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Grant County, ND Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Grant County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | The district court in Grant County, at the Grant County Courthouse in Carson (N.D.C.C. § 27-05-06) |
| Courthouse address | Grant County Courthouse, 106 2nd Ave, Carson, ND 58529 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 258, Carson, ND 58529 |
| Phone | (701) 622-3615, clerk of district court in Grant County (N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 46) |
| Fax | (701) 622-3717 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time, Monday through Friday, closed for lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. |
| Filing fee | $160, effective July 1, 2025, for filing probate, guardianship, or another Title 30.1 testamentary case (N.D.C.C. § 27-05.2-03) |
| Local forms | Grant County publishes no county probate forms; use the North Dakota Legal Self Help Center materials at ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help. |
| E-filing | Represented parties file through Odyssey. Self-represented filers are exempt from the electronic filing requirement and may file paper in person, by mail, or by commercial carrier, and may use Odyssey if they choose (N.D.R.Ct. 3.5). |
| Case search | North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov. Select Grant County and the Civil, Family & Probate Case Records category. Data is current through the end of the previous business day. |
| Remote appearance | A party may ask for reliable electronic means by written motion under N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 52; the court decides. |
| Website | https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations/grant-county |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Carson, list the assets, debts, real estate, beneficiary designations, and any original will. Grant County's local filing details are simple, but estate settlement turns on what the person owned, where the person was domiciled, and whether an appointment case is needed under North Dakota's Uniform Probate Code, Title 30.1.
Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families find accounts and organize the estate before papers are filed. That asset picture helps you decide what to bring or mail to the Grant County Courthouse and what questions to take to a North Dakota attorney.
Which court handles jurisdiction
North Dakota has no separate court for decedents' estates and no separate probate forum of any kind: estate settlement is a case class of the state's single district court, which sits in all 53 counties, and the papers are filed with the clerk of district court at the Grant County Courthouse (N.D. Const. art. VI, §§ 1, 8; N.D.C.C. § 27-05-06; N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 46). The separate county-level forum that once heard these cases was abolished on January 1, 1995, and its files became district court files (N.D.C.C. § 27-05-00.1).
Probate for Grant County is filed with the clerk of district court at the county courthouse in Carson. Grant County is one of the 9 counties in the South Central Judicial District, with Burleigh, Emmons, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan and Sioux. The South Central Judicial District is how judges and district administration are organized; the case itself is filed at this county's own courthouse (N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 6; N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-13).
Venue is handled under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-13. For informal probate, the application asks for the county and state of domicile at death, and if the decedent was not domiciled in North Dakota, the application must state facts showing venue (N.D.C.C. § 30.1-14-01). For local orientation, Grant County includes Carson, Elgin, Leith and New Leipzig.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the correct North Dakota papers. Informal probate uses an application under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-14; formal probate uses a petition under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-15. Grant County does not publish its own probate packet, so start with the North Dakota Legal Self Help Center materials at ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help.
- File with the clerk of district court in Grant County at the Grant County Courthouse, 106 2nd Ave, Carson, ND 58529, or mail papers to P.O. Box 258, Carson, ND 58529 (N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 46). The counter is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time, Monday through Friday, and closes for lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Pay the filing fee. The fee is $160, effective July 1, 2025, for filing a Title 30.1 testamentary case (N.D.C.C. § 27-05.2-03). A fee waiver request is available through ndcourts.gov.
- Handle the original will and e-filing correctly. Represented parties file through Odyssey; self-represented filers are exempt from the electronic filing requirement and may file paper in person, by mail, or by commercial carrier, and may use Odyssey if they choose. Original wills, codicils, and other documents of independent legal significance may be filed as paper documents (N.D.R.Ct. 3.5).
- Give any required notices for the route you are using. If a personal representative publishes and mails notice to creditors, the notice is governed by N.D.C.C. § 30.1-19-01.
- Watch the hearing track. Informal probate under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-14 is designed for filing without a court appearance or court hearing when the proper forms and procedures are used. Formal probate under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-15 includes court hearings.
- If a hearing is set and travel is difficult, ask about reliable electronic means. A written motion under N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 52 is served at least seven days before the proceeding, with any response served at least four days before, unless the court shortens the time for good cause.
- Wait for authority from the court. In an informal proceeding the court reviews the application, makes the required findings, issues any written statement of informal probate, and issues letters testamentary or letters of administration within ten working days after all requirements for informal proceedings have been met (N.D.C.C. §§ 30.1-14-02, 30.1-14-03, 30.1-14-07).
- Administer and conclude the estate settlement. The personal representative uses the letters to gather assets, deal with creditors, prepare the inventory required within six months after appointment or nine months after death, whichever is later, and finish the estate under the statewide closing procedures (N.D.C.C. §§ 30.1-18-06, 30.1-21).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Grant County
There are no Grant County probate forms and no Grant County cover sheet published for local use. Filers use the statewide North Dakota Legal Self Help Center materials at ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help and file with the clerk of district court in Grant County (N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 46).
The statewide informal set includes the Guidebook and Forms for Informal Administration of an Estate, revised August 2025, and includes forms such as the Application for Informal Probate of Will and Appointment of a Personal Representative, Letters Testamentary, Application for Informal Appointment of Personal Representative in Intestacy, and Letters of Administration. The court shall provide the necessary forms to an applicant who requests aid in using the informal probate or appointment procedure, and the assistance of an attorney is not required for informal probate or appointment procedure (N.D.C.C. § 30.1-14-01.1).
