N.D.R.Ct.
RULE 3.4. PRIVACY PROTECTION FOR FILINGS MADE WITH THE COURT
(a) Redacted Filings. Unless the court orders otherwise, in an electronic or paper filing with the court that contains an individual's social-security number, taxpayer-identification number, or birth date, the name of an individual known to be a minor, a financial-account number, or, in a criminal case, the home address of an individual, a party or nonparty making the filing must include only:
(1) the last four digits of the social-security number and taxpayer-identification number;
(2) the year of the individual's birth;
(3) the minor's initials;
(4) the last four digits of the financial-account number; and
(5) in a criminal case, the city and state of the home address.
(b) Exemptions from the Redaction Requirement.
The redaction requirement does not apply to the following:
(1) a financial-account number or real property address that identifies the property allegedly subject to forfeiture in a forfeiture proceeding;
(2) the record of an administrative or agency proceeding;
(3) the record of a court or tribunal, if that record was not subject to the redaction requirement when originally filed;
(4) a filing covered by Rule 3.4 (c);
(5) a court filing that is related to a criminal matter and that is prepared before the filing of a criminal charge or is not filed as part of any docketed criminal case;
(6) an arrest or search warrant; and
(7) a charging document and an affidavit filed in support of a charging document.
(c) Filings Made Under Seal. The court may order that a filing be made under seal without redaction. The court may later unseal the filing or order the person who made the filing to file a redacted version for the public record.
(d) Protective Orders. For good cause, the court may by order in a case:
(1) require redaction of additional information; or
(2) limit or prohibit a nonparty's remote electronic access to a document filed with the court.
(e) Option for Additional Unredacted Filing Under Seal. A person making a redacted filing may also file an unredacted copy under seal. The court must retain the unredacted copy as part of the record.
(f) Option for Filing a Reference List. A filing that contains redacted information may be filed together with a reference list that identifies each item of redacted information and specifies an appropriate identifier that uniquely corresponds to each item listed. The list must be filed under seal and may be amended as of right. Any reference in the case to a listed identifier will be construed to refer to the corresponding item of information.
(g) Non-conforming Documents.
(1) Waiver. A person waives the protection of Rule 3.4 (a) as to the person's own information by filing it without redaction and not under seal.
(2) Sanctions. If a party fails to comply with this rule, the court on motion of another party or its own motion, may order the pleading or other document to be reformed. If the order is not obeyed, the court may order the document stricken.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Rule 3.4 was adopted effective __________________.
Sources: Joint Procedure Committee Minutes of January 24, 2008, pages 9-12; October 11-12, 2007, pages 28-30; April 26-27-, 2007, page 31.
Cross Reference: N.D.R.Ct. 3.1 (Pleadings); N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 41 (Access to Judicial Records).