# Title 31 — Judicial Proof

## Chapter 31-08.1 — Uniform Preservation of Private Business Records Act

### § 31-08.1-01. Definitions.

As used in this chapter:
1. "Business" includes every kind of private business, profession, occupation, calling, or
operation of a private institution, whether for profit or nonprofit.
2. "Record" or "business record" includes any book of account, voucher, document,
canceled check, payroll, correspondence, record of sales, personnel, equipment
production, report relating to any of these items, and any other business paper.
3. "Reproduction" means a reproduction or durable medium for making a reproduction
obtained by any photographic, photostatic, microfilm, microcard, miniature
photographic, or other process that accurately reproduces or forms a durable medium
for reproducing the original.
### § 31-08.1-02. Period of preservation.

Unless a specific period is designated by law for preservation, any business record that
state law requires a person to keep or preserve may be destroyed after the expiration of three
years from the making of the record without constituting an offense under state law. This section
does not apply to any minute book of any corporation or to any record of sales or other
transactions involving a weapon, poison, or other dangerous article or substance capable of use
in the commission of a crime.
### § 31-08.1-03. Preservation of reproductions.

If in the course of regular business a person makes a reproduction of an original business
record, the preservation of the reproduction constitutes compliance with any state law requiring
that a business record be kept or preserved.
### § 31-08.1-04. Destruction of records by state officers.

This chapter does not diminish the authority of an officer of this state under existing law to
permit the destruction of any business record.
