COMMUNITY FIRST BANKSHARES, INC. DEBT SECURITIES Purchase Agreement

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Exhibit 1.3

COMMUNITY FIRST BANKSHARES, INC.

DEBT SECURITIES

Purchase Agreement

, 2003

To the Representatives named in
Schedule I hereto of the
Underwriters named in
Schedule II hereto

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Community First Bankshares, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), proposes to issue and sell to the underwriters named in Schedule II hereto (the "Underwriters"), for whom you are acting as representatives (the "Representatives"), the principal amount of its debt securities identified in Schedule I hereto (the "Securities"), to be issued under the indenture specified in Schedule I hereto (the "Indenture") between the Company and the Trustee identified in such Schedules (the "Trustee"). If the firm or firms listed in Schedule II hereto include only the firm or firms listed in Schedule I hereto, then the terms "Underwriters" and Representatives," as used herein, shall each be deemed to refer to such firm or firms.

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the "Securities Act"), a registration statement (the file number of which is set forth in Schedule I hereto) on Form S-3, relating to certain debt securities (the "Shelf Securities") to be issued from time to time by the Company. The Company also has filed with, or proposes to file with, the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act a prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Securities. The registration statement as amended to the date of this Agreement is hereinafter referred to as the "Registration Statement" and the related prospectus covering the Shelf Securities in the form first used to confirm sales of the Securities is hereinafter referred to as the "Basic Prospectus". The Basic Prospectus as supplemented by the prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Securities in the form first used to confirm sales of the Securities is hereinafter referred to as the "Prospectus". If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the "Rule 462 Registration Statement"), then any reference herein to the term "Registration Statement" shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any preliminary form of prospectus (a "Preliminary Prospectus") previously filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act which were filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the "Exchange Act") on or before the date of this Agreement or the date of the Basic Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference to "amend", "amendment" or "supplement" with respect to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed under the Exchange Act after the date of this Agreement, or the date of the Basic Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, which are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.

The Company hereby agrees with the Underwriters as follows:

1. The Company agrees to issue and sell the Securities to the several Underwriters as hereinafter provided, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions hereinafter stated, agrees to purchase, severally and not jointly, from the Company the respective principal amount of Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter's name in Schedule II hereto at the purchase price set forth in Schedule I hereto plus accrued interest, if any, from the date specified in Schedule I hereto to the date of payment and delivery.

2. The Company understands that the several Underwriters intend (i) to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Securities and (ii) initially to offer the Securities upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus.

3. Payment for the Securities shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account specified by the Company to the Representatives, no later than noon the Business Day (as defined below) prior to the Closing Date (as defined below), on the date and at the time and place set forth in Schedule I hereto (or at such other time and place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth Business Day (as defined below) thereafter, as you and the Company may agree in writing). As used herein, the term "BUSINESS DAY" means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City. The time and date of such payment and delivery with respect to the Securities are referred to herein as the "Closing Date".

Payment for the Securities shall be made against delivery to the nominee of The Depository Trust Company for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Securities of one or more global notes (the "Global Note") representing the Securities, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer to the Underwriters of the Securities duly paid by the Company. The Global Note will be made available for inspection by the Representatives at such place as the Representatives and the Company shall agree not later than 1:00 P.M., New York City time, on the Business Day prior to the Closing Date.

4. The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:

(a) The Registration Statement has become effective; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before or threatened by the Commission.

(b) (i) Each document, if any, filed or to be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus complied or will comply when so filed in all material respects with the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (ii) the Registration Statement, when it became effective, did not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (iii) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and (iv) the Prospectus does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do not apply to (i) that part of the Registration Statement which constitutes the Statements of Eligibility and Qualification under the Trust Indenture Act of the Trustee (the "Forms T-1") and (ii) statements or omissions in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter or its counsel through you expressly for use therein.

(c) The Company (i) has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, (ii) has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and (iii) is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(d) Each subsidiary of the Company which is a significant subsidiary as defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X (a "Significant Subsidiary") (i) has been duly formed, is validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, (ii) has the corporate, limited liability company, limited partnership or partnership power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and (iii) is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(e) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(f) The authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus.

(g) The Securities have been duly authorized, and, when issued and delivered pursuant to this Agreement, will have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture; the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and constitutes a valid and binding instrument, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as the enforceability thereof is subject to the effect of (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or other laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); the Securities and the Indenture will conform to the descriptions thereof in the Prospectus.

(h) The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities will not contravene any provision of applicable law or the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or any agreement, indenture or instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency that has not already been obtained is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture or the Securities, except such as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities.

(i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its corporate charter or by-laws or other constitutive document or in default under any agreement, indenture or instrument, which default could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and no event or condition has occurred or exists which, with the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both, would result in any such violation or default which would have such an effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any law, ordinance, governmental rule or regulation or court decree to which it may be subject, which

violation could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(j) There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement).

(k) There are no legal or governmental investigations or proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described or any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required.

