The North Dakota Division of Community Services (DCS) is assigned the responsibility of updating and amending the North Dakota State Building Code. The DCS is not involved in the enforcement of the State Building Code. This is the responsibility of jurisdictions that elect to adopt and enforce building codes.

Effective January 1, 2017 the North Dakota State Building Code consists of the 2015 International Building Code, International Residential Code, International Mechanical Code, International Fuel Gas Code, and International Energy Conservation Code along with state amendments to these five codes. The amendments were first reviewed by the Building Code Advisory Committee and recommendations were developed by the Committee for each proposed amendment. On September 7-8, 2016, eligible cities and counties, along with eligible members of the Building Code Advisory Committee, voted on each recommendation. 

If a city, county, or township elects to adopt and enforce building codes, it must adopt and enforce the State Building Code. However, a jurisdiction is permitted to further amend the State Building Code to conform to local needs. Fully chartered Home Rule Cities may adopt something other than the State Building Code, but at the present time, all that enforce a building code have elected to adopt the same individual codes that make up the State Building Code. 

The North Dakota legislative assembly has mandated that the state building code consist of the International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC), InternationalMechanical Code (IMC), and International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC). These are nationally recognized codes published by the International Code Council and updated nationally every three years. The North Dakota Department of Commerce, Division of Community Services (DCS) is announcing its intentions to review and consider amendments to the newly published updates to the 2018 IBC, 2018 IRC, 2018 IMC, and the 2018 IFGC. Energy conservation standards must be included in the state building code.

Attached is the Code Amendment Submittal Form (SFN 50180) and directions for completing the form. Proposed amendments to these four codes to be considered for adoption at the May 7th meeting should be submitted per the directions by 5:00 p.m. of May 1st, 2019 to DCS. The address is on the submittal form. Amendments submitted after that will be considered at the public hearing on July 11th.