HB 1480 North Dakota House · 69th Legislative Assembly (2025-26)

A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 39-05 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to a request for a certificate of title for a motor vehicle.

HB 1480 would establish a process for non-legal owners to obtain a certificate of title for a motor vehicle that hasn't been registered for over ten years. To qualify, the requester must send a certified letter to the vehicle's last registered address and advertise the title request in a local newspaper for 14 days. If no response is received within 14 days and proof of compliance is provided, the state department would issue the title. This procedural bill directly affects individuals seeking to claim abandoned or long-unused vehicles. The bill failed to pass the legislature in March 2025.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
House Passage
Feb 2025
Senate Failed
Mar 2025
Governor
Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Mar 31, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

INTRODUCED FIRST ENGROSSMENT · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill changed the requirements for non-legal owners to obtain a certificate of title for older vehicles. The waiting period for vehicle age increased from ten years to twenty-five years, and the public notice advertising requirement was extended from fourteen days to thirty days with twice the frequency. These changes make it easier for people to get titles for very old vehicles while increasing public notice to prevent fraud.
Scope change
The bill now applies to motor vehicles that have been unregistered for twenty-five years instead of ten years, significantly expanding eligibility for title requests.
REQUIREMENT

Increased the required waiting period for vehicle age from ten years to twenty-five years before a non-legal owner can request a certificate of title.

Changed the public notice requirement from advertising once for fourteen days to advertising twice over a thirty-day period in a local newspaper.

TIMELINE

Extended the response deadline for the public notice from fourteen days to thirty days before the department issues a certificate of title.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 31, 2025 · House Feb 19, 2025

How they voted

045
Failed · 2 other
Total votes 47
Mar 31, 2025
D Democratic5
5 Nay
100% Nay
R Republican42
40 Nay 2
95% Nay
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
12
Key actions
7
Committee
4
Mar 31, 2025
Vote failed
Senate Vote: fail (0-45-2)
senate
Mar 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported back, do not pass, placed on calendar 6 0 0
upper
Mar 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee Hearing 09:30
upper
Feb 20, 2025
Introduced
Introduced, first reading, referred Transportation Committee
upper
Feb 19, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (88-0-4)
house
Feb 18, 2025
Lower · Passed
Second reading, passed, yeas 89 nays 0
lower
Feb 17, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amendment adopted, placed on calendar
lower
Feb 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 14 0 0
lower
Jan 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee Hearing 03:30
lower
Jan 17, 2025
Introduced
Introduced, first reading, referred Transportation Committee
lower
1 primary · 8 co-sponsors

Sponsors