Title 1, Government

Office of the Lieutenant Governor: Duties. The Lieutenant Governor shall have the powers and duties as provided in the Commonwealth Constitution, as provided by law or as assigned by the Governor. Source: N.M.I. Const. art. III, § 3; PL 1-8, tit. 1, ch. 2, § 2, modified.

Office of the Lieutenant Governor: Staff. The Lieutenant Governor may employ staff as required to assist in performing his duties, subject to budgetary appropriations. Such positions shall be exempt from the civil service. Source: PL 1-8, tit. 1, ch. 2, § 3, modified; repealed an…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 211. Official Seal. The official seal of the Commonwealth shall consist of a circular field of ocean blue having in its center a white star superimposed on a gray latte stone, surrounded by the traditional Carolinian mwáár consisting of the flowers langilang,…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 212. Commonwealth Seal: Use and Custody. (a) The official seal of the Commonwealth shall be used to authenticate official acts, proclamations, and other public documents issued by the Governor or the legislature or under the authority of the Governor or legis…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 213. Commonwealth Seal: Unlawful Use. No person shall use the official seal, or a replica of it in any manner that violates this article or any executive order issued pursuant to this article. Violations of this article shall be a misdemeanor and, upon convic…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 221. Commonwealth Flag: Described. The official flag of the Commonwealth shall consist, on both sides, of a rectangular field of ocean blue in the dimensions set out below, having in its center a white star superimposed on a gray latte stone, the star and lat…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 222. Commonwealth Flag: Display. The Commonwealth flag shall be displayed in the open only from sunrise to sunset. When displayed on flagstaffs, the flag shall be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously. When the Commonwealth flag is flown or displayed toge…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 223. Commonwealth Flag: Destroying or Damaging Prohibited. No person shall burn, tear, spit on, desecrate, mutilate or in anywise disgrace the Commonwealth flag. Any person who violates this section shall, upon conviction, be imprisoned for a period not to ex…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 231. Commonwealth Tree. The “trongkon atbot,” known in the English language as the “flame tree” and scientifically known as Delonix regia, is hereby declared to be the official tree of the Commonwealth. Source: PL 1-24, § 1, modified. Commission Comment: PL 1…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 232. Commonwealth Flower. “Flores mayo,” known in the English language as “plumeria” and scientifically known as Plumeria acuminata, is hereby declared to be the official flower of the Commonwealth. Source: PL 1-25, § 2, modified. Commission Comment: PL 1-25 …

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 233. Commonwealth Bird. The “paluman tottut,” known in the English language as the “Marianas fruit dove” and scientifically known as Pitilinopus reseicapilus, is hereby declared to be the official bird of the Commonwealth. Source: PL 3-4, § 1. Commission Comm…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 234. Commonwealth Anthem. “Gi Talo Gi Halom Tasi” and “Satil Matawal Pacifico” are hereby declared to be the official anthem of the Commonwealth. The anthem shall be presented at the beginning of all official government ceremonies in the Commonwealth by voice…

Various Government Services Fees. (a) Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, fees for the following government services shall be increased by one hundred percent: (1) Renewal of vehicle operator's license, taxicab driver's license, chauffeur's license, and …

Commonwealth Superior Court. The Commonwealth Trial Court which was originally established by PL 1-5 is reestablished and renamed the “Superior Court of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.” All incumbent judges of the Commonwealth Trial Court shall henceforth be jud…

Jurisdiction. The Superior Court has original jurisdiction over all civil actions, in law and in equity, and over all criminal actions, and has the power to issue writs of mandamus, certiorari, prohibition, habeas corpus, and all other writs and orders necessary and appropriate t…

Judges of the Superior Court. The Commonwealth Superior Court shall consist of a full-time Presiding Judge and at least two full-time Associate Judges. At least one full-time judge shall be assigned to the hearing of civil and criminal actions filed in the Superior Court on the i…

Presiding Judge. (a) The Presiding Judge of the Superior Court shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. (b) The Presiding Judge shall distribute the business of the Superior Court among the judges of the Superior Court and prescribe the order …

Establishment of Family Court. There is hereby established within the Commonwealth Superior Court a Family Court which, upon appropriation by the legislature, shall handle family legal matters including, but not limited to, adoption proceedings, child support, divorce, paternity,…

Child Support Guidelines. The Commonwealth Superior Court is hereby authorized to adopt court rules setting guidelines to be followed in its Family Court division in the determination of child support awards. The guidelines shall establish presumptive amounts of monthly child sup…

Establishment of Drug Court. (a) There is hereby established within the Commonwealth Superior Court a drug court which, upon appropriation by the Legislature, shall operate a collaborative non-adversarial system to effect the rehabilitation and recovery of drug offenders through …

The Office of Adult Probation Supervision. There is hereby created within the Superior Court, and under the direction of the Presiding Judge, an Office of Adult Probation Supervision (OAPS). Source: PL 11-46, § 1. Commission Comment: PL 11-46 that created this article took effect…

Adult Probation Officers and Support Staff: Appointments and Qualifications. (a) The Presiding Judge of the Superior Court shall appoint a Chief Probation Officer as head of the OAPS. Such Chief Probation Officer shall serve at the pleasure of the Presiding Judge. Such Chief Prob…

Salaries and Expenses. The salary of the adult probation officers and the Chief Probation Officer shall be fixed in accordance with the salary ranges established by law. Source: PL 11-46, § 3.

