North Dakota Vital Records Research Guide

North Dakota Birth, Marriage, Divorce as well as Death records, also referred to as vital records, give information about crucial events in your ancestors life. Vital records, generally maintained by a civic authority, can give people a more complete picture of your respective ancestor, make it easier to differentiate between two people utilizing the same name, and assist you to find links to a completely new generation. They could consist of information like the occasion date and place, parents’ names, profession and residence. The cause of death is also included in many North Dakota death records.

North Dakota vital records are a cornerstone of North Dakota ancestors and family history research because they were usually recorded at or close to the time of the occurrence, helping to make the record more likely to be correct. This page includes links, information that will help you obtain copies from North Dakota state and county vital records keepers. Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research.

North Dakota Office of Vital Statistics, issues, documents, and stores certified copies of vital records including birth and death certificates for occurrences that took place in North Dakota.  To verify current fees or for information on how to expedite a document, call (701) 328-2360.

• Ordering North Dakota Birth Certificates: The Department of Health has some Birth Certificates starting in 1870 to present. The years 1870 to 1920 are incomplete. The fee for North Dakota Birth Certificates is $7, additional copies of birth records are $4 each.
• Ordering North Dakota Death Certificates: The Department of Health has Death Certificates from July 1893 to present. Years from 1894 to 1920 are incomplete. The fee for North Dakota Death Certificates is $5, additional copies of death records are $2 each.
• Ordering North Dakota Marriage Certificates: The Department of Health has marriage records from June 1958 to present. Requests for certified copies of marriage recordsmust be issued by the county where the where the license was issued. The fee for the copy varies by county.
• Ordering North Dakota Divorce Certificates: Requests for certified copies of divorce records must be obtained through office of the County Clerk or Recorder in the county where the divorce or annulment was decreed. The fee for the copy varies by county.

• Physical and Mailing Address: ND Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, 600 East Boulevard Avenue, Dept. 301, Bismarck, ND 58505-0200. All mail orders should include a Personal check or money order made payable toND Department of Health. Do not send cash.
• Website Address: http://www.ndhealth.gov/vital/
• Ordering Vital Records Online – get the certificates within 2-5 days with a credit or debit card from USAVital.comor VitalChek.com
• Ordering Vital Records by Mail: You can download an application online for North Dakota Birth Certificate orDeath Certificate Applications. Please allow up to 21 working days for processing of all type of certificates ordered through the mail.

As of 1893, it was mandatory state law that all vital records had to be filed with the clerks in the corresponding townships. The law only lasted for two years, at first. However, even though it was repealed in 1895, it became the law again in 1899.

In 1923, the North Dakota State Department of Vital Records was opened. Any death and birth records that were recorded before then were required to be transferred to the State Department of Vital Records at that time. The North Dakota Department of Health, Division of Vital Records currently holds all death and birth records that were recorded from July 1, 1893 onward. Those records can be obtained through their website, but the researcher must be able to probe their relationship to the person of interest in order to access the information.

Marriage licenses were generally recorded by each county from the time that the county in question came into being. Those records can be found by contacting the county judge’s office in the county where the marriage is believed to have occurred. The Bismarck Division of Vital Records has some marriage records on file, but only records that were filed after July 1, 1925. Each county’s district court clerk’s office recorded divorce records for that county.

The State Historical Society Reading Room at the Heritage Center hold indexes to recent divorces in the state, marriages from 1925 to the present day, and deaths from around 1900 to the present day.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs recorded records for the following agencies: Fort Totten, Turtle Mountain, Standing Rock, Fort Bethold. Those records include marriages, deaths, births, and other important documentation. The National Archives, Central Plains Region now has those records on file.