Adult Guardianship Periodic Reporting Requirements in North Dakota
At a glance
| Covered guardian and report types | Guardian: beginning inventory and annual condition/powers/estate report; conservator: sworn inventory, annual report and account (§§ 30.1-28-04(5), -12(8), 30.1-29-18 to -19). |
|---|---|
| First plan, inventory or account | Guardian order requires beginning asset inventory within 90 days of order; conservator inventories estate within 90 days after appointment (§§ 30.1-28-04(5), 30.1-29-18). |
| Repeat interval and due date | Guardian annual report; conservator report/account at least once annually and when court directs; statutes here set no narrower annual filing date (§§ 30.1-28-12(8), 30.1-29-19(1)). |
| Condition and care-plan content | Guardian reports condition, residence changes/reasons, treatment, authority exercised, continued need and proposed power changes (§ 30.1-28-12(8)). |
| Property and accounting content | Guardian reports income, spending, transfers and estate account; conservator inventories complete estate and reports income, spending, transfers and authority exercised (§§ 30.1-28-12(8), 30.1-29-18 to -19). |
| Oath and required attachments | Conservator inventory includes oath/affirmation of completeness and accuracy so far as informed; annual reports must resemble state court administrator's form (§§ 30.1-29-18 to -19, 30.1-28-12(8)). |
| Who receives or may inspect the report | Guardian inventories/reports copied to § 30.1-28-09.1 recipients; conservator inventories/reports to § 30.1-29-05.1 recipients; adult's annual copy carries rights statement; annual/final filings closed to public (§§ 30.1-28-03.1, -04(5), -12(9), 30.1-29-07.1, -18 to -19). |
| Court review and late filing | Guardian filing alone not approval; missing report/account can prompt show-cause or contempt order. Conservator account approval follows notice and hearing (§§ 30.1-28-12(8), -12.1, 30.1-29-19(2)). |
| Final or change-triggered report | Guardian final report/account on termination, removal, resignation or death; conservator final report/account on termination by court; reports also describe changes during period (§§ 30.1-28-07(5), -07.1(3), -12(8), 30.1-29-19(2)). |
Requirements one by one
Opening inventories
§ 30.1-28-04(5) makes the guardian's order require a beginning inventory of every asset the adult owns or has an interest in within 90 days after the order. The guardian gives a copy to § 30.1-28-09.1 recipients. Separately, § 30.1-29-18 requires a conservator's complete estate inventory within 90 days after appointment, accompanied by an oath or affirmation of accuracy so far as informed.
Annual reports and accounts
§ 30.1-28-12(8) requires the guardian's annual report to describe the adult's condition, residence changes and reasons, treatment, income and spending, transfers, exercise of legal authority, continued need and proposed changes in powers. It must include an estate accounting. Under § 30.1-29-19(1), the conservator reports and accounts at least annually and when the court directs, describing income, spending, property transfers and authority exercised. Both reports must be similar in substance to the state court administrator's form.
Copies and access
The guardian mails report copies to the parties, adult, any conservator and people designated in the order (§§ 30.1-28-12(9), -09.1). The conservator sends copies to the parties, adult, any guardian and court-designated persons (§§ 30.1-29-19(3), -05.1). Each annual copy for the adult carries a specified statement of the right to seek a change or termination. Annual and final filings are closed to the public under § 30.1-28-03.1(1) and § 30.1-29-07.1(1), with the stated court, party, counsel and authorized-person access.
What trips people up
Filing a guardian report under § 30.1-28-12(8), or a conservator account under § 30.1-29-19(2), does not itself approve it. Court approval and settlement require notice to the people identified by each statute. If a guardian fails to file a report or account, § 30.1-28-12.1 permits a show-cause order and possible contempt process.
Common questions
Is another report due when the appointment ends?
Yes. § 30.1-28-07(5) requires a guardian's final report and account on termination; § 30.1-28-07.1(3) covers removal, resignation or the guardian's death. Under § 30.1-29-19(2), a conservator files a final report and account on court termination.
Can anyone inspect a filed annual report?
The reports are closed to the public. Sections 30.1-28-03.1(1) and 30.1-29-07.1(1) identify the people who may inspect and permit the court to authorize others for good cause.
Statutes and sources
- N.D. Cent. Code ch. 30.1-28: §§ 30.1-28-03.1, -04, -07, -07.1, -09.1, -12, -12.1; accessed 2026-10-04.
- N.D. Cent. Code ch. 30.1-29: §§ 30.1-29-05.1, -07.1, -18, -19; accessed 2026-10-04.
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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