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Sales tax in Ward County, North Dakota

By Brent Chudoba, editor Updated

There is no single sales tax rate in Ward County. It runs from 5.5% to 8.5% depending on the exact address, because cities and special districts inside the county levy their own on top of the 5% state rate. The 5% state rate applies everywhere in the county; everything above that depends on where you are standing. These rates were read from North Dakota's own published schedule and checked on September 9, 2026.

What is the sales tax rate in Ward County?

Sales tax rate components in Ward County, North Dakota
North Dakota state rate5%
Ward County rate0.5%
Lowest combined rate in the county5.5%
Highest combined rate in the county8.5%

The combined figures are the lowest and highest totals anywhere in Ward County, so the rows above do not add up to them.

How much sales tax is that on a purchase in Ward County?

At 5.5%, a $100 purchase carries $5.50 in sales tax and a $1,000 purchase $55.00, at the lowest rate in the county. At the highest, 8.5%, the same purchases carry $8.50 and $85.00. That is general merchandise; North Dakota taxes some categories, often groceries, differently, as the note below explains.

Among North Dakota's 53 counties, Ward County's lowest rate ranks 6th highest, level with 2 other counties. See every North Dakota county.

Sales tax in counties next to Ward County

Ward County borders 5 counties. The lowest rate next door is 5% in Burke County, ND, which is $5.00 less on a $1,000 purchase than the lowest rate in Ward County.

Ward County and its neighbors, highest rate first
CountyCombined sales tax
Ward County, ND (this county)5.5% to 8.5%
Burke County, ND5% to 7%
McHenry County, ND5% to 7%
McLean County, ND5% to 8%
Mountrail County, ND5% to 7%
Renville County, ND5% to 7%

Why the rate here is not the whole story

North Dakota charges 5 percent state sales tax, and both cities and counties may add a local sales, use and gross receipts tax on top, so the rate usually changes at a city limit rather than at the county line. Ward County levies its own 0.5 percent county tax, which applies to every address in the county including addresses inside the cities. The county holds 6 cities that impose a city tax, ranging from 1 percent to 3 percent, and the highest combined rate in the county is 8.5 percent in Surrey. North Dakota lets a city or county cap the local tax on a single transaction, and a buyer charged more than the cap can apply to the Tax Commissioner for a refund of the excess, so the effective local rate on a large purchase falls below the posted rate. Here the county tax is capped at $50 per sale and Surrey caps its city tax at $25 per sale. Minot goes from 2 percent to 2.5 percent on October 1, 2026, which does not move the county ceiling because Surrey is already at 3 percent. Local rates change only on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1, and the department posts each change at least 60 days ahead. Use the department address lookup rather than a single county figure.

How do I find the exact rate for an address in Ward County?

Use North Dakota's own address lookup. In Ward County the rate depends on the address, anywhere from 5.5% to 8.5%.

Who has to collect sales tax in Ward County?

Any seller with a physical presence in North Dakota collects at the rate for the address of the sale; a remote seller does once it passes North Dakota's economic nexus threshold. North Dakota sales tax covers the statewide rules and what is exempt.

Work out your own numbers

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