Licensed jobs in North Dakota

North Dakota: 11 occupations, 10 licensing agencies. For each one: the board, the main credential, its training, application fee and renewal cycle, from the boards' own pages.

Last checked November 8, 2026 · 36 official sources

On this page

Occupations we cover in North Dakota
Licensing boards
Moving to North Dakota with a license
Check a license
Sources

Occupations we cover in North Dakota

North Dakota licenses 11 of the 11 occupations below at the state level. Security guards have the most levels here (7 credentials); each occupation page covers every level.

Occupation	Main license	Board	Training or experience	Application fee	Renewal
Cosmetologist	Cosmetologist 3 credentials in all	North Dakota State Board of Cosmetology	Training 1,500 clock hours¹	$50¹	Every year²
Notary public	Notary Public 2 credentials in all	SOS	–	$36⁵	Every 4 years⁶
Registered nurse (RN)	Registered Nurse (R.N.) — single-state license (North Dakota only) 2 credentials in all	NDBON	–	$125⁷	Every 2 years⁸
Insurance agent	Resident insurance producer license 3 credentials in all	NDID	–	$100¹³	Every 2 years¹⁴
Plumber	Journeyman Plumber 3 credentials in all	North Dakota State Plumbing Board	Experience 7,600 hours¹⁷	$50¹⁸	Every year¹⁹
Certified nursing assistant (CNA)	Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) 4 credentials in all	HHS	Training 75 clock hours²⁰	–	Every 24 months²⁰
Electrician	Journeyman electrician 6 credentials in all	NDSEB	Training 576 clock hours²¹ Experience 8,000 hours²²	$25²³	Every year²²
Security guard	Security Officer 7 credentials in all	NDPISB	Training 32 clock hours²⁶ Experience 1,000 hours²⁶	$45²⁷	Every year²⁷
Massage therapist	Massage Therapist	North Dakota Board of Massage Therapy	Training 750 clock hours²⁸	$150²⁹	Every 2 years³⁰
Real estate agent	Salesperson 3 credentials in all	NDREC	Training 90 classroom hours³²	$150³²	Every year³³
General contractor	Contractor License, Class A 4 credentials in all	SOS	–	$450³⁵	Every year³⁵

Licensing boards

10 agencies issue the North Dakota licenses we cover:

North Dakota Private Investigative and Security Board (NDPISB): security guards
North Dakota Office of the Secretary of State (SOS): notaries and general contractors
North Dakota State Electrical Board (NDSEB): electricians
North Dakota Nurse Aide Registry (HHS): nursing assistants
North Dakota State Board of Cosmetology: cosmetologists
North Dakota Insurance Department (NDID): insurance agents
North Dakota State Plumbing Board: plumbers
North Dakota Real Estate Commission (NDREC): real estate agents
North Dakota Board of Nursing (NDBON): registered nurses
North Dakota Board of Massage Therapy: massage therapists

Moving to North Dakota with a license

For plumbers, electricians and real estate agents, the North Dakota board names the states whose licenses it accepts. The boards for general contractors publish no transfer route, so you apply as a new applicant. Conditions, fees and forms are on each occupation page.

Occupation	Routes the board publishes
Cosmetologist	License by endorsement, Universal license recognition and Military service members and spouses³⁴¹
Notary public	Reciprocity agreements⁵
Registered nurse (RN)	Interstate compact privilege, License by endorsement, Temporary license or permit and Military service members and spouses⁹¹⁰¹¹¹²
Insurance agent	Exam waiver and Reciprocity agreements¹⁵¹⁶
Plumber	Reciprocity agreements, License by endorsement and Military service members and spouses¹⁷¹⁸
Certified nursing assistant (CNA)	License by endorsement²⁰
Electrician	Reciprocity agreements and Military service members and spouses²⁴²⁵
Security guard	Exam waiver²⁶
Massage therapist	License by endorsement³¹
Real estate agent	Reciprocity agreements, Exam waiver and Military service members and spouses³⁴³³
General contractor	No reciprocity route³⁶

Check a license

Every board above runs its own license search. The North Dakota license lookup page lists them in one place, with the links to report an unlicensed or problem provider.

Sources

Every number and rule above links to one of these official pages. Select a footnote number to read the board's own words.

