In North Dakota, the license families see for assisted living is "Assisted Living Facility", issued by the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging and Health Response and Licensure Section. North Dakota's assisted living law does not list a physician's exam or a state form for new tenants. A facility must give at least 30 days' written notice before moving a resident to another facility or home or for a change in level of care, less if urgent medical needs or safety require it.
Key facts
- The median monthly cost of assisted living in North Dakota was $4,729 in CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, or $56,745 a year, $1,471 below the national median of $6,200 a month. (CareScout, 2026)
- Medicaid's waiver pays for adult residential care only in licensed basic care facilities, and the state calls assisted living usually private pay. (North Dakota HHS Home and Community Based Services Policy Manual 525-05-30-16, 2024)
- North Dakota's assisted living law and licensing rules do not list a tuberculosis test for new tenants. (N.D. Cent. Code ch. 50-32, 2025)
- North Dakota's assisted living law has no medication rules of its own beyond requiring a medication administration record. (N.D. Admin. Code 54-07-03.1-03.1, 2014)
- A North Dakota assisted living facility cannot advertise or claim to be an Alzheimer's, dementia or special memory care facility, according to the state's ombudsman guide. (North Dakota Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, 2025)
North Dakota licenses assisted living facilities, which are buildings with at least five living units serving five or more unrelated people who rent their unit under a tenancy agreement and buy services separately (N.D.C.C. chapter 50-32, N.D. Admin. Code chapter 75-03-34). Basic care facilities (N.D.C.C. chapter 23-09.3) are a separate license, and they are the setting the state uses for memory care and Medicaid residential care; the facts below are for the assisted living facility license.
Rules change and communities can set stricter policies. Before you sign, confirm the details with the community and the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging and Health Response and Licensure Section. This page is general information, not legal advice.
The rules at a glance
| Medical assessment before move-in | North Dakota's assisted living law does not list a physician's exam or a state form for new tenants. Before a unit is rented, the facility must evaluate whether the person can meet its written tenancy criteria, and the tenant record must include that initial evaluation. [2][3] More on this |
|---|---|
| TB test | North Dakota's assisted living law and licensing rules do not list a tuberculosis test for new tenants. Ask the facility whether its own admission policy asks for one. [2][3] More on this |
| Notice before a move-out | A facility must give at least 30 days' written notice before moving a resident to another facility or home or for a change in level of care, less if urgent medical needs or safety require it. It may make a resident leave against their wishes only for medical reasons, welfare or safety, nonpayment, temporary remodeling, or closing. [4] More on this |
| Who may give medications | North Dakota's assisted living law has no medication rules of its own beyond requiring a medication administration record. Board of Nursing rules let a nurse delegate medications only to registered unlicensed staff, such as medication assistants III, or for one medication and one client; medication assistants III may give subcutaneous injections to people with stable, predictable conditions. [5][6][2] More on this |
| Memory care and dementia | A North Dakota assisted living facility cannot advertise or claim to be an Alzheimer's, dementia or special memory care facility, according to the state's ombudsman guide. Only licensed basic care facilities, which need written state approval to offer this care, or certified skilled nursing facilities can. [9][7] |
| Long-term care ombudsman | North Dakota's Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program speaks on behalf of people living in assisted living homes, basic care homes and nursing homes, and can be reached at (701) 328-4617 or toll-free at (855) 462-5465, option 3. [8] Official page More on this |
| Medicaid help | Medicaid's waiver pays for adult residential care only in licensed basic care facilities, and the state calls assisted living usually private pay. A separate state program, Service Payments for the Elderly and Disabled (SPED), pays a daily personal care rate to approved providers for eligible assisted living tenants, for tasks outside the facility's base rate, which includes room and board. [10][9][11] Official page More on this |
What assisted living costs in North Dakota
The median monthly cost of assisted living in North Dakota was $4,729 in CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, or $56,745 a year, $1,471 below the national median of $6,200 a month. [12]
A median is the middle of the rates communities reported, so many charge more or less. Rates differ between regions and by the care a resident needs, so ask each community for its full fee list in writing. More: assisted living costs in every state, a monthly budget and the costs that aren't in the base rate.
