How to Search North Dakota Professional Licenses (Start Here)

Professional and occupational licenses in North Dakota are issued by state licensing boards, each profession has its own board with its own search tool. There is no single database of all licenses in North Dakota.

What this page covers: North Dakota professional license verification databases, medical, legal, real estate, contractor, financial, and other regulated professions. What it does not cover: Business entity filings (those are with the Secretary of State) or association memberships (those are private organizations).

Where to start: Identify the profession, then go to the specific licensing board for North Dakota. For attorneys, go to the state bar. For doctors, the medical board. For contractors, the contractor licensing authority. The databases below are organized by profession.

Common mistake: A professional license and a business registration are different. A license authorizes a person to practice a profession. A business registration authorizes a company to operate. They are filed with different agencies.

Central licensing portal
Verify License Status - ND Board of Medicine
Medical board (MD)
Licensing, Regulation, and Certification | Health and Human Services North Dakota
Nursing board
License Lookup - North Dakota Nurse Portal
Insurance licensing
Producer | North Dakota Insurance Department
Bar / attorney
North Dakota Court System
Contractor licensing
Contractors | Secretary of State | North Dakota
Population
796,568
Households
326,200
Median Income
$76,525
Median Home Value
$234,500
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by , Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: North Dakota professional & occupational licenses URL verified against the official state publisher at www.nd.gov on the review date. 4 primary .gov sources cited below.

North Dakota Professional & Occupational Licenses, Key Facts (2026)

Doctors, lawyers, contractors, nurses, real estate agents in North Dakota, who's licensed and how to verify in 2026.
State-only
License jurisdiction
Not federal
~22%
U.S. workforce licensed
Up from 5% in 1950
1,100+
Licensed occupations
NCSL national database
Free
Official verification
Never pay 3rd parties
Compacts
Cross-state reciprocity
Nursing/medical/PT
Active license ≠ clean record (verify both)
Active license
100%
Continuing-ed current
70%
No disciplinary actions
30%
No complaint history
20%
Criminal background
10%
Unit: % verified by 'active license' alone.

Back to the topics

What Changed in 2026, North Dakota Professional & Occupational Licenses

2026
North Dakota professional & occupational licenses portal active
The official North Dakota portal at www.nd.gov continues to serve as the canonical entry point for professional & occupational licenses in 2026.
2026
Latest federal complement for professional & occupational licenses
The NCSL National Occupational Licensing Database at www.ncsl.org provides federal-level context that complements North Dakota state records.
2026
North Dakota access in 2026
For 2026, North Dakota continues to publish professional & occupational licenses information through state-authorized portals; check www.nd.gov for current fees and processing times.
2026
Federal records framework refresh
Federal record types (federal liens, federal land, federal vital statistics) continue to live OUTSIDE North Dakota's state portal, see the Primary Sources below for additional official portals.

Back to the topics

The 4-Step North Dakota License Verification

1
Step 1, Identify the profession
Each occupation has its own North Dakota board (medical, bar, contractor, real-estate, cosmetology, etc.).
2
Step 2, Confirm the state
Licenses are state-issued. A North Dakota license is NOT automatically valid in other states (unless via compact).
3
Step 3, Use the official board lookup
Every North Dakota board has a free verification tool. Never pay a third party for verification.
4
Step 4, Check disciplinary history
Active license ≠ clean record. Always check the North Dakota board's disciplinary actions search.

Back to the topics

Five Things People Get Wrong About North Dakota Professional & Occupational Licenses

MYTH"There's one national license database."
FACTLicensing is state-by-state, board-by-board. A nurse, a contractor, and a barber in North Dakota are verified in three different systems.
MYTH"Expired licenses vanish from the record."
FACTMost boards keep showing the history, expired, lapsed, surrendered, because the history is the point of the lookup.
MYTH"A license only works in the state that issued it."
FACTCompacts changed that: nursing (NLC), medicine (IMLC), and others let one license or an expedited pathway cover many states. Check the compact map.
MYTH"License numbers are private."
FACTThey're the opposite, public identifiers designed for verification. A professional refusing to give one is the red flag.
MYTH"A clean lookup means no complaints ever."
FACTBoard lookups show public discipline, formal actions. Complaints that closed without action typically never appear.

