---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT to create and enact a new subsection to section 39‑26‑07 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to right of an owner to reclaim an abandoned vehicle; to amend and reenact sections 23.1‑15‑01, 23.1‑15‑03, 23.1‑15‑05, 23.1‑15‑06, 23.1‑15‑07, 39‑26‑02, and 39‑26‑06 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to custody and disposition of abandoned motor vehicles; to provide a penalty; and to declare an emergency."
description: "AN ACT to create and enact a new subsection to section 39‑26‑07 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to right of an owner to reclaim an abandoned vehicle; to amend and reenact sections 23.1‑15‑01, 23.1‑15‑03, 23.1‑15‑05, 23.1‑15‑06, 23.1‑15‑07, 39‑26‑02, and 39‑26‑06 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to custody and disposition of abandoned motor vehicles; to provide a penalty; and to declare an emergency."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nd"
legislature: "North Dakota Legislative Assembly"
session: "66"
identifier: "HB 1263"
citation: "North Dakota HB 1263 (66)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["DRIVERS - SEE ALSO MOTOR VEHICLES", "DRIVERS - SEE ALSO MOTOR VEHICLES", "EMERGENCY CLAUSE", "EMERGENCY CLAUSE", "LAW ENFORCEMENT - SEE ALSO PEACE OFFICERS", "MOTOR VEHICLES", "MOTOR VEHICLES"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["D. Ruby", "Dockter", "Grueneich", "Rust"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 16
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2019-01-03"
last_action: "2019-03-28"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/bf7e1b2d-cfcf-4a4a-9f74-7e634bb50ab6"
source_url: "http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/66-2019/bill-actions/ba1263.html"
source_hash: "3370d308a314923136ef6bb032ebdc8b732a579719ce90b353e5ebf5acf48b17"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nd"]
---

# North Dakota HB 1263 (66) — AN ACT to create and enact a new subsection to section 39‑26‑07 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to right of an owner to reclaim an abandoned vehicle; to amend and reenact sections 23.1‑15‑01, 23.1‑15‑03, 23.1‑15‑05, 23.1‑15‑06, 23.1‑15‑07, 39‑26‑02, and 39‑26‑06 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to custody and disposition of abandoned motor vehicles; to provide a penalty; and to declare an emergency.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **INTRODUCED** (filed) — [source](http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/66-2019/documents/19-0154-02000.pdf)
2. **Enrollment** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/66-2019/documents/19-0154-04000.pdf)
3. **FIRST ENGROSSMENT** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/66-2019/documents/19-0154-03000.pdf)
4. **Prepared by the Legislative Council staff for Representative Grueneich** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/66-2019/documents/19-0154-02002a.pdf)
5. **Prepared by the Legislative Council staff for Representative Grueneich (Marked Up)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/66-2019/documents/19-0154-02002m.pdf)

## Sponsors

- D. Ruby — primary (person)
- Dockter — primary (person)
- Grueneich — primary (person)
- Rust — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-01-03** Introduced, first reading, (emergency), referred Transportation Committee `introduction`
- **2019-01-17** Committee Hearing 02:00
- **2019-01-28** Reported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 13 0 1 `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-01-29** Amendment adopted, placed on calendar
- **2019-02-01** Second reading, passed, yeas 86 nays 5, Emergency clause carried `reading-2, passage`
- **2019-02-04** Received from House
- **2019-02-18** Introduced, first reading, (emergency), referred Transportation Committee `introduction`
- **2019-03-14** Committee Hearing 02:00
- **2019-03-15** Reported back, do pass, place on calendar 5 1 0 `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-03-18** Second reading, passed, yeas 46 nays 0, Emergency clause carried `reading-2, passage`
- **2019-03-19** Returned to House
- **2019-03-20** Signed by President
- **2019-03-21** Signed by Speaker
- **2019-03-21** Sent to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2019-03-27** Signed by Governor 03/26 `executive-signature`
- **2019-03-28** Filed with Secretary Of State 03/27 `introduction`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/bf7e1b2d-cfcf-4a4a-9f74-7e634bb50ab6`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official North Dakota legislature records).