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

Steele County is a county in North Dakota with about 1,800 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 6 county office pages for Steele 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 Steele County public records live

Each kind of Steele 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 Steele County

A person arrested in Steele 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 Steele County.

  • Website: steelecountynd.gov/sheriff (page title: Sheriff's Office | Steele County, ND)
  • Phone: (701) 524-2742
  • Address: 201 Washington Ave W (2nd Floor) PO Box 171 Finley, ND 58230
  • Checked: October 11, 2026, the page answered.

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 Steele County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Steele 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 Steele County.

SearchSystems has not yet verified an online case search for Steele County. The statewide court search below covers the state courts.

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County Clerk of Steele 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 Steele County.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Steele County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Steele 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

  • Website: steelecountynd.gov/court (page title: Clerk of Court | County Recorder | Steele County, ND)
  • Phone: (701) 524-2152
  • Address: 201 Washington Ave W (2nd Floor) PO Box 296 Finley, ND 58230-0296
  • Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.

Property values: Tax Equalization

  • Website: steelecountynd.gov/tax (page title: Tax Equalization | Steele County, ND)
  • Phone: (701) 524-2133
  • Address: 201 Washington Ave W (2nd Floor) PO Box 275 Finley, ND 58230-0275
  • Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.

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Birth, death and marriage records in Steele 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 Steele County.

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State's Attorney for Steele County

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

  • Website: steelecountynd.gov/attorney (page title: States Attorney | Steele County, ND)
  • Phone: (701) 524-1701
  • Address: 201 Washington Ave W (3rd Floor) PO Box 355 Finley, ND 58230
  • Checked: October 11, 2026, the page answered.

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Public records requests to Steele 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 Steele County.

  • Website: steelecountynd.gov/court (page title: Clerk of Court | County Recorder | Steele County, ND)
  • Phone: (701) 524-2152
  • Address: 201 Washington Ave W (2nd Floor) PO Box 296 Finley, ND 58230-0296
  • Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.

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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 Steele County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in Steele County

Steele County has 4 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.

  • Finley (391)
  • Hope (276)
  • Sharon (87)
  • Luverne (26)

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Steele County Arrest Records

The Steele County arrest records guide names the agency that reports arrests to the FBI here and the 9 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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Steele County Records Guides

SearchSystems has four more guides to Steele County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Steele County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Steele County inmate search (the jail page of the Steele County Sheriff's Office, the jail numbers and who books people), Steele County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the North Dakota Open Records Law requires) and Steele County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Steele 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 Steele County?

Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Steele County at steelecountynd.gov/sheriff, or call (701) 524-2742. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.

Who records deeds in Steele County?

The County Recorder, at steelecountynd.gov/court. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Steele County are filed there.

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

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