N.D.C.C. §§ 14-02.5-01 through 14-02.5-46 § 14-02.5-32
Administrative penalties.
Operative Text
14-02.5-32. Administrative penalties.
1. If the department determines at a hearing under section 14-02.5-31 that a respondent
has engaged in or is about to engage in a discriminatory housing practice, the
department may order the appropriate relief, including actual damages, reasonable
attorney's fees, court costs, and other injunctive or equitable relief.
2. To vindicate the public's interest, the department may assess a civil penalty against the
respondent in an amount that does not exceed:
a. Eleven thousand dollars if the respondent has been found by order of the
department or a court to have committed a prior discriminatory housing practice;
or
b. Except as provided by subsection 3, twenty-seven thousand dollars if the
respondent has been found by order of the department or a court to have
committed one other discriminatory housing practice during the five-year period
ending on the date of the filing of the charges and fifty-five thousand dollars if the
respondent has been found by the department or a court to have committed two
or more discriminatory housing practices during the seven-year period ending on
the date of filing of the charge.
3. If the acts constituting the discriminatory housing practice that is the object of the
charge are committed by the same individual who has previously been found to have
committed acts constituting a discriminatory housing practice, the civil penalties in
subdivision b of subsection 2 may be imposed without regard to the period of time
within which any other discriminatory housing practice occurred.
4. At the request of the department, the attorney general shall sue to recover a civil
penalty due under this section. Funds collected under this section must be paid to the
state treasurer for deposit in the general fund.Section 14-02.5-32 of the North Dakota Century Code establishes the administrative penalties that the state department may impose after a fair-housing hearing finds that a respondent has engaged in, or is about to engage in, a discriminatory housing practice. Relief can include actual damages, attorney's fees, court costs, and injunctive or equitable remedies. Civil penalties scale with a respondent's history of prior violations, ranging up to $11,000 for a first prior offense, $27,000 for one prior violation within five years, and $55,000 for two or more prior violations within seven years—with those time limits removed entirely when the same individual is a repeat offender. Any uncollected civil penalties may be pursued by the state attorney general, with funds deposited into North Dakota's general fund.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating in North Dakota should be aware that § 14-02.5-32 creates a tiered civil-penalty structure that grows significantly with each finding of a discriminatory housing practice. Compliant operators generally maintain documented fair-housing policies, train staff consistently, and address any complaints promptly to avoid the escalating penalty thresholds the department may apply. Because prior findings—whether by the department or a court—directly increase the maximum civil penalty a respondent faces, operators with any prior fair-housing history should pay particular attention to ongoing compliance under this provision.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § 14-02.5-32, tenants who believe they have experienced a discriminatory housing practice may pursue a complaint through the North Dakota Department of Labor and Human Rights, which has authority to order actual damages, attorney's fees, and other equitable relief after a hearing. The civil penalty provisions of this section are designed to vindicate the public's interest, meaning the department can impose financial consequences on landlords beyond what a tenant individually recovers. Tenants seeking to understand their options can contact the department directly, reach out to a local tenant-rights organization, or consult an attorney familiar with North Dakota fair-housing law.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 28, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation