North Dakota

Facilities in North Dakota

Residential facilities providing religious, behavioral, and mental health treatment to children exist in all 50 states. Some of these facilities are known to be part of the Troubled Teen Industry, while others have not yet been verified. Any facility where children live and receive care requires additional oversight. This directory helps communities monitor local programs and advocate for accountability.

Reporting abuse in North Dakota

North Dakota's reporting line is not staffed around the clock: live agents answer between 8am and 5pm Central on weekdays, and outside that you can only leave a message. If a child is in immediate danger at a weekend, call law enforcement rather than waiting on a callback. North Dakota law does require institutional abuse reports to be made and received the same way as every other report, so a program is not a special case.

Time limits in North Dakota: a general guide

This was correct as far as we could tell when we checked it on 28 September 2026. Laws on time limits change often, sometimes every legislative session, so some of what follows may have been updated since. It is a starting point, not legal advice: please check with a lawyer before relying on any date here. A time limit on a lawsuit or a criminal charge is also not a time limit on telling someone, and most of the places listed below will still take a report.

Time limits for abuse of a child often run from the survivor's 18th birthday, or from when they came to understand what happened, rather than from the day the program closed. Many states have lengthened them, removed them for child sexual abuse, or reopened claims that had already expired. A criminal charge, a lawsuit and a licence complaint each have their own time limit, so one having passed does not necessarily mean the others have.

Lawsuits

Physical abuse or injury: Two years for assault, battery or false imprisonment. Six years for negligence and other personal injury that is not an intentional tort. N.D. Cent. Code 28-01-18(1) (assault, battery, false imprisonment: 2 years); 28-01-16(5) (other injury to the person: 6 years)
If it happened before you turned 18: Less certain Partly. Time while you are under 18 does not count, but the extension can last no longer than one year after you turn 18. In practice the deadline is your 19th birthday or the normal deadline counted from the injury, whichever is later. No general extended deadline for physical (non-sexual) child abuse. N.D. Cent. Code 28-01-25
If the program was run by or for the government: For claims against the State of North Dakota, written notice must go to the Office of Management and Budget within 180 days after the injury is discovered (one year for a serious injury), and the suit must be filed within three years; claims against cities, counties and other political subdivisions must be filed within three years. N.D. Cent. Code 32-12.2-04(1) (notice), 28-01-22.1 (state, 3 years), 32-12.1-10 (political subdivisions, 3 years)
Child sexual abuse: CSA: The civil SOL for CSA claims against all defendants is age 36 for minors abused under age 15, and 21 years after the abuse for minors abused at age 15-17. Trafficking: The civil SOL for trafficking claims is age 28. CSAM: The civil SOL for CSAM claims is age 36 for minors abused under age 15, and 21 years after the abuse for minors abused at age 15-17. CHILD USA's summary

Criminal charges

Physical child abuse: Three years from the offense for felony child abuse. There is no pause until the child turns 18 for physical abuse; the child-victim extensions apply only to sexual offenses and trafficking. N.D. Cent. Code 29-04-02; offense at 14-09-22
Assault: Three years from the offense for aggravated assault and other felonies. Misdemeanor (simple) assault: two years. N.D. Cent. Code 29-04-02 (felonies); 29-04-03 (misdemeanors); aggravated assault 12.1-17-02
Child sexual abuse: CSA: The SOL is age 36 for victims under age 15. The SOL is 2 or 3 years from the offense for other felonies and misdemeanors, with a DNA rule. Trafficking: The SOL is age 22 for human trafficking of victims under age 15, while the SOL is 7 years for trafficking of victims aged 15 and older. CSAM: The SOL for CSAM violations is 3 years from the offense. CHILD USA's summary

The injury, assault and physical abuse lines are our reading of the statutes linked, as they stood on 28 September 2026. The child sexual abuse lines are CHILD USA's summary as it stood on 28 September 2026; their page may be more current than ours. In them SOL means statute of limitations, CSA child sexual abuse, and CSAM child sexual abuse material. "Less certain" marks a line where the law is unclear or where our reading has not been confirmed, so please treat it with extra care. Exceptions, court rulings and the details of what happened can all change which time limit applies, and some of these may be longer or shorter for you than they look here. CHILD USA's statute of limitations tracker, updated as each state changes its law. A lawyer can tell you which time limit applies to you, and many offer a free first consultation.

The therapist's licensing board

Holds the individual clinician's licence and can suspend or revoke it.

North Dakota Board of Counselor Examiners

Professional counselor

Licenses and disciplines professional counselors in North Dakota.

Use this whenA licensed professional counselor.

HowThe complaint process begins once the Board's formal complaint form is signed and returned to its office.

North Dakota State Board of Psychologist Examiners

Psychologist

Licenses and disciplines psychologists, registrants and psychology residents in North Dakota.

Use this whenA licensed psychologist, registrant or psychology resident.

HowComplete and sign the Board's complaint form, setting out the nature of the allegation and the facts behind it. You may attach supporting documents.

The agency that licenses the program

Inspects the facility itself and can cite, fine, suspend or close it.

North Dakota HHS licensing

Licenses North Dakota's child care and residential facilities and investigates complaints that one has breached the licensing standards.

Use this whenA licensed North Dakota facility.

HowContact Health and Human Services. Abuse and neglect go to the reporting line.

701-328-2316 Child and Family Services; toll free 1-800-245-3736.
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Law enforcement and legal channels

Child protection, the Attorney General, and the criminal side.

North Dakota Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Line

The statewide report line. North Dakota law requires reports of known or suspected institutional child abuse or neglect to be made and received in the same way as any other report.

Use this whenA child at a North Dakota program.

HowCall. Live agents answer 8am to 5pm Central on weekdays; outside those hours you can leave a message. If a child is in immediate danger, contact law enforcement.

1-833-958-3500 Live 8am to 5pm Central, Monday to Friday. Messages can be left outside those hours.
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Oversight and advocacy

Bodies with a right to investigate, and advocates who can act for you.

North Dakota Protection and Advocacy Project

North Dakota's federally mandated P&A, with authority to investigate abuse and neglect of people with disabilities in facilities, a right of access to them, and free legal advocacy.

Use this whenA North Dakota program where the young person has a disability or a mental health diagnosis.

HowContact the intake line.

1-800-472-2670 Main line 701-328-2950.
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National reporting channels, and the same list for other states