What are squatters’ rights in North Dakota?
In North Dakota, land must be held and possessed adversely to the legal title for 20 years before the owner’s action to recover it is barred. A person who has been in actual, open, adverse and undisputed possession of land under a title for 10 years, and has paid all taxes and assessments levied on it, holds a title that is valid in law. An eviction action can be brought in district court against a party who entered another person’s real property by force, intimidation, fraud or stealth and keeps possession of it. The summons must set the defendant’s appearance no fewer than 3 and no more than 15 days after it is issued. Unlawfully detaining, occupying or trespassing on a residential dwelling is also a class C felony, and a class B felony for a second or later offense at the same dwelling. Until that period has run, a person occupying property without permission has no claim to its title. This is N.D. Cent. Code §§ 28-01-04, 28-01-07, 47-06-03; N.D. Cent. Code §§ 47-32-01, 47-32-02, 12.1-22-03.
| What | North Dakota |
|---|---|
| Adverse possession period | 20 years |
| Removing an unauthorized occupant | Through a court proceeding, after notice |
Source
N.D. Cent. Code §§ 28-01-04, 28-01-07, 47-06-03; N.D. Cent. Code §§ 47-32-01, 47-32-02, 12.1-22-03
Read the statute in the North Dakota Century Code (North Dakota Legislative Branch): ndlegis.gov.
Checked against the statute on November 13, 2026.
This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.
Guides on this rule
- Squatters’ Rights by State: Adverse Possession and Removal — How long adverse possession takes in 51 states, what the statutes require, and which states let law enforcement remove a squatter without an eviction case.
Compare this rule in every state
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- Every North Dakota rule on one page
The same question in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii