(Retroactive application – See note) 1.    In all criminal cases except infractions, upon a plea or finding of guilt, the court shall impose a court administration fee in lieu of the assessment of court costs. The court administration fee must include a fee of one hundred twenty-five dollars for a class B misdemeanor, two hundred dollars for a class A misdemeanor, four hundred dollars for a class C felony, six hundred fifty dollars for a class B felony, and nine hundred dollars for a class A or AA felony.

Attorney's Note

Under the North Dakota Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class B felonyup to 10 yearsup to $20,000
Class C felonyup to 5 yearsup to $10,000
Class A misdemeanorup to 360 daysup to $3,000
Class B misdemeanorup to 30 daysup to $1,500
For details, see § 12.1-32-01

Terms Used In North Dakota Code 29-26-22

  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49

2.    In addition, in all criminal cases except infractions, the court administration fee must include one hundred dollars. Of the additional one hundred dollar court administration fee, the first seven hundred fifty thousand dollars collected per biennium must be deposited in the indigent defense administration fund, which must be used for indigent defense services in this state, and the next four hundred sixty thousand dollars collected per biennium must be deposited in the court facilities improvement and maintenance fund. After the minimum thresholds have been collected, one-half of the additional court administration fee must be deposited in each fund.

3.    In addition to any court administration fees that may be imposed under subsections 1 and 2, the court shall impose upon each defendant who receives a sentence that includes community service a community service supervision fee of twenty-five dollars.

The community service supervision fee must be deposited in the community service supervision fund. The fees deposited in this fund must be used to provide community service supervision grants subject to legislative appropriations.

4.    A court may waive the administration fee or community service supervision fee upon a showing of indigency as provided in section 25-03.1-13. District court administration fees, exclusive of amounts deposited in the indigent defense administration fund and the court facilities and improvement fund, and forfeitures must be deposited in the state general fund. A judgment that the defendant pay a fine or fees, or both, may be docketed and if docketed constitutes a lien upon the real estate of the defendant in like manner as a judgment for money rendered in a civil action. The court may allow the defendant to pay any assessed administration fee or community service supervision fee in installments. When a defendant is assessed administration fees or a community service supervision fee, the court may not impose at the same time an alternative sentence to be served if the fees are not paid.

5.    Upon successful completion of an approved adult drug court program, a court may waive all unpaid fines, fees, and costs imposed in the criminal judgment sentencing the defendant to the drug court program, except for restitution. For purposes of this subsection, “approved drug court program” means a district court-supervised treatment program approved by the supreme court.