McKenzie County

McKenzie County follows North Dakota law on arrests, release, and courts. These rules are the same in every county in the state; the full set covers prosecutors, defense, and jails too.

Who decides release first

Jails and police follow the Supreme Court's Uniform Bail Schedule, which mostly points to release on a promise to appear rather than money. People held on felonies, on violent, sexual, or domestic violence misdemeanors, or on certain warrants may be held for a judicial officer. A district judge or a lawyer magistrate then sets release at the initial appearance.

N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 63N.D.R.Crim.P. 46

Time to see a judge

A person arrested must be taken without unnecessary delay before the nearest available magistrate. The bail schedule rule asks that every effort be made to hold the appearance within 48 hours of arrest, but no rule sets a firm number of hours.

N.D.R.Crim.P. 5(a)N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 63(g)

Money bail

North Dakota courts may set money bail. The magistrate must release a person on recognizance or an unsecured bond unless that won't assure the person comes back.

N.D.R.Crim.P. 46

Courts

The district court tries every felony and state misdemeanor; North Dakota abolished its county courts in 1995. Cities may set up a municipal court, which hears city ordinance cases but not domestic violence offenses or repeat DUI.

N.D.C.C. ch. 27-05N.D.C.C. 40-18.1-01, -02

Judges and magistrates

Voters elect district judges to six-year terms on the no-party ballot. Each district's presiding judge appoints magistrates, who serve at that judge's pleasure and must be lawyers to hold initial appearances or set bail. Voters elect municipal judges to four-year terms, and a judge who isn't a lawyer can't hear DUI cases.

N.D. Const. art. VI, sec. 9N.D.C.C. 27-05-02N.D.C.C. 16.1-11-19N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 20N.D.C.C. 40-18.1-02, -05

Read from the statutes and court rules cited, 2026-09-30. Municipal judges moved from repealed chapter 40-18 to chapter 40-18.1 in 2025. The state's attorney's four-year term was not read from statute. That county jails are run by the sheriff rests on the chapter's definition of administrator, which lists the sheriff among others.

• McKenzie County Sheriff's OfficeCounty8,561 served
• Watford City Police DepartmentCity6,201 served
• ND0270300City290 served

Agencies: FBI NIBRS master file 2025 batch headers; names from the FBI agency list, pulled 2026-09-29. An agency that serves several counties appears on each. Population served is the FBI's figure.