/Sheriff, phone 701-662-0708. The Ramsey County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The State's Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the Ramsey County District Court.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at ramseycountynd.gov/166/States-Attorney, phone 701-662-0700.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at ndcourts.gov/court-locations/ramsey-county, phone 701-662-1309.
Statewide, North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry is the North Dakota courts' free statewide case search.
The License Case
A DUI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Department of Transportation. The driving record, kept by the North Dakota Department of Transportation, carries the result of both.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the North Dakota Open Records Law.
- The court file: from the Ramsey County District Court, kept by the Clerk of District Court.
- The driving record: from the North Dakota Department of Transportation.
More on each: Ramsey County arrest records, Ramsey County police reports and Ramsey County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in North Dakota?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Ramsey County heard?
In the Ramsey County District Court, brought by the State's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at ndcourts.gov/court-locations/ramsey-county.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Ramsey County held?
At the county jail, run by the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in North Dakota?
The Department of Transportation, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
Is this the official Ramsey 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.