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 between September 24, 2026 and October 1, 2026.
Williams County, North Dakota, has about 41,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Every warrant for Williams County comes from a judge of the Williams 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: Williams County public records, Williams County arrest records, Williams County inmate search, Williams County criminal records, Williams County court records, North Dakota arrest records and North Dakota inmate search.
Who Issues Warrants in Williams County
In North Dakota an arrest warrant is signed by a judge. For Williams County that means the Williams 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.
When a defendant misses a court date the judge issues a bench warrant, and either kind of warrant lives in the court file of the case, kept by the Clerk of District Court.
For Williams County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at ndcourts.gov/court-locations/williams-county (page title: North Dakota Court System | Williams County), phone (701) 774-4374, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Statewide, North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry is the North Dakota courts' free statewide case search.
Who Serves Warrants in Williams County
The Williams County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Williston, Tioga and Ray serve warrants in Williams County.
A warrant issued in Williams County is good anywhere in North Dakota, so it is served by whichever agency finds the person, in a traffic stop as often as at the door.
Together, the three agencies in Williams County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 3,730 arrests to the FBI that year; arrests on warrants are counted among them, not separately.
Each agency and what it reported is in Williams County arrest records.
Where a Person Arrested on a Warrant from Williams 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 Williams County Sheriff's Office, held about 76 people on an average day in 2021 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at williamsnd.com/correctional-center, phone (701) 577-4585. The Williams County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
A person arrested in Williams 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 Williams County
The places to check for a warrant from Williams County:
- The court file of the case, through the Clerk of District Court at (701) 774-4374, since a warrant is recorded in the case it was issued in.
- 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, which can say whether charges were filed; a warrant on a complaint follows the filing.
Not one of the Williams County pages SearchSystems verified (the sheriff's, the court's, the prosecutor's and the records request page) 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 Williams County
Only the judge who issued a warrant can recall it. For a case from Williams County that means appearing before the Williams County District Court, with the case put back on the calendar through the Clerk of District Court.
A lawyer can often arrange the appearance in advance. The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at ndcourts.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I check for a warrant online in Williams County?
Not from the Williams 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 file is the record of a warrant: ask the Clerk of District Court at (701) 774-4374.
Who serves warrants in Williams County?
The Williams 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 Williams County held?
At the county jail, run by the Williams County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
How is a warrant from Williams 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 at (701) 774-4374.
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.