(l) Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the registration statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(m) The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an "investment company" as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(n) All licenses, permits, consents, certificates of need, authorizations, certifications, accreditations, franchises, approvals, grants of rights by, or filings or registrations with, any federal, state, local or foreign court or governmental or public body, authority, or other instrumentality or third person (any of the foregoing a "License") necessary for the Company and its subsidiaries to own, build, maintain or operate their respective businesses or properties have been duly authorized and obtained, and are in full force and effect, except where the failure to so be obtained or in effect would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; and the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects with all provisions thereof; no event has occurred which permits (or with the passage of time would permit) the revocation or termination of any License, or which could result in the imposition of any restriction thereon, which is of such a nature or the effect of which would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; no material License is the subject of any pending or, to the best of the Company's knowledge, threatened challenge or revocation which, if such License were revoked, would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; the Company and its subsidiaries are not required to obtain any material License that has not already been obtained from, or effect any material filing or registration that has not already been made with any federal, state or local regulatory authority in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Indenture or the Securities; and except, in each case, as described in the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement).

(o) The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants ("Environmental Laws"), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in

compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; and except, in each case, as described in the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement).

(p) Except as described in the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement), there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) which would, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(q) The Company has prepared its financial statements on a consistent basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The pro forma financial statements of the Company, if any, and the related notes thereto, included in the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the pro forma financial position of the Company, as of the dates indicated and the results of its operations for the periods specified; any such pro forma financial information, and the related notes thereto, included in the Prospectus have been prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and are based upon good faith estimates and assumptions believed by the Company to be reasonable.

(r) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and indefeasible title to all items of real property and good and defensible title to all personal property owned by them and the right to use all other property used or proposed to be used by them in the ordinary course of business, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described or referred to in the Prospectus or such as do not materially adversely affect the value of such property and do not unreasonably interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, existing and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not unreasonably interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company or its subsidiaries.

(s) Immediately after any sale of Securities by the Company hereunder, the aggregate initial offering price of Securities which have been issued and sold by the Company hereunder and of any securities of the Company (other than the Securities) that shall have been issued and sold pursuant to the Registration Statement will not exceed the aggregate initial offering price of securities registered under the Registration Statement.

5. The Company covenants and agrees with each of the several Underwriters as follows:

(a) to file the Prospectus in a form approved by you pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act not later than the Commission's close of business on the second Business Day following the date of determination of the offering price of the Securities or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 424(b);

(b) to furnish to you, without charge, five conformed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and for delivery to each other Underwriter a conformed copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and to furnish to you in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 5(e) below, as many copies of the

Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request;

(c) from the date hereof and prior to the Closing Date, to furnish to you a copy of any proposed amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, for your review, and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object;

(d) to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities, and during such same period, to advise you promptly, and to confirm such advice in writing, (i) when any amendment to the Registration Statement shall have become effective, (ii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional information, (iii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose, and (iv) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and to use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or notification and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof;

(e) if, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Securities as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Securities is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, forthwith to prepare and furnish, at the expense of the Company, to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses you will furnish to the Company) to which Securities may have been sold by you on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other dealers upon request, such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with law;

(f) to endeavor to qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as you shall reasonably request and to continue such qualification in effect so long as reasonably required for distribution of the Securities;

(g) to make generally available to the Company's security holders and to you as soon as practicable an earning statement covering the twelve-month period ending , 2003 that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;

(h) during the period beginning on the date hereof and continuing to and including the Business Day following the Closing Date, not to offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any debt securities of or guaranteed by the Company which are substantially similar to the Securities;

(i) to use the net proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Prospectus under the caption "Use of Proceeds"; and

(j) whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including without limiting the generality of the foregoing, all costs and expenses (i) incident to the preparation, issuance, execution, authentication and delivery of the Securities, including any expenses of the Trustee, (ii) incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any preliminary prospectus (including in each case all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto), (iii) incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Securities under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Underwriters may designate (including fees of counsel for the Underwriters and their disbursements), (iv) related to any filing with National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., (v) in connection with the printing (including word processing and duplication costs) and delivery of this Agreement, the Indenture, the Preliminary and Supplemental Blue Sky Memoranda and the furnishing to Underwriters and dealers of copies of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, including mailing and shipping, as herein provided, (vi) payable to rating agencies in connection with the rating of the Securities, (vii) incurred by the Company in connection with a "road show" presentation to potential investors and (viii) related to the cost and charges of any transfer agent.

