North Dakota No Chase Law
Agency discretion
Does North Dakota have a no-chase law? No — North Dakota has no statewide law restricting police pursuits. Each department sets its own chase policy.
What governs pursuits in North Dakota
N.D. Cent. Code § 39-10-71 (fleeing/eluding, not a pursuit-restriction statute)
No statewide statute restricting when North Dakota police may pursue was found; pursuit conditions are set by each department's own policy (e.g., Fargo PD Policy 307, ND Highway Patrol manual). N.D. Cent. Code § 39-10-71 defines the crime of fleeing/eluding a peace officer (elevated to Class C felony if driven in a manner risking death or serious injury). Separately, a 2025 law (effective Aug. 1, 2025) lets police cite the registered owner of a fleeing vehicle $100/$500 if the owner won't identify the driver — this concerns liability for fleeing, not a restriction on when officers may chase.
Will police chase a motorcycle in North Dakota?
No statewide rule on motorcycles; each department's discretionary policy governs, generally weighing the underlying offense and road risk the same way regardless of vehicle type.
No US state has a literal law forbidding officers from chasing motorcycles. What riders call a "no-chase law" is nearly always a department policy that tells officers to break off a pursuit when the danger to the public outweighs the arrest — and fleeing remains a crime in North Dakota regardless. See the state-by-state motorcycle guide for how this works everywhere.
Sources
- inforum.com/news/north-dakota/north-dakota-governor-signs-bill-that-assumes-owne
- kfgo.com/2025/08/01/new-law-will-cite-owners-of-vehicles-that-flee-police-local-
- codes.findlaw.com/nd/title-39-motor-vehicles/nd-cent-code-sect-39-10-71/
- download.fargond.gov/0/307-vehicle_pursuits_26.pdf
Verified as of August 2026. Department policies can change without notice — check the agency's published policy for current break-off criteria.