Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and October 1, 2026.
Williams County, North Dakota, has about 41,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Williams County depends on where the incident happened: the Williams County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county, the agency that reports for the city inside a city. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the North Dakota Open Records Law requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, the cities' reports, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Williams County public records, Williams County arrest records, Williams County warrants, Williams County inmate search, Williams County criminal records, North Dakota arrest records and North Dakota inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Williams County
A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court, the jail or the prosecutor.
In Williams County that is the Williams County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and the agency that reports for a city where the city has one of its own.
Reports from the Williams County Sheriff's Office
The Williams County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 17 violent and 89 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 758 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (701) 577-4585. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at williamsnd.com/correctional-center (page title: Correctional Center | Williams County, ND), phone (701) 577-4585, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 1, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Williams County
The three cities the FBI lists in Williams County with a reporting agency of their own:
- Williston: 124 violent and 508 property crimes reported for 2025; 2,935 arrests reported for 2025.
- Tioga: 4 violent and 5 property crimes reported for 2025; 37 arrests reported for 2025.
- Ray: 0 arrests reported for 2024.
A city on that list is reported separately whether the officers are the city's own or the sheriff's under contract; the FBI's list does not say which.
How Many Reports: Williams County in 2025
The three agencies in Williams County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 145 violent and 602 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the three agencies in Williams County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 3,730 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the North Dakota Open Records Law Requires
Under the North Dakota Open Records Law the agency must answer a request within a reasonable time, and it may charge copying, and staff time after the first hour. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at williamsnd.com/question/how-can-i-make-an-open-records-request (page title: How can I make an open records request? | Williams County, ND).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the State's Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Williams County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Williams County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the North Dakota Open Records Law the answer is due within a reasonable time.
How long does an agency in Williams County have to answer?
Under the North Dakota Open Records Law, within a reasonable time. It may charge copying, and staff time after the first hour.
How do I get a report from the Williams County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (701) 577-4585. Under the North Dakota Open Records Law the answer is due within a reasonable time.
Is this the official Williams 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.