AN ACT to amend and reenact sections 47-20.2-01, 47-20.2-02, 47-20.2-03, 47-20.2-05, and 47-20.2-06 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the North Dakota coordinate system zones.
SB 2260 updates North Dakota’s statutory definitions for the state coordinate system to reflect modern geodetic standards. The bill amends multiple sections of the Century Code to recognize the North Dakota coordinate system of 2022, including a statewide zone and sixteen low-distortion projection zones, and it specifies the counties included in each zone. It also revises the legal names and descriptions used in land descriptions and survey documents so they match the new coordinate system terminology.
The bill further updates the technical definitions of the coordinate system origins, projections, and reference frames used for mapping and surveying. It replaces or supplements older references with the North American Terrestrial Reference Frame of 2022, clarifies the use of the international survey foot for conversions from meters to feet, and preserves the older 1927 and 1983 systems for their existing north and south zones. It also reinforces that coordinate values used in land descriptions must be certified by a licensed professional land surveyor and tied to the national spatial reference system.
In practical terms, the bill affects surveying, mapping, land descriptions, and public records in North Dakota, especially for surveyors, engineers, title professionals, local governments, and anyone relying on legal property descriptions. The changes are largely technical but important for accuracy, consistency, and interoperability with current federal geodetic standards. By codifying the 2022 coordinate system and its zones, the bill helps ensure that state law matches current surveying practice and modern mapping technology.
The overall sentiment around the bill appears strongly positive and noncontroversial. It passed both chambers unanimously, with 46-0 in the Senate and 92-0 in the House, indicating broad bipartisan support and little apparent opposition. No committee transcript or recorded debate was provided, which also suggests the measure was treated as a technical update rather than a policy dispute.
There is little visible contention in the bill itself, but the main technical issue is the transition from older coordinate systems to the 2022 system and the need to preserve legal clarity during that transition. Any concern would likely center on ensuring that land records, survey practices, and county-specific zone definitions remain accurate and compatible with existing documents. The bill addresses those concerns by explicitly defining the zones, naming conventions, and certification requirements.
SB 2260 amends North Dakota Century Code chapter 47-20.2 to modernize the state’s legal coordinate system framework. It adds and defines the North Dakota statewide coordinate system of 2022 and the North Dakota low-distortion coordinate system of 2022, updates zone boundaries and names, revises projection and origin descriptions, and clarifies conversion standards and certification requirements for survey-related documents. The bill primarily affects land surveyors, engineers, mapping professionals, title and recording offices, and public agencies that use coordinate-based land descriptions.
The bill’s sentiment is overwhelmingly favorable and technical in nature. It passed the Senate 46-0 and the House 92-0, showing unanimous support in both chambers. The absence of recorded committee discussion suggests there was no significant controversy or organized opposition, and the measure was likely viewed as a routine modernization of surveying law.
No major contention is evident in the available record. The only potentially sensitive issues are technical: whether the new 2022 statewide and low-distortion zones should replace older references, how county zones are assigned, and how surveyors and recorders will transition existing land descriptions to the updated framework. Because the bill preserves older systems while adding the new ones and requires professional certification, it appears designed to minimize disputes rather than create them.