Adverse possession in North Dakota
In North Dakota, a suit to recover real property requires that the owner or a predecessor held or possessed it within twenty years before the suit (N.D. Cent. Code 28-01-04).
How long it takes in North Dakota
Where the claim rests on a written instrument, twenty years of continued occupation makes the included premises held adversely (N.D. Cent. Code 28-01-08).
A title held under ten years of possession is valid when the possessor side also paid all taxes and assessments legally levied on the land (N.D. Cent. Code 47-06-03).
Sources: ND twenty years; ND ten years with taxes
What the statute requires
Without a written instrument, land counts as possessed only where it was protected by a substantial enclosure or usually cultivated or improved (N.D. Cent. Code 28-01-11).
Source: ND enclosure or cultivation
Land and people the clock does not run against
Possession by a county under a tax deed is not treated as adverse (N.D. Cent. Code 47-06-03).
Source: ND county tax deed
Common questions
How many years for adverse possession in North Dakota?
In North Dakota, a suit to recover real property requires that the owner or a predecessor held or possessed it within twenty years before the suit (N.D. Cent. Code 28-01-04).