6. The several obligations of the Underwriters hereunder shall be subject to the following conditions:

(a) the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein are true and correct on and as of the Closing Date as if made on and as of the Closing Date and the Company shall have complied with all agreements and all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date;

(b) the Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Securities Act; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your satisfaction;

(c) subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date, there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate an improvement in the rating accorded any of the Company's securities by any "nationally recognized statistical rating organization," as such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act;

(d) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any prospective material adverse change, or any development involving a material adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs, business, prospects, management, financial position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, the effect of which in the judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

(e) the Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date a certificate of an executive officer of the Company, with specific knowledge about the Company's financial matters, satisfactory to you to the effect set forth in Sections 6(a), 6(b), 6(c) and 6(d) (with respect to the respective representations, warranties, agreements and conditions of the Company) and to the

further effect that there has not occurred any prospective material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs, business, prospects, management, financial position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement;

(f) the Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇ P.L.L.P., outside counsel for the Company, to the effect that:

(i) the Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus;

(ii) the authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus;

(iii) the Securities have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered by the Company and, when duly authenticated in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms and entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture subject to the effect of (A) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or other laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and (B) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law);

(iv) the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and binding instrument of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms subject to the effect of (A) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or other laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and (B) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act;

(v) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;

(vi) the execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities will not contravene any provision of applicable law or the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company;

(vii) the Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an "investment company" as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

In addition, such counsel shall state that no facts have come to such counsel's attention to lead such counsel to believe that the Registration Statement and the prospectus included therein at the time the Registration Statement became effective or at the time of the execution of this Agreement contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial and statistical data and the Forms T-1 as to which such counsel need not express any belief).

(g) on the Closing Date, Ernst & Young LLP shall have furnished to you a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to you, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants' "comfort letters" to underwriters with respect to the financial

statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and

(h) you shall have received on and as of the Closing Date an opinion of counsel to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to you.

7. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, each affiliate of any Underwriter which assists such Underwriter in the distribution of the Securities and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including without limitation the legal fees and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) or any preliminary prospectus, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement with respect to any preliminary prospectus shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter from whom the person asserting any such losses, claims, damages or liabilities purchased Securities, or any person controlling such Underwriter, if a copy of the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) was not sent or given by or on behalf of such Underwriter to such person, if required by law so to have been delivered, at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of the Securities to such person, and if the Prospectus (as so amended or supplemented) would have cured the defect giving rise to such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, unless such failure is the result of noncompliance by the Company with Section 5(b) hereof.

Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the Registration Statement and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter, but only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any amendment or supplement thereto, or any preliminary prospectus.

If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to either of the two preceding paragraphs, such person (the "Indemnified Person") shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the "Indemnifying Person") in writing, and the Indemnifying Person, upon request of the Indemnified Person, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person to represent the Indemnified Person and any others the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary, (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person or (iii) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for

the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for the Underwriters, each affiliate of any Underwriter which assists such Underwriter in the distribution of the Securities and such control persons of Underwriters shall be designated in writing by the first of the named Representatives on Schedule I hereto and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the Registration Statement and such control persons of the Company or authorized representatives shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify any Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested an Indemnifying Person to reimburse the Indemnified Person for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the third sentence of this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such Indemnifying Person of the aforesaid request and (ii) such Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.

If the indemnification provided for in the first and second paragraphs of this Section 7 is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of such Securities (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and the commissions received by the Underwriters bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Securities. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with

investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters' obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the respective principal amount of the Securities set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto, and not joint.

The remedies provided for in this Section 7 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 7 and the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any person controlling any Underwriter or by or on behalf of the Company, its officers or directors or any other person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Securities.

8. Notwithstanding anything herein contained, this Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice given to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange or the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., (ii) trading of any securities of or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities in New York shall have been declared by either Federal or New York State authorities, or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and which, in the judgment of the Representatives, makes it impracticable to market the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.

9. If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities which it or they have agreed to purchase under this Agreement, and the aggregate principal amount of Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule II hereto bears to the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as the Representatives may specify, to purchase the Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the principal amount of Securities that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to Section 1 be increased pursuant to this Section 9 by an amount in excess of one-tenth of such principal amount of Securities without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities and the aggregate principal amount of Securities with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased, and arrangements satisfactory to you and the Company for the purchase of such Securities are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In any such case either you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the

Registration Statement and in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

10. If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement or any condition of the Underwriters' obligations cannot be fulfilled, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering of Securities.

11. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company, each affiliate of any Underwriter which assists such Underwriter in the distribution of the Securities, the Underwriters, any controlling persons referred to herein and their respective successors and assigns. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person, firm or corporation any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

12. Any action by the Underwriters hereunder may be taken by you jointly or by the first of the named Representatives set forth in Schedule I hereto alone on behalf of the Underwriters, and any such action taken by you jointly or by the first of the named Representatives set forth in Schedule I hereto alone shall be binding upon the Underwriters. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be given at the address set forth in Schedule I hereto. Notices to the Company shall be given to it at Community First Bankshares, Inc., ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ (facsimile: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇); Attention: Corporate Secretary.

13. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

14. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota, without giving effect to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof.

		Very truly yours,
		COMMUNITY FIRST BANKSHARES, INC.
		By:
			Name:
			Title:
Accepted: , 2003
Acting severally on behalf of itself and The several Underwriters listed in Schedule II hereto.
By:
	Name:
	Title:

SCHEDULE I

Representatives:
Underwriting Agreement dated:
Registration Statement No.
Title of Securities:
Aggregate principal amount:
Purchase Price:
Price to Public:
Indenture
Maturity:
Interest Rate:
Interest Payment Dates:
Closing Date and Time of Delivery:
Closing Location:
Address for Notices to Underwriters: