N.D. Cent. Code § 4.1-75-02

This is the official text of N.D. Cent. Code § 4.1-75-02, part of North Dakota’s Cent. Code — part of the compiled statutory law of North Dakota, published by the state as "Cent. Code." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

4.1-75-02. Estrays - Possession

Official statutory text

4.1-75-02. Estrays - Possession

1. If an individual discovers an estray on property that the individual owns or controls, the

individual shall make a good-faith effort to:

a. Take possession of the estray;

b. Determine its ownership; and

c. Facilitate its return.

2. If the individual is unable to determine its ownership, the individual shall:

a. Notify the sheriff of the county in which the estray was found or the chief brand

inspector, and:

(1) Provide to the sheriff or the chief brand inspector any information that may

assist in determining ownership of the estray;

(2) Make the estray available for examination if requested by the chief brand

inspector; and

(3) Follow the directives of the chief brand inspector regarding the estray's care

and disposal; or

b. Deliver the estray to a livestock auction market in this state or to an out-of-state

livestock auction market that receives brand inspection services under section

4.1-73-24 and notify the brand inspector that it appears to be an estray.

3. Any person failing to comply with this section is liable to the owner of the estray for

treble damages and may not claim reimbursement for any expenses otherwise allowed

under this chapter.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

Need a lawyer in North Dakota?

Find a North Dakota lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.