Title 54, State Government

The annual salary of the governor is one hundred sixty-three thousand one hundred seven dollars through June 30, 2026, and one hundred sixty-eight thousand dollars thereafter.

The governor, in addition to other duties and responsibilities conferred upon the governor by the constitution and laws of this state, is hereby empowered to contract and to do all other things necessary in behalf of this state to secure the full benefits available to this state …

The governor's prevention and advisory council shall contract with or grant funds to entities within this state to discourage impaired driving and alcohol and drug abuse by minors. The council may accept grants and gifts of any money, property, or service from any public or priva…

There is created in the state treasury the Theodore Roosevelt presidential library and museum endowment fund. The governor may provide for the fund to be invested under the supervision of the board of university and school lands. The interest and earnings of the fund are appropri…

1. The children's cabinet is created to assess, guide, and coordinate the care for children and families across the state's branches of government and the tribal nations. 2. The children's cabinet is composed of: a. The governor, or the governor's designee; b. The chief justice o…

1. The office of the governor shall provide staffing and administrative services to the boards review task force. The task force shall: a. Review and assess all boards, commissions, committees, councils, and task forces for inefficiencies and duplication of responsibilities; and …

The duties of the lieutenant governor are those prescribed in the Constitution of North Dakota.

In case of the death, impeachment, resignation, failure to qualify, absence from the state, removal from office, or the disability of the lieutenant governor, the powers and duties of that office for the residue of the term, or until the lieutenant governor is acquitted or the di…

The annual salary of the lieutenant governor is one hundred thirty-nine thousand two hundred fifty-six dollars through June 30, 2026, and one hundred forty-three thousand four hundred thirty-four dollars thereafter.

When the lieutenant governor acts as governor, the lieutenant governor is entitled to receive during the time the lieutenant governor so acts the compensation which the governor, if acting, would be entitled to receive for such time. During such time the lieutenant governor is no…

The secretary of state is charged with the custody of: 1. The enrolled copy of the Constitution of North Dakota. 2. All the acts and resolutions passed by the legislative assembly. 3. The journals of the legislative assembly. 4. The great seal. 5. All books, records, deeds, parch…

In addition to the duties prescribed by the constitution, the secretary of state shall: 1. Receive bills and resolutions from every session of the legislative assembly, and shall perform such other duties as may devolve upon the secretary of state by resolution of the two houses,…

1. All certificates issued by the secretary of state and all copies of records filed in accordance with this chapter or any other chapter, when certified by the secretary of state, may be taken and received in all courts, public offices, and official bodies as evidence of the fac…

1. The secretary of state shall charge and collect the following fees: a. Unless otherwise provided by law, for affixing the signature of the secretary of state, certificate, or seal, or combination thereof to any document, ten dollars. b. For searching records and archives of th…

A member of the legislative assembly or a state or county office may not be charged by the secretary of state for any search relative to matters appertaining to duties of office, any fee for a certified copy of any law or resolution passed by the legislative assembly relative to …

The annual salary of the secretary of state is one hundred thirty-nine thousand two hundred fifty-six dollars though June 30, 2026, and one hundred forty-three thousand four hundred thirty-four dollars thereafter.

If an agent other than the secretary of state has been appointed for receipt of service, but the affidavit of a sheriff or of an adult who is not a party to a proceeding establishes that diligent inquiry has been made and that personal service cannot be accomplished upon any regi…

The secretary of state's general services operating fund is a special fund in the state treasury. Moneys in the fund are to be used pursuant to legislative appropriations for the provision of services under section 16.1-02-15, subsection 4 of section 41-09-94, subsection 5 of sec…

1. The secretary of state shall maintain a computerized central indexing system that contains the information filed pursuant to sections 35-13-02, 35-17-04, 35-20-16, 35-30-02, 35-31-02, 35-34-04, 35-34-06, 41-09-72, 57-38-49, 57-39.2-13, 57-40.2-16, 57-40.3-07.1, 57-43.1-17.4, 5…

1. From the computerized central indexing system, the secretary of state or a designee shall produce electronically a list for crops and a list for livestock that each contain the information as filed pursuant to section 41-09-72. The secretary of state shall also include on the …

1. The secretary of state shall establish fees for any programming charges specifically incurred to provide information requested by persons which is related to the central indexing system and for other services provided through the computerized system. 2. A fee may not be requir…

1. A social security number or federal tax identification number disclosed or contained in any record filed with the secretary of state is confidential. However, a social security number or federal tax identification number may be released as authorized in this section or by othe…

The secretary of state may require any employee who has access to personally identifying information of residents or businesses of the state, or access to election systems that are critical infrastructure under section 44-04-24, to submit to a statewide and nationwide criminal hi…

Whenever any provision of law requires or permits a signed document or record to be filed with the secretary of state, the provision may not be construed to require the secretary of state to make any determination the signed document or record filed or to be filed has been proper…

1. A person who signs a document submitted to the secretary of state without authority to sign that document or who signs the document knowing the document is false in any material respect is subject to the penalties of perjury or false statement set forth in chapter 12.1-11. 2. …

1. The state auditor shall: a. Be vested with the duties, powers, and responsibilities involved in performing the postaudit of all financial transactions of state government, detecting and reporting any defaults, and determining that expenditures have been made in accordance with…

The state auditor's office, in the course of its audits of state agencies, departments, and institutions, shall review the expenditure of funds transferred or made available by the emergency commission to such state agencies, departments, and institutions, and shall have incorpor…

Except for active investigatory work product of the attorney general as defined in section 44-04-19.1, the state auditor shall have access to all state offices during business hours for the purpose of inspecting books, papers, accounts, and records therein as may concern the stat…

The legislative assembly shall provide for the employment by contract of a public accountant or accountants to conduct a postaudit of the office of the state auditor. A copy of such audit report must be filed with the governor and with each house of the legislative assembly.

The annual salary of the state auditor is one hundred thirty-nine thousand two hundred fifty-six dollars through June 30, 2026, and one hundred forty-three thousand four hundred thirty-four dollars thereafter.

The state auditor shall perform audits of political subdivisions pursuant to section 54-10-14 unless otherwise requested by the governing board, ordered by the governor or the legislative audit and fiscal review committee, or on petition pursuant to section 54-10-15, or at the di…

1. The state auditor shall audit the following political subdivisions once every two years, except as provided in this section or otherwise by law: a. Counties. b. Cities, and when a city is audited, to include any political subdivision that was created by the city and has bondin…

1. The state auditor, by duly appointed deputy auditors or other authorized agents, shall audit or review the books, records, and financial accounts of any political subdivision when ordered by the legislative audit and fiscal review committee. The state auditor, by duly appointe…

It is not the duty of the state auditor or the state auditor's staff to make audits of any political subdivisions, funds, commissions, associations, and bureaus, for the reason of severance from the service of such political subdivisions, funds, commissions, associations, and bur…

The state auditor may examine the books and accounts of all private institutions with which the state has any dealings so far only as the same relate to such dealings. If any public officer having control of any such office or institutions fails or refuses to comply with the dire…

The state auditor may report to the attorney general the refusal or neglect of any state officer to obey the state auditor's recommendations. After investigation, the attorney general may take appropriate action to enforce compliance therewith.

1. The officers and employees of all departments, institutions, boards, commissions, and political subdivisions, subject to examination by the state auditor, shall afford all reasonable facilities for the investigation provided for in this title and shall make returns and exhibit…

Notwithstanding any other specific sections of law, the state auditor and persons employed by the state auditor, when necessary in conducting an audit, shall have access to all information relating to operations of all governmental units or component units subject to audit except…

Every person who, when required to do so, shall refuse or neglect to make any return or exhibit, or to make or give any information required by the auditor, or who willfully shall obstruct or mislead the auditor in the execution of the auditor's duties, or who in any manner shall…

The state auditor and persons employed by the state auditor, when necessary in conducting an audit and examination of the books and records of the tax commissioner as authorized by law, may examine any return, report, or other information filed with the tax commissioner, and conf…

1. The state auditor and the auditor's employees, including any person employed by the auditor to perform the examination of any return, report, or other information filed and in the possession of the tax commissioner which is made confidential by law, may not divulge the content…

Information that reasonably may be used to identify an individual who reported suspected or potential violations of law or other irregularities to the state auditor is a confidential record under section 44-04-17.1.

1. Except as provided in this section, working papers of the state auditor are not public records and are exempt from section 44-04-18. Working papers include records kept by the auditor of the procedures applied, the tests performed, the information obtained, draft audit reports…

The governing board of any occupational or professional board shall provide for an audit once every two years by a certified public accountant or licensed public accountant. The accountant conducting the audit shall submit the audit report to the state auditor's office. If the re…

The state auditor may: 1. Conduct information technology compliance reviews, as determined necessary by the information technology committee, by conducting individual agency audits of information technology management, information technology planning, compliance with information …

1. The state auditor may: a. Pursuant to the powers and duties outlined in this chapter, conduct a review and assessment of computer systems and related security systems. Computer systems subject to this section include the computer systems of a state agency or political subdivis…

1. The state auditor shall establish a higher education audit division and employ a division audit manager to perform all audit related functions of the state board of higher education, including the examination and evaluation of the adequacy and effectiveness of the board's gove…

Once every two years, the state banking board shall provide for an audit of the department of financial institutions by a certified public accountant. The state banking board may request the state auditor to conduct the audit. If the state auditor agrees to conduct the audit, the…

The state treasurer: 1. Shall receive and safely keep all public moneys which must be deposited into the state treasury and pay out the same as directed by law. 2. Shall collect a record for each deposit of money into the treasury. The record must show the amount, the source from…

The centennial commission shall transfer ten thousand dollars from its special revolving fund to the state treasurer to be placed in a bicentennial trust fund. The principal and interest of this fund must remain intact until transferred to the bicentennial commission on or after …