Do I Need a TOD Deed in Stutsman County, North Dakota?
North Dakota authorizes transfer on death deedsNDCC 30.1-32.1-01 to 30.1-32.1-14Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; in Stutsman County the County Recorder records one for $20 for 1-6 pages, $65 for 7-25 pages, $65 plus $3 for each page beyond 25.
The County Recorder charges $20 for 1-6 pages, $65 for 7-25 pages, $65 plus $3 for each page beyond 25. Most transfer on death deeds run two to four pages. No transfer tax applies to transfer on death deeds in Stutsman County.
Record the transfer on death deed at the County Recorder, 511 2nd Avenue Southeast, Suite 103, Jamestown, ND 58401. Office hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM CT.
Stutsman County does not offer e-recording; the transfer on death deed is recorded in person or by mail at the County Recorder.
A transfer on death deed in North Dakota requires notary acknowledgmentNDCC 30.1-32.1-01 to 30.1-32.1-14Verified Oct 19, 2026View source before it can be recorded in Stutsman County.
No. A transfer on death deed transfers only the property described in it. Bank accounts, vehicles and other real estate pass through a will (probate) or a trust. When a single deed is not enough, SimplyTrust sets up a revocable trust online that covers every property and account in one document.
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Marriage
What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.
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New Home
How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.
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Retirement
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Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate in North Dakota
Free forms for planning your estate in North Dakota: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for North Dakota.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
North Dakota allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2N.D.C.C. § 23-06.5-17Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
HIPAA Release
In North Dakota, a HIPAA release is the federal authorization alone: the state adds no category rule, and the document carries the elements federal law requires, among them an expiration date or an expiration event that relates to the individual45 CFR 164.508(c)(1)(v)Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
Financial Power of Attorney
North Dakota requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityN.D.C.C. § 30.1-30-01Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirementN.D.C.C. § 30.1-30-01Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
Transfer on Death Deed
In North Dakota, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryNDCC 30.1-32.1-01 to 30.1-32.1-14Verified Oct 19, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathNDCC 30.1-32.1-01 to 30.1-32.1-14Verified Oct 19, 2026View source. North Dakota does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
Living Will
In North Dakota, the living will is the Health Care DirectiveN.D.C.C. ch. 23-06.5 (Health Care Directives), §§ 23-06.5-01 to 23-06.5-19Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a written instruction that is valid with no agent named.
Last Will and Testament
In North Dakota, a will is signed before 2N.D.C.C. § 30.1-08-02Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyN.D.C.C. § 30.1-08-02Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Codicil to a Will
In North Dakota, a codicil is signed before 2N.D.C.C. § 30.1-08-02Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, like a will, and the self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyN.D.C.C. §§ 30.1-01-06(64), 30.1-08-04Verified Oct 25, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in North Dakota
Free tools for planning your estate in North Dakota: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for North Dakota.
Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?
North Dakota does not offer a transfer-on-death designation on a vehicle title; a vehicle passes by will, trust, joint title, or probate.
How Much Is the Federal Gift Tax?
Whether a gift owes federal gift tax, how much of the annual exclusion and lifetime exemption it uses, and whether Form 709 is due.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in North Dakota runs $3,540Estimate: 10 hours at $354, Clio's North Dakota Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,310Estimate: 15 hours at $354, Clio's North Dakota Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $957Estimate: 3 hours at $319, Clio's North Dakota Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,914Estimate: 6 hours at $319, Clio's North Dakota Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
In North Dakota, four years at a public university cost about $75,956NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.20, public 4-year in-state tuition, fees, room and board, academic year 2022-23Verified Oct 17, 2026View source and the cost of living is 11% below the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; no state estate or inheritance tax appliesNo state estate or inheritance tax payable. The estate tax (N.D.C.C. ch. 57-37.1) remains codified but is a pick-up tax: § 57-37.1-04(1) sets it equal to the federal credit for state death taxes, which has been $0 since EGTRRA, so no estate tax is paid on deaths after 1/1/2005. Inheritance tax repealed 1927 (N.D. Office of State Tax Commissioner)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
North Dakota automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceN.D.C.C. § 30.1-10-04Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
How Do I Sign Estate Documents?
In North Dakota, a will is signed before 2N.D.C.C. § 30.1-08-02Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredN.D.C.C. § 30.1-08-02Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
North Dakota recognizes a will signed under the law of the place where it was signedN.D.C.C. § 30.1-08-06Verified Oct 19, 2026View source; a will signed in North Dakota itself needs 2N.D.C.C. § 30.1-08-02Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredN.D.C.C. § 30.1-08-02Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in North Dakota costs an estimated $24,994N.D.C.C. § 30.1-18-21 (court reviews the reasonableness of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage schedule); § 30.1-18-20 (estate pays reasonable attorney's fees)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 1.8%Modeled estimate under N.D.C.C. § 30.1-18-21 (court reviews the reasonableness of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage schedule); § 30.1-18-20 (estate pays reasonable attorney's fees): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.9%Modeled estimate under N.D.C.C. § 30.1-18-21 (court reviews the reasonableness of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage schedule); § 30.1-18-20 (estate pays reasonable attorney's fees): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
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North Dakota Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering North Dakota probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.