North Dakota Legal Hotline | Free 24/7: 1-844-690-0555

Need legal help in North Dakota right now?

If you need help in North Dakota tonight, call 1-844-690-0555 — it's free, it's live 24/7, and you'll be talking through your situation in under a minute. Tell our AI legal assistant what happened: a DUI stop on I-94, a 3-day eviction notice taped to your door in Williston, an emergency with your kids. It explains how ND law works in plain English — legal information, not legal advice — so you know your next move before morning. If your matter needs a lawyer, we can book you a paid consultation with an attorney licensed in North Dakota. No income test, no waitlist, no waiting for an office to open Monday. Just call.

Choose your area of law in North Dakota

Criminal Defense →

Arrested anywhere in North Dakota? Felonies and misdemeanors under NDCC Title 12.1 are heard in district court — talk through your charge and bail before your first appearance.

DUI & Chemical-Test Refusal →

ND can charge refusing a breath test as a crime (NDCC 39-08-01), plus license loss and the 24/7 Sobriety Program. The rules differ for blood tests — understand the stakes fast.

Family Law & Parenting →

Divorce, residential responsibility, decision-making, and protection orders turn on the NDCC 14-09-06.2 best-interest factors. Get clarity before you file in district court.

Immigration →

From Fargo's refugee communities to Bakken oil-field workers, immigration questions cross federal lines. Get plain-English information, then book counsel who handles ND cases.

Employment & Wages →

Unpaid wages, a firing, or a workplace dispute in the oil patch or a Fargo warehouse? Know your rights under state and federal law before you act.

Housing, Mineral Rights & Civil Disputes →

Evictions move fast in ND (a 3-day notice is real, under NDCC ch. 47-32), plus small claims, debt, severed mineral and royalty fights, and injury claims. Talk it through tonight.

How it works

Call 1-844-690-0555 free from anywhere in North Dakota — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no appointment, no Monday-to-Friday office hours.

Talk through your situation with our AI legal assistant, trained on North Dakota and US federal law. It gives clear legal information — not legal advice — so you understand your options now.

If you need representation, we'll book you a paid consultation with an attorney licensed in North Dakota. That step is optional and separate from the free call.

The law in North Dakota

North Dakota runs a streamlined court system overseen by the Supreme Court of North Dakota — five justices elected to 10-year nonpartisan terms, sitting in Bismarck. There is no permanently staffed intermediate appellate court: the state has a temporary Court of Appeals, but it has no full-time judges and convenes only on the cases the Supreme Court assigns to it, so in practice most appeals go straight from district court to the Supreme Court. That makes the district courts the engine of everyday justice. They are the trial courts of general jurisdiction across all 53 counties, grouped into judicial districts, and they handle nearly everything an ordinary person faces: all felony and misdemeanor crimes, divorce and parenting cases, probate, debt, eviction, and juvenile matters. Municipal courts handle city-ordinance violations and minor offenses — including many first-offense DUIs charged under a city ordinance — and an appeal from municipal court is a fresh trial de novo in district court. Federal matters go to the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota, headquartered in Bismarck with courthouses in Fargo, Grand Forks, and Minot.

For a searcher, the practical takeaway is simple: your case is almost certainly in district court — the Cass County Courthouse at 211 9th Street South in Fargo, the Burleigh County Courthouse on East Thayer Avenue in Bismarck, the Grand Forks County Courthouse on South 4th Street, or your own county seat — unless a city officer wrote you a ticket, which may land in municipal court.

The substance of the law is shaped by geography and oil. North Dakota is built on the North Dakota Century Code (NDCC): Title 12.1 for crimes, Title 14 for divorce and parenting, Title 39 for DUI and implied consent, Title 47 (including chapter 47-32) for landlord-tenant and eviction. The state is vast and rural, so many residents are hours from the nearest courthouse or attorney — a genuine access-to-justice gap. The western Bakken patch around Williston and Dickinson generates a distinctly North Dakotan body of mineral-rights, royalty, lease, and surface-damage law, and the state's tribal nations add jurisdictional questions about whether a matter belongs in state, tribal, or federal court. None of this is legal advice — it is information to help you find the right door, fast.

Court Hierarchy

Supreme Court of North Dakota (5 justices, 10-year terms; Bismarck)
Court of Appeals — temporary, no permanent judges; convenes only on cases the Supreme Court assigns
District Courts — general jurisdiction in all 53 counties (crime, divorce, custody, probate, eviction, debt, juvenile)
Municipal Courts — city ordinance and minor offenses; appeal = trial de novo in district court
U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota (Bismarck HQ; Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot)

Key Legislation

North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) — the full statutory code
Title 12.1 — Criminal Code
Title 14 (incl. 14-09-06.2 best-interest factors) — Domestic Relations
Title 39 (39-08-01 DUI & criminal refusal; ch. 39-20 implied consent)
Title 47, ch. 47-32 — eviction; Title 47 generally — property / landlord-tenant

Key Bodies

State Bar Association of North Dakota (SBAND) — the nation's oldest unified state bar, est. 1899
Legal Services of North Dakota (LSND) — statewide civil legal aid
North Dakota Legal Self Help Center (ndcourts.gov)
North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources (oil, gas & mineral ownership)

In North Dakota, Refusing the Breath Test Can Be Its Own Crime

North Dakota goes further than many states: under NDCC 39-08-01, refusing a DUI breath test can be charged as a separate criminal offense, punished on the same scale as the DUI itself, on top of an administrative license suspension of 180 days to 3 years. Refusing a blood test is different — in Birchfield v. North Dakota (2016), the U.S. Supreme Court held a state can't criminally punish you for refusing a warrantless blood draw, so the consequences there are mainly license-related. The distinction is easy to get wrong and the deadlines are short. Many offenders also face the 24/7 Sobriety Program — twice-daily breath tests or continuous alcohol monitoring as a condition of release or to drive again. If you were stopped tonight, the clock on your license has already started. Call 1-844-690-0555 and understand it now.

Free & low-cost legal help in North Dakota

If money is tight, North Dakota has real free and low-cost options — most run during business hours, with income limits or waitlists, which is exactly why our 24/7 line exists for the in-between moments. For full representation or formal advice, start with the organizations below. They serve all 53 counties, from Fargo to the Bakken, with offices in places like Bismarck, Fargo, Minot, Grand Forks, and Belcourt. Our call is free legal information any hour; these are your routes to free legal advice and, where you qualify, an attorney.

Legal Services of North Dakota (LSND)

Statewide LSC-funded civil legal aid for low-income North Dakotans, plus a program for residents 60+ regardless of income. Covers family, housing, consumer/debt, public benefits, and elder law. Offices in Bismarck, Fargo, Minot, Grand Forks, New Town, and Belcourt; statewide intake 1-800-634-5263 (1-866-621-9886 for callers 60+).

North Dakota Free Legal Answers (ABA)

A free online 'virtual legal clinic' where qualifying low-income North Dakotans post a civil legal question and a volunteer ND-licensed attorney answers by email. Free advice, but no court representation.

North Dakota Legal Self Help Center

The official state-courts self-help portal with free instructions and template forms for divorce, eviction (tenant and landlord), guardianship, small claims, name changes, and protection orders. Email ndselfhelp@ndcourts.gov. Note: its forms aren't official court forms and judges aren't required to accept them.

State Bar Association of North Dakota — Lawyer Referral Service

The official ND bar referral. For a $30 fee it gives you a referred attorney in good standing and up to a 30-minute consultation in your chosen practice area and county. 1661 Capitol Way, Suite 104LL, Bismarck, ND 58501; 1-866-450-9579.

University of North Dakota School of Law Clinics

UND's law school in Grand Forks runs clinics — including family law, immigration, and business/non-profit — where supervised law students provide free or low-cost legal help in certain civil matters for qualifying clients.

Legal Hotline covers all of North Dakota

Wherever you are in North Dakota, the line is free and answered 24/7 — including:

FargoBismarckGrand ForksMinotWest FargoWillistonDickinsonMandanJamestown

Frequently asked questions — North Dakota

Is the North Dakota legal hotline really free, and available at 2am?

Yes. Calling 1-844-690-0555 is completely free and the line is live 24 hours a day, every day — including nights, weekends, and holidays when the SBAND $30 referral service and legal aid offices are closed. You'll talk with our AI legal assistant, trained on North Dakota and federal law, and get plain-English legal information about your situation. It is legal information, not legal advice, and the call doesn't create an attorney-client relationship. If you decide you need a lawyer, we can book a paid consultation with an attorney licensed in North Dakota. Most callers just want to know their next step tonight — and that part costs nothing.

I was arrested for DUI in North Dakota and refused the test — what now?

This is serious in North Dakota, and the rules depend on which test you refused. Refusing a breath test can be charged as a separate crime under NDCC 39-08-01, punished on the same scale as a DUI. Refusing a blood test is treated differently — under Birchfield v. North Dakota you generally can't be criminally punished for refusing a warrantless blood draw, but you still face license consequences. Either way, an administrative license suspension of 180 days up to 3 years can apply, with strict deadlines to request a hearing, and many drivers enter the 24/7 Sobriety Program. A first offense under a city ordinance may go to municipal court; otherwise it's district court. Don't wait until Monday. Call 1-844-690-0555 now for free information, then book a North Dakota DUI attorney if you want representation.

I got served eviction papers in North Dakota — how fast do I have to act?

Fast. North Dakota eviction moves quickly — a 3-day notice to quit is real, and once an eviction action is filed in district court under NDCC chapter 47-32, hearings come on a short timeline. You have rights as a tenant under Title 47, and there may be defenses or ways to buy time, but only if you act before the hearing. The North Dakota Legal Self Help Center has eviction-for-tenants forms, and LSND may help if you qualify. For an immediate, plain-English read on your notice tonight, call 1-844-690-0555 free, any hour — then book a lawyer if your case needs one.

How does child custody work in North Dakota?

North Dakota dropped the words 'custody' and 'visitation' and now uses 'parental rights and responsibilities,' splitting decision-making responsibility from residential responsibility. District court judges decide using the statutory best-interest factors in NDCC 14-09-06.2 — emotional ties, each parent's ability to provide care, the child's developmental needs, the stability of each home, any domestic-violence history, and more. These cases are emotional and the factors are detailed. Call 1-844-690-0555 free, 24/7, to understand how the best-interest framework applies to your family in plain English, then book a North Dakota family-law attorney if you need someone in your corner.

Do I really need a lawyer to get divorced in North Dakota?

Not always. North Dakota allows self-represented divorce, and the North Dakota Legal Self Help Center offers free divorce forms (with and without children) for district court. But if there are kids, retirement accounts, a business, real estate — or severed mineral rights, which are common here and easy to overlook in a property split — the stakes rise quickly and mistakes are hard to undo. A good first move is free information: call 1-844-690-0555, talk through whether your divorce is simple or complicated, and decide from there. If it's complex, we can book you a North Dakota divorce attorney.

I own land in the Bakken but someone else owns the minerals — is that legal?

Yes, and it's distinctly North Dakotan. State law lets mineral interests be 'severed' from the surface, so the person who owns the land may not own the oil, gas, and minerals beneath it. That drives a large body of ND law on leases, royalties, surface-use damages (the Surface Damage Act), abandoned minerals, and how minerals get divided in a divorce or distributed in probate. The North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources tracks ownership and oil-and-gas records. These disputes can be valuable and complicated. Call 1-844-690-0555 free for plain-English information on how severed minerals work, then book a North Dakota mineral-rights attorney if your matter needs one.

How do I file a protection order in North Dakota?

Protection orders are handled in district court, and the North Dakota Legal Self Help Center provides the forms and instructions to start one yourself. If you're in immediate danger, call 911 first. A domestic-violence history is also one of the best-interest factors a judge weighs in any related parenting case under NDCC 14-09-06.2. Filing on your own is possible, but getting the petition right matters. Call 1-844-690-0555 free, any hour — including the night you most need it — for clear information on the process and what to include, and we can book a North Dakota attorney if you'd rather have help filing.

I'm hours from the nearest lawyer in rural North Dakota. Can you still help?

That's exactly who this line is built for. North Dakota has 53 counties, many tiny and remote, with brutal winters and long drives to the nearest courthouse or law office — a real access-to-justice gap. You don't have to drive anywhere or wait for an office to open. Call 1-844-690-0555 free, 24/7, from anywhere in the state, and get plain-English legal information about your situation immediately. It's legal information, not legal advice. If you need representation, we can book you a consultation with an attorney licensed in North Dakota, so distance never decides whether you understand your rights.

What's the difference between the free call and booking a lawyer?

The phone call to 1-844-690-0555 is free and gives you legal information from our AI legal assistant, trained on North Dakota and federal law — it explains how the law works but does not give legal advice tailored to your specific case, and it doesn't create an attorney-client relationship. Booking a consultation is a separate, paid service: if you need someone to advise you on your specific facts or represent you, we connect you with an attorney licensed in North Dakota. Start free, learn where you stand, and only pay if you decide you want a lawyer. There's no obligation to book.

English isn't my first language — can the hotline still help me in North Dakota?

Fargo is North Dakota's refugee-resettlement hub, and more than 15,000 North Dakotans have limited English proficiency, with Spanish the largest non-English language group. Our AI legal assistant is built to explain North Dakota and federal law in clear, plain language at your pace, without the legal jargon that makes the system feel closed off. Call 1-844-690-0555 free, 24/7, and take the time you need. It gives legal information, not legal advice. If your situation calls for representation, we can book you a consultation with a North Dakota-licensed attorney who can advise on your specific facts.

North Dakota Attorneys: Join Our Referral Network

Licensed in North Dakota and want quality, ready-to-talk clients from Fargo to the Bakken? Join our referral network and receive booked consultations in your practice areas and counties. Participation follows the North Dakota Rules of Professional Conduct on referral arrangements. Get in touch to learn more.

For Attorneys →

Reviewed by the Legal Hotline Editorial Team.

General legal information, not legal advice. We research every page from primary sources — legislation, the courts, and government legal-aid bodies — and check it for accuracy. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at admin@platfirm.ai.

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