Find the Right Bismarck Arrest, Booking or Jail Record
Bismarck does not use one public database for every arrest-related question. Current jail custody is handled through the Burleigh/Morton Detention Center, Bismarck Police maintains its own incident and arrest reports, North Dakota Courts provides public case information, and the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation handles formal North Dakota criminal-history record checks.
Records Search
Court, Criminal, Marriage, Divorce, Property
Start with the record that matches what you actually need. A booking record can show custody information, but it does not by itself tell you whether a charge was later dismissed, reduced or resulted in a conviction.
Bismarck Mugshots and Booking Records: Quick Answer
For a person who may currently be jailed after an arrest in Bismarck or elsewhere in Burleigh County, begin with the official Burleigh/Morton Detention Center page. The county page provides a link to its current-inmate search and lists the detention center at 4000 Apple Creek Road in Bismarck.
If you need the police report from an incident handled by the Bismarck Police Department, use the department’s Records/Reception section. If you need to know what happened after a charge was filed, search North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry instead of relying on the booking entry alone.
Use for people who may currently be held in the regional detention center.
Use when Bismarck Police handled the incident and you need an available report or records information.
Use for public criminal, traffic and other case information, court actions and case status.
Use for a formal North Dakota criminal-history record check rather than a simple web search.
Which Bismarck Record Should You Search?
Arrest records, jail records, police reports and court records are connected, but they are not interchangeable. Choosing the right source first can prevent a common mistake: treating a current jail entry as a complete criminal-history record.
| What you want to know | Best official starting point | What it can answer |
|---|---|---|
| Is the person in jail now? | Burleigh/Morton Detention Center | Current local detention status through the county’s inmate-search route. |
| Was there a Bismarck Police incident or arrest report? | Bismarck Police Records/Reception | Available BPD-generated reports and records information. |
| What happened after charges were filed? | North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry | Public case entries, registers of action, judgments where available and court calendars. |
| I need a formal North Dakota criminal-history check. | North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation | A state criminal-history record check using identifying information and, when requested, fingerprints. |
| The person may have moved to state prison. | North Dakota DOCR Resident Lookup | People currently incarcerated in a North Dakota correctional facility who meet the lookup’s coverage rules. |
| I want to know about a Bismarck municipal warrant. | Bismarck Police Warrants section / Municipal Court | Official contact and procedural information for municipal warrants. |
How to Search Current Bismarck Jail and Booking Information
The Burleigh/Morton Detention Center is the principal local custody source for this search intent. Burleigh County’s official detention-center page includes a button labeled for searching current detention-center inmates.
How to Request a Bismarck Police Arrest or Incident Report
The Bismarck Police Department’s Records/Reception Section maintains the department’s centralized records and information-retrieval function. For copies of reports or records information, the city directs people to the Police Department Records section.
Records/reception phone: 701-223-1212
Email: [email protected]
Records hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; closed on holidays.
A Bismarck Police request is appropriate when BPD handled the incident. A Sheriff’s Department case should be directed to the Sheriff’s records function instead.
The city’s crime-report information also warns that some public-record requests must be handled through Police Records, that fees may apply, and that a request can take several days. Because the city does not state one universal report-copy price on the cited records page, this guide does not invent a flat BPD records fee.
Burleigh County Sheriff’s Records Requests
If the record was created by the Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department rather than Bismarck Police, use the Sheriff’s Department. The department lists a records-request contact at its 514 E. Thayer Avenue location in Bismarck.
Physical address: 514 E. Thayer Ave., Bismarck, ND 58501
Phone: 701-222-6651
Mailing address: Box 1416, Bismarck, ND 58502-1416
Use the official Sheriff’s Department contact page for the current records-request email and division contacts.
Open the official Sheriff’s Department pageCheck the Court Record Before Treating a Booking as the Final Outcome
North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry, commonly called NDCRI, provides public online access to qualifying court case information. The court system says the service includes criminal, traffic, petty misdemeanor, civil, family and probate case information.
NDCRI is free to the general public and is generally available around the clock except during scheduled or emergency maintenance. The court system states that its online data is current through the end of the previous business day.
Bismarck cases can involve different courts
Handles city ordinance violations within its jurisdiction, including qualifying misdemeanors, infractions and traffic matters.
514 E. Thayer Ave., Bismarck, ND 58501
Phone: 701-355-1350
Part of the South Central Judicial District and a key source for county-level criminal court records.
514 E. Thayer Ave., Bismarck, ND 58501
Clerk’s Office: 701-222-6690, ext. 1
Need a Formal North Dakota Criminal-History Record Check?
A web search of bookings or court cases is not the same as a North Dakota criminal-history record check. The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, part of the Office of Attorney General, is the state’s central repository for criminal-history information.
The Attorney General’s current instructions state a $15 fee for a public criminal-history record request.
The BCI states this approximate timeframe for processing and completing a criminal-history record check.
A fingerprint-based request can identify records associated with an alias that a name-only request may miss.
If a response must be certified or notarized, the BCI says to attach a written request to the record-request form.
What you generally need for a public BCI request
- The subject’s full name, including maiden, former and known alias names.
- Date of birth.
- Social Security number or the subject’s fingerprints.
- The subject’s current address or a signed authorization form.
- The original signed request form and the required fee.
The Attorney General states that, unless signed authorization accompanies the request, the BCI mails notice to the subject that criminal-history information was released. Mail requests are submitted with payment by check or money order payable to the ND Attorney General. The Bismarck office also accepts qualifying drop-off public requests under the payment rules stated by BCI.
What a general public North Dakota record check can and cannot show
A general public record check can include North Dakota convictions regardless of age, certain charges that did not result in conviction when they fall within the state’s public-release rules, and certain recent jail or prison custody information. The exact dissemination rules matter, so a “no information” response should not automatically be interpreted to mean that no event ever occurred.
The Attorney General states that juvenile records, federal records, most traffic offenses, civil judgments, records from other states and tribal records are not part of a North Dakota criminal-history record check.
Bismarck Warrants and Bond Information
The Bismarck Police Department’s Warrants Section handles municipal warrants issued by Bismarck Municipal Court. The city also notes that arrest warrants can originate from Municipal Court, Burleigh County Court or another court with authority extending into the department’s jurisdiction.
If you have information about a person who may have a warrant, Bismarck Police lists its non-emergency number as 701-223-1212. Do not attempt to detain or confront someone yourself.
Posting bond on a Bismarck Municipal Court charge
Bismarck Municipal Court explains that bond for a person held on a Municipal Court charge can be posted with the court during office hours or through the Burleigh/Morton Detention Center under the applicable process. Bond amounts and conditions depend on the case; this article does not estimate them.
What If the Person Is Not in the Current Bismarck Jail Search?
A missing result does not by itself prove that no arrest occurred. The local inmate route is designed around current detention information, while older events may need to be traced through police records, Sheriff’s records, court records or a formal state criminal-history request.
| Possible situation | What to do next |
|---|---|
| The person was released. | Check the relevant court case and, if needed, request the originating law-enforcement report. |
| The person was transferred. | Check whether the person moved into North Dakota DOCR custody or another jurisdiction. |
| The event was handled by another agency. | Confirm the arresting or reporting agency before submitting a records request. |
| The name search is not matching. | Check spelling and known aliases. For a formal state check, BCI offers name-based and fingerprint-based processes. |
| The record is restricted from public access. | Do not assume a system error. Some records or information are legally excluded from public online access. |
| The case was just filed. | Allow for system update timing. NDCRI states that data is current through the end of the previous business day. |
When to Use the North Dakota DOCR Resident Lookup
The county jail search and the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation lookup serve different custody levels. DOCR’s Resident Lookup is for individuals currently incarcerated in a North Dakota correctional facility who fall within the lookup’s coverage.
The department cautions that a North Dakota-sentenced individual housed out of state may not appear, and a person incarcerated in North Dakota on an out-of-state sentence may also fall outside the displayed population. Therefore, a zero-result DOCR search should be interpreted within those limitations.
Burleigh/Morton Detention Center Visitation and Inmate Contact
The official detention-center page currently lists in-person visitation on Tuesdays and Thursdays, excluding holidays, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Visitors must be appropriately dressed and have photo identification. A visitor under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
The facility states that up to two visitors are allowed per inmate at the visitation station and an eligible inmate receives one 20-minute visit per visitation day. Advance scheduling is not required under the currently published rules, although the facility says visitors may call the day before or the day of the visit to reserve a time slot.
4000 Apple Creek Road
Bismarck, ND 58504
The county currently lists 701-354-3292 as the inmate message line.
The county also publishes rules for money deposits, approved property, inmate mail, medication and phone time. Those rules can change, so check the detention-center page before traveling to the facility or sending property.
Official Bismarck and Burleigh County Contacts
700 S. 9th St.
Bismarck, ND 58504
Non-emergency / Records: 701-223-1212
Records and Reception514 E. Thayer Ave.
Bismarck, ND 58501
Phone: 701-222-6651
Sheriff’s Department4000 Apple Creek Road
Bismarck, ND 58504
Phone: 701-255-3113
Detention Center514 E. Thayer Ave.
Bismarck, ND 58501
Clerk’s Office: 701-222-6690, ext. 1
Court location page514 E. Thayer Ave.
Bismarck, ND 58501
Phone: 701-355-1350
Municipal Court1720 Burlington Dr., Suite B
Bismarck, ND 58504
Phone: 701-328-5500
Criminal History RecordsWhat a Mugshot or Booking Record Does — and Does Not — Prove
A booking photograph is an identification image associated with a custody process. It does not establish guilt. A booking record can identify an arrest event or detention status, but the later court docket is the better source for charges filed in court, subsequent court actions and the disposition available in the public case record.
For employment, licensing, housing or another decision that requires a formal North Dakota record, use the correct BCI process rather than relying on a screenshot, social-media post or commercial mugshot page. The Attorney General specifically distinguishes a formal North Dakota criminal-history record check from an ordinary background search of public websites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find current Bismarck jail inmates?
Start with the official Burleigh/Morton Detention Center page. Burleigh County provides a current-inmate search link from that page.
Does Bismarck Police have its own public mugshot database?
The city’s official Police Records pages focus on police reports, records services and crime information. For current local detention status, the better starting point is the Burleigh/Morton Detention Center’s inmate-search route.
How do I get a Bismarck Police arrest or incident report?
Contact Bismarck Police Records/Reception at 700 S. 9th St. or 701-223-1212. The published Records Section hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
How do I check what happened to a Bismarck criminal case?
Use North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry for public case information. Depending on the charge and jurisdiction, the case may be associated with Bismarck Municipal Court or Burleigh County District Court.
Is North Dakota court-record searching free?
North Dakota Courts states that public NDCRI access is available to the general public free of charge. The online results are informational and are not the official certified court record.
How much is a North Dakota criminal-history record check?
The North Dakota Attorney General currently lists a $15 fee for a public request for criminal-history record information. Eligible nonprofit charitable organizations may have a separate reduced-fee process after approval.
How long does a North Dakota BCI criminal-history check take?
The BCI states that processing and completion takes approximately 7-10 business days. Follow the current official instructions if an expedited response is required.
Why can’t I find someone in the Bismarck jail search?
The person may have been released, transferred, booked into another jurisdiction or moved into state correctional custody. The county route is described as a current-inmate search, so older custody information may require police, court or BCI records.
Where can I search for someone in North Dakota state prison?
Use the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Resident Lookup. The agency publishes specific limits on which incarcerated individuals appear in that search.
Does a mugshot mean the person was convicted?
No. A mugshot or booking record documents a stage of the arrest or custody process. Check the applicable court record for later case activity and disposition information.
Official Sources Used for This Bismarck Guide
This page is an independent informational guide and is not the Bismarck Police Department, Burleigh County, North Dakota Courts, the North Dakota Attorney General, or the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
- Burleigh County — Burleigh/Morton Detention Center
- Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department
- Bismarck Police — Records and Reception
- Bismarck Police — Warrants
- Bismarck Municipal Court
- North Dakota Courts — Burleigh County
- North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry
- North Dakota Courts — Public Access FAQ
- North Dakota Attorney General — Criminal History Record Check
- North Dakota DOCR — Resident Lookup