Powers and Duties. The OAPS shall have the authority and responsibility to: (a) Create and file a complete record of each person who has been placed on probation or received a suspended sentence from the court including those referred by the court for supervision, investigation a…

Chief Probation Officer and Other Officers Duties. The Chief Probation Officer, as head of OAPS, shall: (a) Establish organizational operational procedures for the deputy adult probation officers of the CNMI. (b) Direct the work of, and when he or she deems it necessary, assist i…

Transition Clause: Employees, Assets, Jurisdiction, Funding, et. al. Upon the effective date of this article, all assets, liabilities, personnel, employees, FTE’s, funding, appropriations, property, jurisdiction, authority, cases, clients, or any other matters of any sort that ar…

Interest Bearing Trust Accounts. The Presiding Judge of the Superior Court may establish interest bearing trust accounts in reputable financial institutions located in the Commonwealth. All trust monies received thereafter by the Superior Court will be deposited into said account…

Expenditure of Funds. Monies generated from the interest bearing accounts will be used to cover the costs necessary to maintain the accounts, including administrative expenses. Any amounts which remain above such costs, may be expended for other legitimate purposes of the Superio…

Accounting of Funds. No later than November 15th of each year, the Presiding Judge shall prepare a report on the amount of funds generated by the interest bearing accounts, in the preceding year, and the manner in which the funds were expended. This report will be submitted to th…

Delegation of Authority: Rota and Tinian and Aguiguan. The Mayor of Rota and the Mayor of Tinian and Aguiguan, if so designated by the department head, shall be the administrative heads of their constituencies for the delivery of public services provided by the Commonwealth, and …

Delegation of Authority: Duties of Resident Department Heads. The resident department heads on Rota and Tinian and Aguiguan shall make available to the respective mayors all necessary government personnel, equipment, and support in order to make possible the effective execution a…

Agriculture and Marine Revolving Fund for Tinian. (a) There is established in the Commonwealth government an Agriculture and Marine Revolving Fund of $25,000. Such funds were initially appropriated by PL 3-94, § 201(i)(7). The funds shall be expended by the Mayor of Tinian and Ag…

Voting: Eligibility. (a) Pursuant to Article VII, Section 1 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a person is eligible to vote who, on the date of the election, is 18 years of age or older, is domiciled in the Commonwealth, is a resident in the …

Domicile: Determination. A person’s domicile shall be determined in accordance with the following: (a) Each person has a domicile; (b) Each person has only one domicile; (c) A person’s domicile is the place where the person resides when not called elsewhere to work or for other t…

Domicile: Criteria for Determination. Criteria for determining a person’s domicile includes but is not limited to the following: (a) Whether the person maintains a permanent residence or permanent place of abode in a place outside the Commonwealth; or (b) Whether the person’s pre…

Residency: Determination. For the purposes of this part, there can be only one residence for an individual, but in determining residency, a person may treat oneself separate from the person’s spouse. The following rules shall determine residency for purposes of this part: (a) The…

Registration Procedures. (a) Any person qualified to vote in a general, primary, local or special election may register to vote not less than sixty days before the day of the election. (b) When registering to vote, the person shall sign an affidavit of registration on a form prep…

Removal of Names from Register; When; Re-registration. (a) The Commission shall remove the name of a registered voter from the register in the following cases: (1) At the written request of the person registered. (2) When the insanity of the person registered is legally establish…

Transfers, Name Changes; Initiated by Executive Director. (a) The executive director shall use all reliable and pertinent information to keep the general register up-to-date. The executive director may request information form, but is not limited to, the following sources: 1. The…

Voting Procedures. (a) The Commission shall distribute to each polling place a list of the eligible voters for that polling place. Not less than 15 days before the day of election, a copy of the list shall be posted at the office of the Commission and Mayors for examination by th…

Absentee Voting. (a) Subject to the procedures set forth in this chapter, any registered voter at any election may request and cast an absentee ballot with the Commission. The Commission shall compile and keep immediately current a list of persons requesting an absentee ballot pu…

Absentee Voting: Sick or Disabled Voters. If a registered voter at any election is confined to a home or hospital due to illness or physical disability and unable to go to the polls, that voter nevertheless may vote in accordance with this part and the rules and regulations promu…

Absentee Voting: Absence from the District in Which Voter is Registered. (a) Any registered voter of the Commonwealth may, as provided in this part and subject to the conditions of this section, may vote at any election by absentee ballot if he or she feels it likely he or she wi…

Absentee Voting: Marking and Mailing Ballots. (a) The Commission shall provide to any registered voter entitled to vote by absentee ballot and who applied for one, an official ballot, a ballot envelope, an affidavit prescribed by the Commission, and a reply envelope. The absentee…

Absentee Voting: Counting Ballots. (a) To be eligible to be counted, an absentee ballot shall be received by the Commission not later than the date of election; provided that in the case of a runoff election an absentee ballot shall be postmarked not later than the day of the run…

Voting in Another Polling Place [Repealed]. Source: PL 12-18, § 2 (6214), modified; subsection (d) was added by PL 16-38, § 4; repealed by PL 17-11 § 10 (August 12, 2010). Commission Comment: Section 6214 is similar to the former § 6212 (source: DL 5-19, § 9, amended by PL 3-82, …