1.    Issuance and execution of administrative inspection warrants must be as follows:

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Terms Used In North Dakota Code 19-03.1-33

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute means the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Person: means an individual, organization, government, political subdivision, or government agency or instrumentality. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
  • Process: means a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Property: includes property, real and personal. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • 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
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • written: include "typewriting" and "typewritten" and "printing" and "printed" except in the case of signatures and when the words are used by way of contrast to typewriting and printing. See North Dakota Code 1-01-37

a.    A district judge within a district judge’s jurisdiction, and upon proper oath or affirmation showing probable cause, may issue warrants for the purpose of conducting administrative inspections authorized by this chapter or rules hereunder and seizures of property appropriate to the inspections. For purposes of the issuance of administrative inspection warrants, probable cause exists upon showing a valid public interest in the effective enforcement of this chapter or rules thereunder, sufficient to justify administrative inspection of the area, premises, building, or conveyance in the circumstances specified in the application for the warrant.

b.    A warrant may issue only upon an affidavit of a designated officer or employee having knowledge of the facts alleged, sworn to before the judge or magistrate and establishing the grounds for issuing the warrant. If the judge or magistrate is satisfied that grounds for the application exist or that there is probable cause to    believe they exist, the judge or magistrate shall issue a warrant identifying the area, premises, building, or conveyance to be inspected, the purpose of the inspection, and, if appropriate, the type of property to be inspected, if any. The warrant must:

(1) State the grounds for its issuance and the name of each person whose affidavit has been taken in support thereof; (2) Be directed to a person authorized to execute it; (3) Command the person to whom it is directed to inspect the area, premises, building, or conveyance identified for the purpose specified and, if appropriate, direct the seizure of the property specified; (4) Identify the item or types of property to be seized, if any; and

(5) Direct that it be served during normal business hours and designate the judge or magistrate to whom it shall be returned.

c.    A warrant issued pursuant to this section must be executed and returned within ten days of its date unless, upon a showing of a need for additional time, the court orders otherwise. If property is seized pursuant to a warrant, a copy must be given to the person from whom or from whose premises the property is taken, together with a receipt for the property taken. The return of the warrant must be made promptly, accompanied by a written inventory of any property taken. The inventory must be made in the presence of the person executing the warrant and of the person from whose possession or premises the property was taken, if present, or in the presence of at least one credible person other than the person executing the warrant. A copy of the inventory must be delivered to the person from whom or from whose premises the property was taken and to the applicant for the warrant.

d.    The judge or magistrate who has issued a warrant shall attach thereto a copy of the return and all papers returnable in connection therewith and file them with the clerk of the district court for the county in which the inspection was made.

2.    The board may make administrative inspections of controlled premises in accordance with the following provisions:

a.    For purposes of this section only, “controlled premises” means:

(1) Places where persons registered or exempted from registration requirements under this chapter are required to keep records; and

(2) Places, including factories, warehouses, establishments, and conveyances in which persons registered or exempted from registration requirements under this chapter are permitted to hold, manufacture, compound, process, sell, deliver, or otherwise dispose of any controlled substance.

b.    When authorized by an administrative inspection warrant issued pursuant to subsection 1, an officer or employee designated by the board, upon presenting the warrant and appropriate credentials to the owner, operator, or agent in charge, may enter controlled premises for the purpose of conducting an administrative inspection.

c.    When authorized by an administrative inspection warrant, an officer or employee designated by the board may:

(1) Inspect and copy records required by this chapter to be kept; (2) Inspect, within reasonable limits and in a reasonable manner, controlled premises and all pertinent equipment, finished and unfinished material, containers and labeling found therein, and, except as provided in subdivision e, all other things therein, including records, files, papers, processes, controls, and facilities bearing on violation of this chapter; and

(3) Inventory any stock of any controlled substance therein and obtain samples thereof.

d.    This section does not prevent the inspection without a warrant of books and records pursuant to an administrative subpoena issued in accordance with section 28-32-33, nor does it prevent entries and administrative inspections, including seizures of property, without a warrant:

(1) If the owner, operator, or agent in charge of the controlled premises consents; (2) In situations presenting imminent danger to health or safety; (3) In situations involving inspection of conveyances if there is reasonable cause to believe that the mobility of the conveyance makes it impracticable to obtain a warrant; (4) In any other exceptional emergency circumstances in which time or opportunity to apply for a warrant is lacking; or

(5) In all other situations in which a warrant is not constitutionally required.

e.    An inspection authorized by this section may not extend to financial data, sales data, other than shipment data, or pricing data unless the owner, operator, or agent in charge of the controlled premises consents in writing.