North Dakota Security Camera Laws: Home, Business, and HOA Rules (2026)

North Dakota homeowners and businesses can install security cameras on their own property without permits or registration. Silent video surveillance is legal; audio recording follows one-party consent rules under N.D.C.C. § 12.1-15-02. North Dakota does not ban cameras by location, but secretly recording into a place where people reasonably expect privacy, with intent to intrude on their privacy, is a crime.

North Dakota does not have a specific statute regulating the installation of security cameras. Residents and businesses can install surveillance systems without permits or government registration. Privacy limits on where a camera may be aimed do come from statute, however: under N.D.C.C. § 12.1-31-14, surreptitiously installing or using a device to observe or record events from a place where a reasonable individual would have an expectation of privacy, with intent to intrude upon or interfere with an occupant's privacy, is a class B misdemeanor. If it is done for sexual gratification where people undress, N.D.C.C. § 12.1-20-12.2 makes it a class A misdemeanor, or a class C felony for a repeat offense, an offender with a prior indecent-exposure conviction (12.1-20-12.1), an offender required to register as a sex offender, or a minor victim, and a conviction carries sex-offender registration under § 12.1-32-15. Secretly creating a nude or sexual image of someone without written consent is also a class A misdemeanor under N.D.C.C. § 12.1-27.1-03.3, which lets an identifiable person depicted who is harmed sue when the image was produced, possessed, or shared for sexual arousal or gratification, humiliation, degradation, or monetary or commercial gain, for up to $10,000 in statutory damages per defendant. A civil lawsuit for invasion of privacy is less certain: the North Dakota Supreme Court has not decided whether that claim exists in the state (Hougum v. Valley Memorial Homes, 1998). Separately, if footage capturing an intimate image were later distributed without consent, that distribution could be covered by North Dakota's intimate-images statute, N.D.C.C. § 12.1-17-07.2.

This guide covers residential camera rules, business surveillance, audio recording by security cameras, HOA restrictions, neighbor disputes, and smart camera technology in North Dakota.

Residential Security Cameras

Your Right to Install Cameras

North Dakota homeowners can install security cameras on their own property without government permission. You can place cameras on exterior walls, covering entry points, driveways, and yards.

Where You Cannot Aim Cameras

Avoid aiming cameras directly into neighbors' windows, bedrooms, bathrooms, or enclosed private areas. Secretly recording into a place where others reasonably expect privacy, with intent to intrude on their privacy, can be charged under § 12.1-31-14. A civil invasion-of-privacy claim is uncertain in North Dakota because the state Supreme Court has not decided whether that lawsuit exists, so the criminal statutes and remedies such as nuisance or a harassment restraining order are the firmer routes.

Nanny Cams

Nanny cameras are generally lawful in common areas of your own home (living rooms, kitchens, playrooms). Keep them out of bathrooms and guest bedrooms: secretly recording a guest or caregiver in a space where they reasonably expect privacy, with intent to intrude on that privacy, can be a crime under § 12.1-31-14, and audio of conversations you are not part of raises the wiretap issue below.

Audio Recording

Security camera audio recording follows North Dakota's one-party consent rules. A recording is lawful for conversations you take part in, or where a participant has given prior consent, unless it is made to commit a crime or other unlawful harm (§ 12.1-15-02(3)(c)). If the camera captures private conversations between other people when you are not part of them and no participant has consented, the recording can be a class C felony under § 12.1-15-02.

Business Security Cameras

Businesses can install cameras in lobbies, sales floors, warehouses, parking lots, and hallways. No statute lists forbidden locations, but secretly recording into bathrooms, locker rooms, changing areas, or nursing rooms, where people reasonably expect privacy, with intent to intrude on that privacy, is a crime under § 12.1-31-14, so lawful business cameras stay out of those spaces.

HOA and Community Rules

HOAs can establish rules about camera placement, size, and aesthetics. Review your CC&Rs before installing exterior cameras.

Neighbor Disputes

Resolve security camera disputes by talking to the neighbor, reviewing local ordinances, requesting mediation, or consulting the North Dakota Attorney General.

Smart Cameras and Law Enforcement

Ring doorbells, Nest cameras, and similar devices are legal. Law enforcement can request footage, but cannot require you to hand it over without legal process such as a warrant, subpoena, or court order. Review your device manufacturer's privacy policy for law enforcement data request procedures.

More North Dakota Recording Laws

Audio Recording | Video Recording | Voyeurism & Hidden Cameras | Workplace Recording | Recording Police | Phone Call Recording | Security Cameras | Recording in Public | Landlord-Tenant | Dashcam Laws | Schools | Medical Recording

Back to North Dakota Recording Laws

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See Also

• North Dakota Surveillance Camera Laws covers home, HOA, neighbor, workplace, and landlord camera rules in North Dakota.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit for security cameras in North Dakota?

No. North Dakota does not require permits or registration for residential or commercial security cameras.

Can my neighbor point a security camera at my house in North Dakota?

A neighbor's camera may incidentally capture your property. Secretly recording into your home with intent to intrude on your privacy can be a crime under N.D.C.C. 12.1-31-14. A civil invasion-of-privacy lawsuit is uncertain, because the North Dakota Supreme Court has not decided whether that claim exists.

Do security cameras with audio violate North Dakota wiretapping laws?

Security camera audio follows one-party consent rules. Recording conversations you take part in, or where a participant has consented in advance, is legal unless you record to commit a crime or other unlawful harm. Capturing private conversations between others when you are not part of them and no one has consented can be a class C felony.

Can my landlord install cameras inside my apartment in North Dakota?

Not secretly. A landlord who secretly installs a camera or recording device inside your unit to intrude on your privacy can be charged under N.D.C.C. 12.1-31-14, and under 12.1-20-12.2 if it is done for sexual gratification. North Dakota has no statute written specifically about landlord cameras, so a visible camera you agreed to is a lease and privacy question rather than a clear crime. Landlords commonly use cameras in shared areas such as hallways and parking lots.

Can police access my security camera footage without a warrant in North Dakota?

Police can request footage voluntarily, but you are not required to provide it without legal process such as a warrant, subpoena, or court order.