The North Dakota Legal Self Help Center also warns that its general materials do not include documents for formal proceedings under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-15. If a Grant County matter needs that route, the filer creates documents or retains a lawyer to create them.
Local nuance
Grant County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Mountain Time | The Grant County Courthouse lists its hours in Mountain Time. Use that time zone when planning a filing trip or a call to the Carson office. |
| Lunch closure | The courthouse hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time, Monday through Friday, but the office closes for lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. |
| Travel within the South Central Judicial District | No South Central Judicial District judge is chambered in Carson. The supreme court's stated intent is that residents of counties within a judicial district receive judicial services in their own county without needing to travel to the chamber cities, but that is an intent statement rather than a guarantee for every hearing (N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 6). |
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| July 1, 2025 | The North Dakota Court Fee Schedule lists the probate filing fee as $160, effective July 1, 2025, for filing a Title 30.1 testamentary case (N.D.C.C. § 27-05.2-03). |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Grant County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by sorting which assets pass outside the estate and which assets require an appointment. If a filing is needed, file in Carson or by mail to P.O. Box 258. Bring or mail the original will on paper under N.D.R.Ct. 3.5 and plan around the noon to 12:30 p.m. Mountain Time lunch closure. | Sunset helps identify accounts, collect property information, and organize the packet before filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-23 | A self-represented filer may mail papers to the Grant County clerk of district court or use Odyssey if choosing electronic filing, while any original will still reaches the Carson courthouse on paper (N.D.R.Ct. 3.5; N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 46). | Sunset helps determine whether the family needs a court appointment, gathers institution information, and prepares questions for a local attorney. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of a home usually requires an appointed personal representative and letters testamentary or letters of administration. In an informal proceeding, the court issues letters within ten working days after all requirements are met (N.D.C.C. § 30.1-14-07). Certified copies cost $20 and additional copies of the same document cost $10, effective July 1, 2025 (N.D.C.C. § 27-05.2-03). | Sunset helps find accounts, create a task list for the real estate sale, and connect the family with a vetted North Dakota probate attorney. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Grant County courthouse page | Courthouse address, mailing address, phone, fax, and Mountain Time hours for the Carson filing location. | https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations/grant-county |
| North Dakota Legal Self Help Center | Statewide self-help materials, the informal probate guidebook, personal-property affidavit information under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-23, and fee waiver materials. | https://www.ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help |
| North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry | Case search for Civil, Family & Probate Case Records. Select Grant County. Data is current through the end of the previous business day. | https://publicsearch.ndcourts.gov/ |
| Attorney Search | North Dakota Judiciary lawyer search for finding licensed counsel. | https://www.ndcourts.gov/lawyers |
| Legal Services of North Dakota | Statewide civil legal aid. Intake is 1-800-634-5263 for people under 60 and 1-866-621-9886 for people age 60 and over. Call to ask whether the organization can assist with your situation. | https://lsnd.org |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps families build a clearer inventory for estate settlement before they file in Grant County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps organize the information needed for North Dakota forms, the original will paper filing rule under N.D.R.Ct. 3.5, and the local Carson filing address.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate settlement needs legal advice, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted North Dakota attorney who understands district court practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize assets, tasks, and next steps without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Grant County?
File with the clerk of district court at the Grant County Courthouse, 106 2nd Ave, Carson, ND 58529, or mail papers to P.O. Box 258, Carson, ND 58529 (N.D.C.C. § 27-05-06; N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 46).
What are the clerk's hours in Carson, and is the office open at lunch?
The courthouse hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time, Monday through Friday. The office closes for lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Do I have to e-file in Grant County if I am self-represented?
No. Self-represented filers are exempt from the electronic filing requirement and may file paper documents in person, by mail, or by commercial carrier. They may use Odyssey if they choose. Represented parties use Odyssey (N.D.R.Ct. 3.5).
Can I mail the original will to the Grant County Courthouse?
Yes. Original wills, codicils, and other documents of independent legal significance may be filed as paper documents. If you are mailing an original will, use the Grant County mailing address, P.O. Box 258, Carson, ND 58529 (N.D.R.Ct. 3.5).
How much does it cost to file probate in Grant County?
The filing fee is $160, effective July 1, 2025, for filing a Title 30.1 testamentary case (N.D.C.C. § 27-05.2-03).
Are there Grant County probate forms?
Grant County does not publish county probate forms. Use the statewide North Dakota Legal Self Help Center materials at ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help. For informal probate, state law says the court shall provide the necessary forms to an applicant who requests aid in using the informal probate or appointment procedure (N.D.C.C. § 30.1-14-01.1).
Can I look up a Grant County probate case online?
Use the North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov. Select Grant County and the Civil, Family & Probate Case Records category. Data is current through the end of the previous business day.
Will I have to travel to another city for a hearing?
Not every estate settlement has a hearing. Informal probate under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-14 is designed to proceed without a court appearance or court hearing if the correct forms and procedures are used. If a hearing is needed, the supreme court's stated intent is that residents receive judicial services in their own county without the need to travel to chamber cities, but that is not a guarantee for every case (N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 6).
How do I ask for a video or telephone appearance?
North Dakota uses the term reliable electronic means. A party asks by written motion under N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 52, served at least seven days before the proceeding, with any response served at least four days before. The court decides whether to allow it.
How long until letters are issued in Grant County?
For an informal proceeding, the court must issue letters testamentary or letters of administration within ten working days after all requirements for informal proceedings have been met (N.D.C.C. § 30.1-14-07).
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.