(a) Partition without application. If the Secretary of the Interior shall find that any inherited trust allotment or allotments (as distinguished from lands held in a restricted fee status or authorized to be sold under the Act of May 14, 1948 (62 Stat. 236; 25 U.S.C. 483)), are capable of partition in kind to the advantage of the heirs, he may cause such lands to be partitioned among them, regardless of their competency, patents in fee to be issued to the competent heirs for their shares and trust patents to be issued to the incompetent heirs for the lands respectively or jointly set apart to them, the trust period to terminate in accordance with the terms of the original patent or order of extension of the trust period set out in said patent. (Act of May 18, 1916 (39 Stat. 127; 25 U.S.C. 378)). The authority contained in the Act of May 18, 1916, is not applicable to lands authorized to be sold by the Act of May 14, 1948, nor to land held in restricted fee status.

(b) Application for partition. Heirs of a deceased allottee may make written application, in the form approved by the Secretary, for partition of their trust or restricted land. If the Secretary finds the trust lands susceptible of partition, he may issue new patents or deeds to the heirs for the portions set aside to them. If the allotment is held under a restricted fee title (as distinguished from a trust title), partition may be accomplished by the heirs executing deeds approved by the Secretary, to the other heirs for their respective portions.