N.D.C.C. ch. 43-11 CosmetologistsNorth Dakota Legislative BranchChecked November 7, 2026
Personal LicensureNorth Dakota State Board of CosmetologyChecked November 7, 2026
ND Cosmetology Administrative Rules 2026North Dakota State Board of CosmetologyDated January 1, 2026Checked November 7, 2026
CHAPTER 43-51.1North Dakota Legislative Branch (North Dakota Century Code)Checked November 7, 2026
N.D.C.C. ch. 44-06.1 Notaries PublicNorth Dakota Legislative BranchChecked November 7, 2026
Become a Notary PublicNorth Dakota Office of the Secretary of StateChecked November 7, 2026
NDAC ch. 54-02-01 Licensure by ExaminationNorth Dakota Legislative BranchDated April 1, 2024Checked November 7, 2026
NDAC ch. 54-02-05 RelicensureNorth Dakota Legislative BranchChecked November 7, 2026
Law & RulesNorth Dakota Board of NursingChecked November 7, 2026
Endorsement – US EducatedNorth Dakota Board of NursingChecked November 7, 2026
Endorsement FAQsNorth Dakota Board of NursingChecked November 7, 2026
NDCC chapter 43-51 Occupational and professional boards (43-51-11.1 military)North Dakota Legislative BranchChecked November 7, 2026
NDID res-applyNorth Dakota Insurance DepartmentChecked November 8, 2026
NDID resident-producerNorth Dakota Insurance DepartmentChecked November 8, 2026
NDID nonresident-producerNorth Dakota Insurance DepartmentChecked November 7, 2026
NDCC ch. 26.1-26 Insurance ProducersNorth Dakota Legislative AssemblyChecked November 7, 2026
Frequently Asked QuestionsNorth Dakota State Plumbing BoardChecked November 7, 2026
Master/Journeyman Plumber ApplicationNorth Dakota State Plumbing BoardChecked November 7, 2026
N.D. Cent. Code ch. 43-18 PlumbersNorth Dakota Legislative BranchChecked November 7, 2026
N.D. Admin. Code ch. 33-43-01 Nurse Aide Training, Competency Evaluation, and RegistryNorth Dakota Legislative BranchChecked November 7, 2026
Apprenticeship Information & RegistrationNorth Dakota State Electrical BoardChecked November 7, 2026
NDCC chapter 43-09 ElectriciansNorth Dakota Legislative BranchChecked November 7, 2026
NDAC chapter 24.1-03-01 Licensing RequirementsNorth Dakota Legislative BranchDated July 1, 2024Checked November 7, 2026
Reciprocal License Agreements & RequirementsNorth Dakota State Electrical BoardChecked November 7, 2026
Application for Electrician's License by Exam SFN 11858 (11-2020) + Employment Verification SFN 11845North Dakota State Electrical BoardChecked November 7, 2026
N.D. Admin. Code ch. 93-02-02.1 Private Security ServicesNorth Dakota Legislative BranchDated October 1, 2022Checked November 7, 2026
N.D. Cent. Code ch. 43-30 Investigative and Security ServicesNorth Dakota Legislative BranchChecked November 7, 2026
N.D.A.C. ch. 49-02-01 General Education RequirementsNorth Dakota Legislative BranchDated April 1, 2024Checked November 7, 2026
N.D.A.C. ch. 49-01-02 Licensure and FeesNorth Dakota Legislative BranchDated April 1, 2024Checked November 7, 2026
FAQ'sNorth Dakota Board of Massage TherapyDated August 4, 2025Checked November 8, 2026
N.D.C.C. ch. 43-25 Massage TherapistsNorth Dakota Legislative BranchChecked November 8, 2026
N.D.C.C. chapter 43-23 Real Estate Brokers and SalespersonsNorth Dakota Legislative BranchChecked November 6, 2026
N.D. Admin. Code ch. 70-02-01 LicensingNorth Dakota Legislative Branch (North Dakota Administrative Code)Checked November 6, 2026
How To ApplyNorth Dakota Real Estate CommissionChecked November 6, 2026
N.D.C.C. chapter 43-07 ContractorsNorth Dakota Legislative BranchChecked November 6, 2026
ContractorsNorth Dakota Office of the Secretary of StateChecked November 6, 2026