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How to get North Dakota divorce records

In North Dakota, get a certified copy of the divorce decree from the County clerk (Clerk of Court) or recorder in the county where the divorce was decreed.1 The state Vital Records Unit does not issue divorce copies but can help identify the county.1 You can order at a local office.

Last checked against official sources.

On this page
  1. Ways to order
  2. Decree or certificate
  3. Years held and older records
  4. Sources

Ways to order

HowCost per copyProcessing timePayment
At a local office–––

Not offered: by mail.1

At a local office

Run by
Clerk of Court or County Recorder of the county where decreed (HHS publishes a county list)1

Find a local office1

Decree or certificate

The decree, the court's judgment with the terms of the divorce, comes from the clerk of the court that granted it. Divorce certificate vs decree explains which one an agency usually wants.

Asking the court clerk

The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics lists what a request for a divorce record should include:2

  • Full names of husband and wife
  • Date of divorce or annulment
  • Place of divorce or annulment
  • Type of final decree
  • Purpose for which copy is needed
  • Relationship to persons whose record is requested
  • Day time telephone number with area code

Clerks charge their own copy and certification fees, and some offer an exemplified copy, a more formal certification used for out-of-state and foreign purposes.

Years held and older records

Years held
1949 to today (state index of divorce reports; decrees stay with the county court)3
Older records
County where the divorce was filed; the State Archives holds civil/divorce case files for over half of the counties3

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these official sources, checked between November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026. Tap a source number next to a fact to read the exact words.

  1. Certified Copies of Divorce RecordsND HHS Vital Records
  2. Where to Write for Vital Records: Application GuidelinesCDC National Center for Health Statisticsdated November 6, 2015
  3. SHSND State Archives: Vital RecordsState Historical Society of North Dakota, State Archives