Criminal charges are formal accusations of criminal conduct made by a governmental authority against a person or entity. Criminal charges are usually filed or initiated by a city, county, state, or the federal government, acting through a public prosecutor—also known as a municipal prosecutor, county attorney, district attorney, state attorney general, or United States Attorney (for federal crimes). Criminal charges range from low-level misdemeanors such as traffic tickets to first degree felonies such as capital murder.

The charging document in which the specific crime(s) alleged to have been committed are specified may be referred to as (1) a complaint; (2) an information; (3) an indictment; (4) a citation; or (5) a traffic ticket.

In North Dakota, criminal charges are formal allegations made by a government authority accusing an individual or entity of engaging in criminal conduct. These charges can be initiated by various levels of government, including city, county, state, or federal authorities, and are prosecuted by legal officers such as municipal prosecutors, county attorneys, state's attorneys, or U.S. Attorneys in the case of federal offenses. The severity of criminal charges in North Dakota ranges from misdemeanors, like minor traffic violations, to serious felonies, including capital murder. The specific criminal charges are detailed in a charging document, which may take the form of a complaint, an information, an indictment, a citation, or a traffic ticket. A complaint or an information typically initiates misdemeanor charges, while an indictment is required for felony charges and is issued by a grand jury. Citations and traffic tickets are used for minor infractions and regulatory offenses.