How to check a community in North Dakota
The Department of Health and Human Services assisted living page has a PDF list of licensed assisted living facilities (updated August 28, 2025) and an online complaint form. Each facility must make its inspection reports and deficiency reports from the past three years available on request. Search North Dakota's records. [1][4]
The licensing agency: North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging and Health Response and Licensure Section. [1] Our guide on how to read an inspection report explains what to look for.
Put North Dakota's paperwork on a date
Parent Move Plan counts every task back from the move-in day, including the medical assessment and TB screening the community will ask for, so nothing lands in the last week.
Get your first 3 days freeFrequently asked questions
How much does assisted living cost in North Dakota?
The median monthly cost of assisted living in North Dakota was $4,729 in CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, or $56,745 a year, $1,471 below the national median of $6,200 a month. A median is the middle of the rates communities reported, so many charge more or less, and rates differ between regions and by the care a resident needs.
What medical assessment does North Dakota require before moving into assisted living?
North Dakota's assisted living law does not list a physician's exam or a state form for new tenants. Before a unit is rented, the facility must evaluate whether the person can meet its written tenancy criteria, and the tenant record must include that initial evaluation.
Does North Dakota require a TB test for assisted living?
North Dakota's assisted living law and licensing rules do not list a tuberculosis test for new tenants. Ask the facility whether its own admission policy asks for one.
How much notice must an assisted living community in North Dakota give before a move-out?
A facility must give at least 30 days' written notice before moving a resident to another facility or home or for a change in level of care, less if urgent medical needs or safety require it. It may make a resident leave against their wishes only for medical reasons, welfare or safety, nonpayment, temporary remodeling, or closing.
Who can give medications in assisted living in North Dakota?
North Dakota's assisted living law has no medication rules of its own beyond requiring a medication administration record. Board of Nursing rules let a nurse delegate medications only to registered unlicensed staff, such as medication assistants III, or for one medication and one client; medication assistants III may give subcutaneous injections to people with stable, predictable conditions.
Who can help with a complaint about assisted living in North Dakota?
North Dakota's Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program speaks on behalf of people living in assisted living homes, basic care homes and nursing homes, and can be reached at (701) 328-4617 or toll-free at (855) 462-5465, option 3.
Does Medicaid pay for assisted living in North Dakota?
Medicaid's waiver pays for adult residential care only in licensed basic care facilities, and the state calls assisted living usually private pay. A separate state program, Service Payments for the Elderly and Disabled (SPED), pays a daily personal care rate to approved providers for eligible assisted living tenants, for tasks outside the facility's base rate, which includes room and board.
Sources
- North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services: Assisted Living (2026) (checked October 22, 2026)
- N.D. Cent. Code ch. 50-32, Assisted Living Facilities (ndlegis.gov), 2025 (checked October 22, 2026)
- N.D. Admin. Code ch. 75-03-34, Licensing of Assisted Living Facilities (ndlegis.gov), 2022 (checked October 22, 2026)
- N.D. Cent. Code 50-10.2-01 and 50-10.2-02, Rights of Health Care Facility Residents (ndlegis.gov), 2025 (checked October 22, 2026)
- N.D. Admin. Code 54-07-03.1-03.1, Licensed nurse interventions that may not be delegated (Board of Nursing, ndlegis.gov), 2014 (checked October 22, 2026)
- N.D. Admin. Code 54-07-05-09, Routes or types of medication administration, medication assistant III (Board of Nursing, ndlegis.gov), 2014 (checked October 22, 2026)
- N.D. Admin. Code 33-03-24.1-24, Optional Alzheimer's, dementia, special memory care, or traumatic brain injury facility or unit services (basic care, ndlegis.gov), 2018 (checked October 22, 2026)
- North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services: Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (2026) (checked October 22, 2026)
- North Dakota Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program: A Guide to Your Rights as an Individual Living in Licensed Assisted Living (updated August 2025) (checked October 22, 2026)
- North Dakota HHS Home and Community Based Services Policy Manual 525-05-30-16, Adult Residential Care (revised 03/01/2024) (checked October 22, 2026)
- North Dakota HHS Home and Community Based Services Policy Manual 525-05-30-45, SPED Personal Care Service, Assisted Living Facility (revised 10/01/2025) (checked October 22, 2026)
- CareScout: Cost of Care Survey 2025, Ranked Median Costs by State (2026) (checked October 22, 2026)