SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 2, 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

Wells County is a county in North Dakota with about 3,800 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 Wells 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 Wells County public records live

Each kind of Wells 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 Wells County

A person arrested in Wells 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 Wells County.

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 Wells County

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

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

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County Clerk of Wells 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 Wells County.

  • Website: ndcourts.gov/court-locations/wells-county (page title: North Dakota Court System | Wells County)
  • Phone: 701-547-3122
  • Address: 700 Railway St N, Fessenden, ND 58438
  • Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
  • Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Wells County

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

Property values: Tax Equalization

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Birth, death and marriage records in Wells 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 Wells County.

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State's Attorney for Wells County

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

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Public records requests to Wells 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 Wells County.

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

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Cities and towns in Wells County

Wells County has 7 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.

  • Harvey (1,564)
  • Fessenden (447)
  • Bowdon (136)
  • Sykeston (99)
  • Hurdsfield (59)
  • Cathay (19)
  • Hamberg (12)

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Wells County Arrest Records

The Wells County arrest records guide names the two agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 43 arrests the two agencies with every month of 2025 on file reported that year. 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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Wells County Records Guides

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Wells 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 Wells County?

Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Wells County at wellscountynd.com/departments/sheriff, or call (701)547-3211. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.

Who records deeds in Wells County?

The County Recorder, at wellscountynd.com/departments/recorder. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Wells County are filed there.

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

Through the records request page at wellscountynd.com/departments/recorder. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.