Rainwater laws / North Dakota
Is it legal to collect rainwater in North Dakota?
Checked at North Dakota's own statutes and agencies, November 2026. Not legal advice.
No state law found
We found no North Dakota law about rooftop rain. Its general rule needs no permit for under 12.5 acre-feet a year for household or livestock use.
What the rules say
- NDCC 61-04-02: no permit is needed to appropriate "less than twelve and one-half acre-feet ... from any source for domestic or livestock purposes."
What we checked
We searched for anything on collecting rain from a roof and found nothing. That means no state rule we could find limits a rain barrel, not that none exists.
Before you buy a big tank
State law is only one layer. Cities and counties can set their own rules, especially for tanks plumbed into the house, and an HOA can limit where a barrel sits. Drinking rainwater needs treatment everywhere. For a barrel or two on a downspout for the garden, the state rule above is usually the one that matters.
Where the numbers come from
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