Does North Dakota title a manufactured home?

Yes, through the Department of Transportation. A manufactured home is held by a certificate of title issued by the DOT under N.D.C.C. §39-05-35, and ownership transfers through that title until the home is converted to real property. This is general information, not advice about a specific title — consider consulting a licensed attorney in North Dakota.

How does a North Dakota manufactured home become part of the real estate?

By recording an affidavit of affixation. Under N.D.C.C. §47-10-27, once the affixation requirements are met (including delivering a recorded affidavit of affixation to the DOT), 'the manufactured home is deemed to be real property,' title 'must be transferred by deed ... together with the land,' and 'the department of transportation has no further authority or jurisdiction over the conveyance or encumbrance of the manufactured home.'

How is a North Dakota mobile home taxed?

Through a mobile home tax permit, unless it is real property. Under N.D.C.C. ch. 57-55, a mobile home is generally subject to the mobile home tax and permit; a home that is 'permanently attached to the land and classified as real property' is instead taxed as real property (§57-55-10).

Mobile home titles in North Dakota

North Dakota titles a manufactured home through the Department of Transportation, provides an affidavit-of-affixation path to convert the home to real property, and taxes a mobile home through a mobile home tax permit unless it has become real property. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone with a specific title question should consider consulting a licensed attorney in North Dakota.

What the statute says

A manufactured home is titled by the DOT under N.D.C.C. §39-05-35. To convert it to real property, N.D.C.C. §47-10-27 sets out the affidavit-of-affixation requirements, and subsection 7 provides:

Upon the satisfaction of the requirements of subsection 6, the manufactured home is deemed to be real property ... Title to the manufactured home must be transferred by deed or other form of conveyance that is effective to transfer an interest in real property, together with the land to which the structure has been affixed. The manufactured home is deemed to be real property and is governed by the laws applicable to real property and the department of transportation has no further authority or jurisdiction over the conveyance or encumbrance of the manufactured home.

For taxation, N.D.C.C. ch. 57-55 subjects a mobile home to the mobile home tax and permit, except that a home "permanently attached to the land and classified as real property" is taxed as real property (§57-55-10).

How it works in general

A North Dakota manufactured home carries a DOT certificate of title, which records ownership and any lien; a sale of a home that remains personal property transfers that title. When the owner permanently affixes the home to land and records an affidavit of affixation (delivered to the DOT), the home becomes real property — conveyed by deed with the land, with the DOT no longer involved. For tax, a mobile home that is not real property is handled through the mobile home tax permit; once it's permanently attached and classified as real property, it is taxed as real estate. The title, the affidavit of affixation, and the bill of sale or deed are the key documents.

Common scenarios

General examples North Dakota residents commonly encounter:

A home sits on a rented lot. It is held by a DOT certificate of title and sold by transferring that title.
An owner sets the home permanently on owned land. Recording an affidavit of affixation converts it to real property (§47-10-27).
A resident asks how the home is taxed. A mobile home uses the mobile home tax permit unless it's real property (ch. 57-55).

Other authorities that may apply

The Department of Transportation administers the certificate of title (§39-05-35) and the affidavit of affixation (§47-10-27); the county and the Tax Commissioner administer the mobile home tax (ch. 57-55). Security interests follow the title until affixation, then the real-property recording system. The bill of sale, deed, and any financing documents also control.