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.
Ward County, North Dakota, has about 68,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Every warrant for Ward County comes from a judge of the Ward County District Court, is served by whichever agency finds the person, and is recorded in the court file of the case it was issued in. This guide says who issues and serves warrants here, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one and how one is cleared.
This guide covers who issues warrants, who serves warrants, after a warrant arrest, checking for a warrant, clearing a warrant and common questions.
Related guides: Ward County public records, Ward County arrest records, Ward County inmate search, Ward County police reports, Ward County property records, North Dakota arrest records and North Dakota inmate search.
Who Issues Warrants in Ward County
In North Dakota an arrest warrant is signed by a judge. For Ward County that means the Ward County District Court, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile case. A city with a municipal court of its own issues warrants on the tickets and ordinance cases it tries.
A bench warrant follows a missed court date in any of those courts. Whichever kind it is, the warrant is part of the file of the case it was issued in, and the Clerk of District Court keeps that file.
Statewide, North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry is the North Dakota courts' free statewide case search.
Who Serves Warrants in Ward County
The Ward County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Minot, Surrey, Burlington, Kenmare and Berthold serve warrants in Ward County.
The agency that serves a warrant from Ward County is whichever one finds the person; an North Dakota warrant is valid across North Dakota.
Together, the four agencies in Ward County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,476 arrests to the FBI that year; arrests on warrants are counted among them, not separately.
Each agency and what it reported is in Ward County arrest records.
Where a Person Arrested on a Warrant from Ward County Is Held
A person arrested on a warrant and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Ward County Sheriff's Office, held about 130 people on an average day in 2021 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at co.ward.nd.us/395/Ward-County-Inmate-Locator, phone 701-857-6530. The Ward County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
A person arrested in Ward County on a warrant from another county is held at the same jail until that county takes custody.
How to Check for a Warrant in Ward County
Whether a warrant is out from Ward County shows in three places:
- North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry, the North Dakota courts' free statewide case search, for a case whose register of actions shows a warrant.
- The State's Attorney, phone 701-852-0111, which can say whether charges were filed; a warrant on a complaint follows the filing.
- The custody page of the Ward County Sheriff's Office at co.ward.nd.us/395/Ward-County-Inmate-Locator, which shows people already arrested and booked, not open warrants.
Not one of the Ward County pages SearchSystems verified (the sheriff's and the prosecutor's) is a list of open warrants, so a check means asking the court or the prosecutor about a case by name.
Clearing a Warrant from Ward County
A warrant is recalled by the court that issued it, so clearing one from Ward County starts with the Clerk of District Court: the case goes back on the calendar and the judge recalls the warrant when the person appears.
A lawyer can often arrange the appearance in advance. The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at co.ward.nd.us/227/States-Attorney, phone 701-852-0111.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I check for a warrant online in Ward County?
Not from the Ward County pages SearchSystems verified; none of them is a warrant list. North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry is the North Dakota courts' free statewide case search, and a case whose register of actions shows a warrant is the record of it. The court that issued it keeps the record; ask the Clerk of District Court.
Who serves warrants in Ward County?
The Ward County Sheriff's Office, and the agency that reports for the city where the person is found; an North Dakota warrant is valid anywhere in the state.
Where is a person arrested on a warrant in Ward County held?
At the county jail, run by the Ward County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
How is a warrant from Ward County cleared?
By appearing before the court that issued it; the judge recalls the warrant in court. The case is put back on the calendar through the Clerk of District Court.
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.