Title 24, Highways, Bridges, and Ferries

All public roads and highways within this state which have been or which shall be open and in use as such, during twenty successive years, hereby are declared to be public roads or highways and confirmed and established as such whether the same have been laid out, established, an…

Every road laid out by the proper authorities, as provided for in this chapter, from the laying out of which no appeal has been taken within the time limited for taking such appeal, hereby is declared a public highway to all intents and purposes, and all persons having refused or…

In all townships in this state, outside the limits of incorporated cities, and outside platted townsites, additions, or subdivisions recorded pursuant to sections 40-50.1-01 through 40-50.1-17 or recorded prior to July 1, 1987, under former chapter 40-50, the congressional sectio…

A person having a surface interest in a parcel of land connected by a section line to another parcel of land in which that person has a surface interest or to a highway may petition the board of county commissioners in an unorganized township or the board of township supervisors …

Except as otherwise provided in this title, all proceedings for the opening, vacating, or changing of a highway outside of the limits of an incorporated city, including the acquisition of right of way when necessary, must be under the charge and in the name of: 1. The board of co…

The board having jurisdiction as provided in this chapter may alter or discontinue any road or lay out any new road upon the petition of not less than six qualified electors who have an ownership interest in real estate in the vicinity of the road to be altered, discontinued, or …

Whenever any tract of land is surveyed or sold in tracts less than the original subdivision as established by the government survey thereof, so that any part thereof does not touch upon a public road so as to allow the owner of such tract access to a public highway, the board of …

Whenever a petition is received by the board having jurisdiction, requiring a new road to be laid out, said board, when in its judgment circumstances warrant the same, shall employ a competent surveyor to survey and lay out said road, and such survey must include a line of levels…

The provisions of this chapter apply to all lands owned by the state or any institution thereof, or held by virtue of any contract with the state, and notice of the altering, laying out, or discontinuing of any cartway or highway pursuant to this chapter must be served by registe…

The petitioners for the alteration or discontinuance of any road, or for laying out any new road, shall cause copies of their petition to be posted in three of the most public places in the county or township having jurisdiction thereof, twenty days before any action is had in re…

Within thirty days after the board having jurisdiction receives a petition in compliance with provisions of this chapter for laying out, altering, or discontinuing any highway, it shall make out a notice and fix therein a time and place at which it will meet and decide upon such …

When at least seventy percent of the qualified electors who are owners or part owners of land bordering on any existing or proposed road or highway have signed the original petition and thereby released all their claims to damages arising from altering, discontinuing, or laying o…

If the petition is for the opening, altering, or discontinuing of a road or highway between two or more counties, it must be filed with the auditor of one of the counties affected at least fifteen days before any action is taken, and the auditor immediately shall transmit certifi…

The board having jurisdiction, upon being satisfied that copies of the petition have been posted and notices have been served and posted as required, or that at least seventy percent of the qualified electors who are owners of lands affected have signed the original petition and …

Whenever the board of county commissioners or the board of township supervisors shall lay out, alter, or discontinue any highway, it shall cause a survey thereof to be made when necessary, and it shall make out an accurate description of the highway so altered, discontinued, or l…

The order laying out, altering, or discontinuing any highway, or a copy of the record duly certified by the county auditor or township clerk, as each case may require, must be received in all courts as competent evidence of the facts therein contained and must be prima facie evid…

The damages sustained by reason of laying out, altering, or discontinuing any road may be ascertained by the agreement of the owners and the board of county commissioners or the board of township supervisors, as the case may be, and unless such agreement is made, or the owners in…

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no damages may be assessed or allowed to any person, corporation, or limited liability company by reason of the laying out of any new road or the altering of any old one, if the title of the land on which such road passes was vested i…

The determination of a board of county commissioners, or a board of township supervisors in refusing to lay out, alter, or discontinue any highway, is final, unless such determination is appealed from as is provided in this chapter, for the term of one year after the filing of su…

Whenever any public road has been laid out through any enclosed, cultivated, or improved lands, pursuant to this chapter and the decision of the board laying out the road has not been appealed from, the board shall give the owner or occupant of the land through which the road is …

When any highway is to be changed or laid out, the county auditor or clerk of the township, as the case may be, shall notify the overseer of highways of each district affected and shall furnish the overseer of highways with a certified copy of the proceedings of the board.

Whenever highways are laid out across railroads, canals, or ditches on public lands, the owners at their own expense shall so repair their railroads, canals, or ditches that the public highway may cross the same without damage or delay, and when the right of way for a public high…

Any person who feels aggrieved by any determination or award of damages made by the board having jurisdiction, either in laying out, altering, or discontinuing, or in refusing to lay out, alter, or discontinue, any highway or cartway, within thirty days after the filing of such d…

The appeal provided for in section 24-07-22 must be taken by the service and filing of a notice of appeal and an undertaking for costs. The notice of appeal must specify: 1. The court to which the appeal is taken. 2. Whether the appeal is taken in relation to damages assessed or …

The notice of appeal and undertaking to the district court must be filed with the clerk of the court and the undertaking must be approved by the judge thereof or by the county auditor. The notice of appeal must be served upon some member of the board by which the determination wa…

Upon an appeal to the district court, the issues must be submitted to a jury unless the parties otherwise agree, and must be tried as other cases are tried in district court upon appeal.

An appeal as provided for in this chapter brings before the appellate court the propriety of the amount of damages allowed and all matters referred to in the notice of appeal. The court or jury, as the case may be, shall reassess the damages. The rules for ascertaining and fixing…

When judgment has been entered upon an appeal taken as provided in this chapter, the clerk of the district court shall file with the county auditor or clerk of the township a certified copy of the judgment.

If the determination of the board appealed from is affirmed, or if the amount of damages allowed is reduced, the party appealing shall pay all costs and disbursements incurred in the appellate court, but if the amount of damages allowed is increased, or if the determination is al…

When an appeal has been made from the determination of any board of township supervisors or board of county commissioners, and such determination has been reversed or altered, the board from whose determination such appeal was taken shall proceed to lay out, alter, or discontinue…

Any road or part thereof laid out by authority of a board of county commissioners or a board of township supervisors, and not opened to public use within ten years from the time when it was laid out, or which thereafter is abandoned and not used for ten years, hereby is declared …

A public highway established on a county or township line, or a public highway laid out parallel and adjacent to a county or township line, where such line is occupied by a railroad or other obstruction, must be opened, established, and repaired by the supervisors of the proper r…

When any person acquires the title to government land over which any road has been or hereafter may be laid out, subsequent to the laying out of such road, the person so acquiring such title, within three months after the receipt of the person's patent therefor, shall assert the …

Whenever the board of supervisors of any township and the governing body of any incorporated city shall receive a petition praying for the location of a road or for the altering or discontinuing of any road on the line between such township and such city, such road may be laid ou…

A board having jurisdiction as described in this chapter, and the governing body of a city, may designate a road under its jurisdiction as a minimum maintenance road in accordance with sections 24-07-35 through 24-07-37. The designation may be made only if the board or governing …

The body making a designation of a minimum maintenance road shall post signs at the beginning of the road and at regular intervals along the road. The signs must conform to standards adopted by the director by rule. If the signs are properly posted, that fact is prima facie evide…

A road is not eligible for designation as a minimum maintenance road if federal highway aid to this state would be reduced as a result of that designation. A road is not eligible for that designation if additional right of way or easement by eminent domain is required for constru…