Reviewed and updated October 11, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and October 11, 2026.
Ward County, North Dakota, has about 68,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A traffic ticket written in Ward County is a court case in the Ward County District Court; a city with a municipal court tries its own, and the conviction it ends in goes on the driving record kept by the North Dakota Department of Transportation. This guide says which court takes the ticket, who writes them and where the driving record lives.
This guide covers where tickets go, who writes them, the driving record, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Ward County public records, Ward County arrest records, Ward County warrants, Ward County inmate search, Ward County criminal records, North Dakota arrest records and North Dakota inmate search.
Where a Ticket Written in Ward County Goes
A ticket written by a deputy or a state trooper in Ward County goes to the Ward County District Court; one written by city police goes to that city's municipal court where it has one. Either way the ticket is a court case, and the court's index is the record of it.
For Ward County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at co.ward.nd.us/m/directory/department?did=168 (page title: Staff Directory, Clerk of Court), phone 701-857-6600, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 11, 2026.
Statewide, North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry is the North Dakota courts' free statewide case search.
Who Writes the Tickets in Ward County
The Ward County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Minot, Surrey, Burlington, Kenmare and Berthold write the traffic tickets in Ward County.
The Driving Record and the North Dakota Department of Transportation
The driving record is a separate document from the court file. It is kept by the North Dakota Department of Transportation, which adds each conviction the court reports and handles suspensions; the court does not issue driving records.
Paying a ticket is a conviction, reported to the North Dakota Department of Transportation like any other; contesting it means a plea of not guilty entered with the court by the date on the ticket.
A DUI is a criminal charge rather than a ticket, with its own license case before the Department of Transportation (see Ward County DUI).
Cities in Ward County
A ticket written inside a city goes to the Ward County District Court, or to the city's municipal court where it has one.
SearchSystems has a guide to the offices of these cities in Ward County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population:
- Minot (47,440)
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I pay a traffic ticket from Ward County?
With the Ward County District Court, whose page SearchSystems verified is at co.ward.nd.us/m/directory/department?did=168, phone 701-857-6600; a ticket from city police goes to the city's municipal court where it has one.
Who keeps my driving record in North Dakota?
The North Dakota Department of Transportation. The court reports each conviction to it, and paying a ticket counts as one.
Which court handles traffic tickets in Ward County?
The Ward County District Court, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile case.
Is this the official Ward 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.