Back to the topics

Primary Sources and Official Record Portals

Back to the topics

Related Public Records
National view of this topic: All states: Licenses
Sample North Dakota counties: Barnes · Benson · Billings · Bowman · Burke

Back to the topics

Licenses Databases

24 official North Dakota licenses sources.

Court Records Criminal Records Wants & Warrants Vital Records Voter Records Licenses Recorded Documents Property Records

Licenses

ND | ASC gov
Official Free
Licensing activity for North Dakota is tracked through this source. It sits outside government; official offices remain the record of authority.
🌐 asc.gov
Criminal Defense Lawyers Section - State Bar Association of North Dakota
Official Free
4/8/2026 Webinar Series: The Updated Attorney General Contract Drafting Manual - April 8, 2026. Founded in 1899, the 2,900-plus member State Bar Association of North Dakota is the official statewide organization of lawyers and the oldest unified state bar association in the nation.
🌐 sband.org
Forms - Auctions: Public Service Commission, North Dakota
Official Free
Important Note: As of January 1, 2024, the Public Service Commission no longer licenses or regulates auctioneers or auction clerks. In accordance with North Dakota Century Code Section 51-05.1-01, “A person may not conduct a sale as an auctioneer or clerk unless registered with the secretary.
🌐 psc.nd.gov
Department of Financial Institutions Commissioner Lise Kruse says North Dakota banks, credit unions remain stable |…
Official Free
Since 1887 the Department of Financial Institutions has regulated North Dakota’s financial institutions, which today include state-chartered banks and credit unions, trust companies and non-depository financial institutions.
🌐 nd.gov
Licensing and Registration | Secretary of State | North Dakota
Official Free
In North Dakota, you may be required to get a license or registration from the Office of the Secretary of State if you are involved in the following occupations. Get or renew a contractor's license.
🌐 sos.nd.gov
Verification: Search - ND Dental Board
Official Free
The NDSBDE may provide information about dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants to the public. The Board requires a written request or completion of the List Request form. The form is not required if the information is included in a written or emailed request.
🌐 nddentalboard.org
Licensing - North Dakota Attorney General
Official Free
Amusement Games and Fair Boards; Firework Wholesalers; Charitable Gaming Organizations; Manufacturers and Distributors of Gaming Equipment and Supplies; Polygraph Operators; Tobacco Retailers, Wholesalers and Manufacturers; and · Transient Merchants. Licensees must meet eligibility requirements set by law.
🌐 attorneygeneral.nd.gov
ND LICENSED GRAIN ELEVATORS
Official Free
BISMARCK, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has announced that grants are available to North Dakota farmers markets to purchase marketing supplies to increase visibility, awareness and attendance at the markets, and to increase sales of specialty crops.
🌐 ndda.nd.gov
North Dakota Game and Fish
Official Free
License and permit records for North Dakota, issued credentials and active-status checks. Confirm details with the official license and permit office before relying on them.
🌐 apps.nd.gov
State Based Systems
Official Free
Jurisdictions using SBS will be transitioning to the new version of SBS 'SBS 2016' on a monthly basis from January through September 2016. As each jurisdiction transitions to SBS 2016, the SBS tools you use will change. These new tools can be accessed from the 'State Services' page.
🌐 sbs.naic.org
North Dakota Livestock Agents
Official Free
License and permit records for North Dakota, issued credentials and active-status checks. Confirm details with the official license and permit office before relying on them.
🌐 ndda.nd.gov
ND Nurse Portal
Official Free
Any errors or omissions should be reported for investigation. The information contained on the ND Nurse Portal is presented in good faith and believed to be correct. Individuals accessing this portal will make their own determination of how suitable the information and data is for their usage.
🌐 ndbon.boardsofnursing.org
North Dakota Century Code t43c13
Official Free
Displaying a sign or in any way advertising as an optometrist. Engaging in any manner in the practice of optometry. 43-13-02. Persons exempt from provisions of chapter. The provisions of this chapter do not apply to the following persons:. Physicians and surgeons licensed under chapter 43-17. 43-13-03.
🌐 ndlegis.gov
North Dakota Administrative Code | North Dakota Legislative Branch
Official Free
Physician Licensure Chapter Chapter Name 50-02-01 Provisional Temporary License 50-02-02 Special License 50-02-02.1 Administrative License 50-02-03 Examinations 50-02-04 National Board of Examiners for Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, Inc. [Repealed] 50-02-05 Graduates of Foreign Medical.
🌐 ndlegis.gov
Licensed Private Investigator & Agencies | Private Investigation and Security Board, of North Dakota
Official Free
Licensing activity for North Dakota is tracked through this source. It is independently run, so verify anything critical against the official license and permit office.
🌐 pisb.nd.gov
Northern Plains Railroad North Dakota Public Service Commission April 10, 2024
Official Free
Rail Miles: 350-mile railroad operating in North Dakota · and Minnesota. Class I Connection: Canadian Pacific, BNSF · 3 railroads make up the NPR rail network: NPR, MRI, and MHC · Primary products shipped: Grain, Fertilizer & Aggregates. Service to multiple ND and MN grain handling locations.
🌐 psc.nd.gov
Electric & Gas | NDPSC | North Dakota Public Service Commission
Official Free
There are three investor-owned electric utilities operating in North Dakota: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., Northern States Power Company, and Otter Tail Power Company. The Public Utilities Division implements the Commission's statutory.
🌐 psc.nd.gov
The Commission | NDPSC | North Dakota Public Service Commission
Official Free
Today, the Commission has varying degrees of jurisdiction over electric and natural gas utilities, telecommunications companies, weights and measures, reclamation of mined lands, the siting of energy plants and electric and natural gas transmission facilities, railroad safety, gas pipeline safety and underground damage prevention.
🌐 psc.nd.gov
Weed Seed Free Forage Program Summary | North Dakota Department of Agriculture
Official Free
This is forage which has been inspected by designated agents (“inspector”) of the Agriculture Commissioner prior to cutting. There is a reasonable and prudent visual inspection using standardized inspection procedures. Forage found to be free of weed seeds identified in the North American Invasive Species Management Association’s (NAISMA) weed list (which includes North Dakota noxious weeds) may be certified.
🌐 ndda.nd.gov
North Dakota Requirements for LBSW Licensure
Official Free
Bachelor’s degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited college or university or a Canadian college or university accredited by Canadian Association for Social Work Education. The degree must be in social work as required by N.D.C.C. 43-41-04: Licenses - Law: North Dakota State Law Chapter 43-41.
🌐 ndbswe.com
North Dakota State Electrical Board - Continuing Education Approved Courses & Requirements
Official Free
Licensing activity for North Dakota is tracked through this source. Confirm details with the official license and permit office before relying on them.
🌐 ndseb.com
Participants - ARELLO
Official Free
License and permit records for North Dakota, issued credentials and active-status checks. It is independently run, so verify anything critical against the official license and permit office.
🌐 arello.com

Back to the topics

North Dakota Counties

53 North Dakota counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net, top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.

Cass Burleigh Grand Forks Ward Stark Williams Morton Mountrail Stutsman Barnes Benson Billings Bowman Burke

Back to the topics

Which North Dakota counties publish local licensing online

4 of North Dakota's 40 counties run their own online source for local licensing, based on what this directory indexes. Every other county is covered by the statewide systems listed above, click a county for its full records page.

Back to the topics

Frequently Asked Questions

Most North Dakota professional and occupational licenses (medical, legal, contracting, real estate, cosmetology, etc.) can be verified through the Official North Dakota Professional & Occupational Licenses at www.nd.gov. Look for the 'License Lookup' or 'Verify a Licensee' tool, searches are typically by name or license number and return active/inactive status.

North Dakota business licensing combines state, county, and city permits depending on activity. The Official North Dakota Professional & Occupational Licenses at www.nd.gov is the primary state portal; local business-tax certificates are issued by the city or county where you operate. The federal usa.gov permits guide is a helpful starting overview.

That depends on the profession. North Dakota, like most states, licenses regulated occupations such as healthcare, legal, construction, real estate, cosmetology, security, and many trades. The Official North Dakota Professional & Occupational Licenses publishes the full list and exemption criteria at www.nd.gov.

Complaints against licensed professionals in North Dakota are filed with the issuing board or division under the Official North Dakota Professional & Occupational Licenses. Most boards accept online complaint submissions at www.nd.gov, plus mail-in forms. Each board reviews complaints under the standards in North Dakota's occupational code.

Many North Dakota boards offer license-by-reciprocity, license-by-endorsement, or expedited pathways for applicants already licensed in another U.S. jurisdiction. The Official North Dakota Professional & Occupational Licenses at www.nd.gov publishes the reciprocity rules per profession; some require additional North Dakota-specific exams or jurisprudence tests.