How to get a copy of a deed in North Dakota
Who holds it: County Recorder in each of North Dakota's 53 counties.1
On this page
Copy fee
Noncertified copy: not more than $1 per instrument page. Electronic data extracted from a recorded instrument: not more than 50 cents per instrument.2
Statewide search
NDRIN (North Dakota Recorders Information Network), ndrin.com: subscription consortium run by county recorders. $30 per 30 days (auto-renews), or a $7 day pass, plus $1 per printed page; previews free. Reports 50 of 53 counties as members, but it does not name the three non-members.3
Free search, fee for copiesHow to search and order
- How to search
- At the county Recorder's office, or online via NDRIN or the portal the county's site names. Search by legal description (township-range-section or subdivision, lot and block) or by party name, then check the tract index. Williams County's instructions are one example.4
Fees
- Certified copy fee
- $5 for the first page and $2 for each additional page.2
- Recording fee
- $20 for 1-6 pages; $65 for more than 6 pages, plus $3 per page after the first 25 pages; extra $1 per section over ten sections of land.2
Older records and indexes
- Years online
- Varies by county, no statewide start year. Examples: McLean from January 1, 1997; Williams from patent to present on iDocMarket.3
Related records in North Dakota
- Maps: state GIS portal
- gis.nd.gov ND GIS Hub Data Portal and Statewide Parcel Dataset, operated by the State Geospatial Committee and ND Information Technology.5
How North Dakota handles it
- Marriage records office varies by county. Marriage custodian is not uniform: state law lets each county commission move the duty away from the Recorder.6
- Combined county offices. County offices may be combined: Williams County lists one Treasurer/Recorder department head.1
Deeds in North Dakota counties with a full guide
The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.
| County | Office | Search online | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burleigh County | Burleigh County Recorder8 | Search7 | — |
| Cass County | Cass County Recorder9 | Search9Fee charged | $1 per page; emailed document adds $39 |
For any other county, see the county list on the North Dakota guide.
Official warnings
- Recording fraud alerts. Property fraud alerts: Williams County points to its free Document Alert; Stutsman County links Property Fraud Alert.1
Official copies vs look-alike sites
A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any North Dakota office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.
Rules in other states: deeds and land records in every state. Everything else in North Dakota: North Dakota public records guide.
Sources
Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.
- Williams County RecorderWilliams County, NDchecked November 4, 2026
- N.D.C.C. ch. 11-18 RecorderNorth Dakota Legislative Assemblychecked November 4, 2026
- About NDRINNorth Dakota Recorders Information Network (NDRIN), consortium of county recorderschecked November 4, 2026
- How to Search in the Records RoomWilliams County, NDchecked November 4, 2026
- ND GIS Hub homeNorth Dakota GIS (State Geospatial Committee / NDIT)checked November 4, 2026
- N.D.C.C. ch. 14-03 Marriage ContractNorth Dakota Legislative Assemblychecked November 4, 2026
- RecorderBurleigh Countychecked November 7, 2026
- Burleigh County home pageBurleigh Countychecked November 7, 2026
- County RecorderCass Countychecked November 4, 2026