Forfeitures
N.D. Cent. Code § 19-03.1-36
in effect19-03.1-36. Forfeitures
1. The following are subject to forfeiture:
a. All controlled substances which have been manufactured, distributed, dispensed,
or acquired in violation of this chapter.
b. All imitation controlled substances as defined by sections 19-03.2-01 and
19-03.2-02.
c. All raw materials, products, and equipment of any kind which are used, or
intended for use, in manufacturing, compounding, processing, delivering,
importing, or exporting any controlled substance in violation of this chapter.
d. All property which is used, or intended for use, as a container for property
described in subdivision a, b, or c.
e. All conveyances, including aircraft, vehicles, or vessels, which are used, or
intended for use, to transport, or in any manner to facilitate the transportation, for
the purpose of sale or receipt of property described in subdivision a, b, or c, but:
(1) No conveyance used by any person as a common carrier in the transaction
of business as a common carrier is subject to forfeiture under this section
unless it appears that the owner or other person in charge of the
conveyance is a consenting party or privy to a violation of this chapter.
(2) No conveyance is subject to forfeiture under this section by reason of any
act or omission established by the owner thereof to have been committed or
omitted without the owner's knowledge or consent.
(3) A conveyance is not subject to forfeiture for a violation of subsection 7 of
section 19-03.1-23 or subsection 3 of section 19-03.2-03.
(4) A forfeiture of a conveyance encumbered by a bona fide security interest is
subject to the interest of the secured party if the secured party neither had
knowledge of nor consented to the act or omission.
f. All books, records, and research products and materials, including formulas,
microfilm, tapes, and data which are used, or intended for use, in violation of this
chapter.
g. All drug paraphernalia as defined in chapter 19-03.4.
h. All money, coin, currency, and everything of value furnished, or intended to be
furnished, in exchange for a controlled substance in violation of this chapter or an
imitation controlled substance in violation of chapter 19-03.2, and all real and
personal property, assets, profits, income, proceeds, or an interest therein,
acquired or derived from the unlawful purchase, attempted purchase, delivery,
attempted delivery, manufacturing, or attempted manufacturing of any controlled
substance or imitation controlled substance.
2. Property subject to forfeiture under this chapter, except conveyances, may be seized
by the board upon process issued by any district court having jurisdiction over the
property. A conveyance subject to forfeiture under this chapter may be seized by a
state, county, or city law enforcement agency upon process issued by any district court
having jurisdiction over the conveyance. Seizure without process may be made if:
a. The seizure is incident to an arrest or a search under a search warrant or an
inspection under an administrative inspection warrant.
b. The property subject to seizure has been the subject of a prior judgment in favor
of the state in a criminal injunction or forfeiture proceedings based upon this
chapter.
c. The board or a law enforcement agency has probable cause to believe that the
property is directly or indirectly dangerous to health or safety.
d. The board or a law enforcement agency has probable cause to believe that the
property was used or is intended to be used in violation of this chapter.
3. In the event of seizure pursuant to subsection 2, proceedings under subsection 4 must
be instituted promptly.
4. Property taken or detained under this section is not subject to replevin, but is deemed
to be in custody of the board or a law enforcement agency subject only to the orders
and decrees of the district court having jurisdiction over the forfeiture proceedings as
set out in subsection 2. When property is seized under this chapter, the board or a law
enforcement agency may:
a. Place the property under seal.
b. Remove the property to a place designated by it.
c. Require the attorney general to take custody of the property and remove it to an
appropriate location for disposition in accordance with law.
5. When property is forfeited under this chapter, the board or a law enforcement agency
may:
a. Retain it for official use or transfer the custody or ownership of any forfeited
property to any federal, state, or local agency. The board shall ensure the
equitable transfer of any forfeited property to the appropriate federal, state, or
local law enforcement agency so as to reflect generally the contribution of that
agency participating directly in any of the acts that led to the seizure or forfeiture
of the property. A decision to transfer the property is not subject to review.
b. Sell that which is not required to be destroyed by law and which is not harmful to
the public. The proceeds must be used for payment of all proper expenses of the
proceedings for forfeiture and sale, including expenses of seizure, maintenance
of custody, advertising, and court costs, with any remaining proceeds to be
deposited, subject to section 54-12-14, in the appropriate state, county, or city
general fund. When two or more law enforcement agencies are involved in
seizing a conveyance, the remaining proceeds may be divided proportionately.
c. Require the attorney general to take custody of property and remove it for
disposition in accordance with law.
d. Forward it to the bureau for disposition.
e. Use the property, including controlled substances, imitation controlled
substances, and plants forfeited under subsections 6 and 7, in enforcement of
this chapter. However, in a case involving the delivery of a forfeited controlled
substance by a law enforcement officer or a person acting as an agent of a law
enforcement officer, no prosecution or conviction for simple possession of a
controlled substance under subsection 5 of section 19-03.1-23 may be based
upon the forfeited controlled substances supplied by the law enforcement officer
or the officer's agent.
6. Controlled substances as defined in this chapter and imitation controlled substances
as defined in chapter 19-03.2 that are possessed, transferred, sold, or offered for sale
in violation of this chapter and drug paraphernalia as defined in chapter 19-03.4 are
contraband and must be seized and summarily forfeited to the state. Controlled
substances as defined in this chapter and imitation controlled substances as defined in
chapter 19-03.2, which are seized or come into the possession of the state and drug
paraphernalia as defined in chapter 19-03.4, the owners of which are unknown, are
contraband and must be summarily forfeited to the state.
7. Species of plants from which controlled substances in schedules I and II may be
derived which have been planted or cultivated in violation of this chapter, or of which
the owners or cultivators are unknown, or which are wild growths, may be seized and
summarily forfeited to the state.
8. The failure, upon demand by the board, or its authorized agent, of the person in
occupancy or in control of land or premises upon which the species of plants are
growing or being stored to produce an appropriate registration, or proof that the person
is the holder thereof, constitutes authority for the seizure and forfeiture of the plants.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c03-1.pdf#nameddest=19-03p1-36Fetched: 10/16/2026