Replacing Your Important Papers

To replace adoption papers originating in North Dakota, contact the county clerk of court or recorder in the county where the adoption was finalized. You can find a list of North Dakota county contact information at www.ndaco.org/cod/browse-by-county.

For papers related to citizenship, immigration, permanent residency (green card), re-entry permit, employment authorization, etc., visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at www.uscis.gov or call 800-375-5283. Complete Form N-565. You also may contact your county courthouse.

Contact your credit card companies regarding lost or destroyed cards. 

American Express: 800-528-4800 
Discover: 800-347-2683 (TDD/TTY: 800-347-7449) 
Master Card: Contact issuing financial institution or 800-627-8372 
Visa: Contact issuing financial institution or 800-847-2911 
Debit card: Contact issuing financial institution

Records for people who were born, were adopted or died in North Dakota are available by contacting the North Dakota Department of Health Vital Records office. 

All requests must be in writing. Information needed: 
name of record, date of birth, place of birth (city or county), father’s name, mother’s name (including maiden name) and a copy of some form of government issued photo ID. Send the request to: 

Division of Vital Records 
600 E. Boulevard Ave. 
Dept. 325 
Bismarck, ND 58505-0250 

Contact the office at www.hhs.nd.gov/vital or 701-328-2360 for more information. 

For those who were not born or did not die in North Dakota but were born or died in the U.S., visit the National Center for Health Statistics at www.cdc.gov/nchs/index.html for a list of where to write to obtain or replace vital records. 

For birth records of U.S. citizens born abroad, visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports. html/get!first!%20first_825.html or request a copy of Form FS-240, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, from: 

U.S. Department of State 
Passport Services, Vital Records Section 
1111 19th St., N.W., Room 510 
Washington DC 20036-3603 

Also use this address to obtain a Report of the Death of an American Citizen Abroad form for U.S. citizens who died abroad.

The quickest way to obtain a duplicate driver’s license is to apply in person at any North Dakota driver’s license site with acceptable identification and the required fee. Go to www.dot.nd.gov/driver/driver-license for more information.

Contact the agent or company providing the coverage. You may be required to complete a form, pay a fee for duplicate copies, or both. Having the policy number will expedite your request. Find a list of companies doing insurance business in North Dakota, along with contact information, at www.insurance.nd.gov.

Those married in North Dakota may obtain certified copies of marriage records at the county where the license was purchased and filed. For a list of counties and contact information, go to www.hhs.nd.gov/vital/ marriage. 

Those divorced in North Dakota may obtain copies of divorce records from the county clerk or recorder in the county in which the divorce or annulment was decreed. For a list of counties and contact information, go to www.hhs.nd.gov/vital/divorce. If you need assistance determining in which county the divorce decree was granted, contact the North Dakota Vital Records office at 701-328-2360 or email the information you are looking for to www.hhs.nd.gov/vital. 

For those married or divorced in another state, visit the National Center for Health Statistics at www.cdc.gov/nchs/index.html for a list of contact information for other states.

Visit https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-01735 for information on how to request a replacement card online. If you prefer, you may request a replacement Medicare card by calling 800-633-4227 (TIY: 877-486-2048). You also can visit a local Social Security Administration office. In North Dakota, these offices are in Bismarck, Devils Lake, Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Minot and Williston. To find contact information for a Social Security Administration office near you, go to www.ssa.gov/locator.

To request a replacement passport, obtain instructions and complete forms DS-11 and DS-64 (Statement Regarding Lost or Stolen Passport) available from: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html. You must submit the completed forms in person to a passport agency or center. Find the nearest location to you at https://iafdb.travel.state.gov.

Contact the county treasurer/auditor in the county where the property is located for a replacement tax receipt.

When a property abstract is lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed, replacing it is costly. An abstract company servicing the area where the property is located would need to rebuild the abstract. Contact the county clerk of court or county recorder to find out which abstract company services the county. A list of North Dakota county contact information can be found at www.ndaco.org/cod.

Complete an Application for Certificate of Title & Registration of a Vehicle found at www.dot.nd.gov/ motor-vehicle. You then can drop this off at your local motor vehicle office or mail it to this address with the appropriate fee: 

North Dakota Department of Transportation 
Motor Vehicle Division, 608 E. Boulevard Ave. 
Bismarck, ND 58505-0700 

Note: The duplicate title will be mailed to the lien holder of record or the registered owner.

Visit https://treasurydirect.gov/forms/sav1048.pdf and complete Form PDF1048E, Claim for Lost, Stolen or Destroyed U.S. Savings Bonds, or call 844-284-2676. 

To replace Series HH/H Bonds, mail the completed form to: 

Treasury Retail Securities Services 
PO Box 9150 
Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150 

To replace Series EE/E Bonds, mail the completed form to: 

Treasury Retail Securities Services 
PO Box 9150 
Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150

To replace a lost Social Security card, obtain Form SS-5, Application for Social Security Card, from this office or download it from www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/ss5.htm. Follow the instructions to complete the form. 

For additional help, contact the Social Security Administration (www.ssa.gov) at 800-772-1213. Social Security Administration offices in North Dakota are in Bismarck, Devils Lake, Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Minot and Williston. To find contact information for a Social Security Administration office near you, go to www.ssa.gov/locator.

You can receive a transcript of past years’ income tax returns online and through the mail free of charge. Go to www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript to get yours. 

When you need an exact copy of a previously filed tax return with all attachments (including Form W-2), you should complete IRS Form 4506 (PDF), Request for Copy of Tax Return, and mail it to the address listed in the instructions, along with the required fee for each tax return requested. 

If a taxpayer is impacted by a federally declared disaster, the IRS waives the usual fees and expedites requests for copies of tax returns. The assistance hotline number is 866-562-5227. 

To receive a copy of a North Dakota income tax return, find a Request for Copies form at www.tax.nd.gov/individual and follow the instructions.

To request military records, complete and submit Standard Form 180 (SF-180). This form is available from any office of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Red Cross, a veterans association or military recruiter. 

You also may download it from www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records. 

Send the completed form as advised in the instructions.

Contact the attorney who prepared your will or advanced directive for a copy of a lost or damaged legal document.

Louisiana State University Ag Center, Research and Extension, Disaster Recovery, Replacing Important Papers, 2012. 

www.firstgov.gov, the U.S. government’s official Web portal, Replace Your Vital Documents, 2012. 

University of Missouri Extension, Replacing Important Papers, EMW1024, 2012 

Colorado State University Extension, Replacing Lost or Damaged Documents, Fact Sheet No. 9.166, 2014 

North Dakota Vital Records Department, www.hhs.nd.gov/vital