# Expired mineral rights

**URL:** https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/expired-mineral-rights/81969
**Category:** Ownership and Title
**Created:** [June 16, 2025, 10:47am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/expired-mineral-rights/81969 "2025-06-16T10:47:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Iam2bear](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/82dd89/32.png) [@Iam2bear](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Iam2bear)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2025, 10:47am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/expired-mineral-rights/81969/1 "2025-06-16T10:47:13Z")

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I am sure once I hear your answers, I will feel dumb, but… What is to stop the average “Joe”, a rogue landman, or the oil companies for that matter, from claiming your mineral rights if they are past 20 years old (deed wise)? I do believe North Dakota is a 20-year inactivity law. Can it only revert to the landowner or state?

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### Author: ![M\_Barnes](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/user_avatar/www.mineralrightsforum.com/m_barnes/32/10942_2.png) [@M\_Barnes](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/M_Barnes)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2025, 2:31am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/expired-mineral-rights/81969/2 "2025-06-18T02:31:19Z")

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In ND, the rights would revert to the surface owner if not producing. If you have passed the 20 year time line, you can try to file to keep them. If I remember correctly, the surface owner would have to make the claim. It is not automatic.

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### Author: ![DaveH](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@DaveH](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/DaveH)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2025, 12:53pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/expired-mineral-rights/81969/3 "2025-06-18T12:53:17Z")

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M\_Barnes is right. File a Statement of Claim to your interests with the lands and your contact information properly identified in the county where your lands are located as soon as you can. The surface owner has to have a quiet title proceeding in court to vest the mineral interest in them which includes notice to those parties whose addresses are of record in the county records.

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### Author: ![system](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/uploads/db5755/original/3X/6/c/6c7c56608c843272ad6e3662ce9562a5956f173e.png) [@system](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2025, 10:47am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/expired-mineral-rights/81969/4 "2025-09-14T10:47:44Z")

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