North Dakota’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) is the central repository for all criminal information, and they respond to requests for criminal background checks for the state. They offer both name-based and fingerprint searches. You must pay a $15 fee for each search, and the results will take 7-10 days for processing. You may also request an FBI criminal check along with your state one. You can also contact the FBI directly for this information. There are also third-party online search portals you can consult for criminal background reports.
North Dakota has a simple website where you can search local/district courts for criminal and civil cases. You can search using the person’s name, case information, case type or sorted by other criteria. They do not have their federal cases posted online for searching so you must use the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system to find federal criminal court documents. You can also visit the district or federal courthouses to request copies of files from criminal cases.
Most felonies and misdemeanors will remain on your criminal record forever. North Dakota does allow first time offenders and people who were charged but not convicted to have their records sealed. You must wait two years after your charges to apply. If you have a minor felony, you can request that it be downgraded to a misdemeanor. North Dakota also allows juvenile records to be completely sealed, so they do not show up in criminal reports.
Law enforcement officers and government agencies can look up your entire criminal history anytime for many reasons. But did you know that anyone else could also look up your criminal background online? Gun dealers, schools, hospitals, adoption agencies, and the general public have the legal right to check out your criminal history any time they like.
People use criminal background checks for many reasons. Gun dealers use them before selling firearms to customers. Landlords sometimes use them before renting property to someone they don’t know. Citizens use them for checking into someone’s past before doing business with them or starting a relationship.
A typical criminal record will contain demographic information like name, address, phone, email, height, weight, age, race and gender. You may also see physical details like tattoos and scars, mug shots and fingerprints. Also included will be convictions, sentencing, dispositions, incarcerations, sex offenses, DUIs, traffic violations, warrants, and arrests.
From the moment you are arrested and charged with a crime in North Dakota, paperwork is filled out and added to your record. After that, anything that occurs related to your case gets documented. These reports, forms, and documents become your criminal history and make up your background file.
