North Dakota Childcare Licensing
North Dakota Childcare Training Hour Requirements (2026)
North Dakota childcare staff must complete both pre-service (orientation) training before working with children and ongoing annual training each year. A family child care provider must complete a minimum of nine hours of department-approved child care training annually (including one hour of mandated-reporter training) plus one hour of annual safe-sleep training when caring for infants; in group child care, staff annual hours scale by hours worked (eight hours/year for staff working thirty or more hours/week, six hours at twenty to twenty-nine, four hours at ten to nineteen, two hours under ten) and the group child care supervisor must complete at least ten hours annually (NDAC 75-03-08-10(3)-(4), 75-03-09-12(6), and 75-03-09-10).
Licensing Agency
North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Early Childhood Services (Early Childhood Licensing unit) →Last updated: April 2026
Researched by the TotReady Research TeamNorth Dakota Training Hour Requirements: The Specifics
North Dakota does not set a fixed pre-service clock-hour total
NDAC 75-03-08-10(2), 75-03-08-10(4), and 75-03-08-12(8)
a family child care provider must complete a department-approved basic child care course within ninety days of licensure and one hour of department-approved safe sleep (sudden infant death prevention) training before providing care to infants, while each staff member must receive documented orientation during the first week of employment (NDAC 75-03-08-10(2), 75-03-08-10(4), and 75-03-08-12(8)).
NDAC 75-03-08-10(2), 75-03-08-10(4), and 75-03-08-12(8)
A family child care provider must complete a minimum of nine hours of department-approved child care training annually (including one hour of mandated-reporter training) plus one hour of annual safe-sleep training when caring for infants
including one hour of mandated-reporter training
in group child care, staff annual hours scale by hours worked (eight hours/year for staff working thirty or more hours/week, six hours at twenty to twenty-nine, four hours at ten to nineteen, two hours under ten) and the group child care supervisor must complete at least ten hours annually (NDAC 75-03-08-10(3)-(4), 75-03-09-12(6), and 75-03-09-10).
NDAC 75-03-08-10(3)-(4), 75-03-09-12(6), and 75-03-09-10
North Dakota Training Hour Requirements at a Glance
| Pre-service training | North Dakota does not set a fixed pre-service clock-hour total; a family child care provider must complete a department-approved basic child care course within ninety days of licensure and one hour of department-approved safe sleep (sudden infant death prevention) training before providing care to infants, while each staff member must receive documented orientation during the first week of employment (NDAC 75-03-08-10(2), 75-03-08-10(4), and 75-03-08-12(8)). |
|---|---|
| Annual training | A family child care provider must complete a minimum of nine hours of department-approved child care training annually (including one hour of mandated-reporter training) plus one hour of annual safe-sleep training when caring for infants; in group child care, staff annual hours scale by hours worked (eight hours/year for staff working thirty or more hours/week, six hours at twenty to twenty-nine, four hours at ten to nineteen, two hours under ten) and the group child care supervisor must complete at least ten hours annually (NDAC 75-03-08-10(3)-(4), 75-03-09-12(6), and 75-03-09-10). |
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North Dakota Training Hour Requirements: Frequently Asked Questions
How many pre-service training hours does North Dakota require?
North Dakota does not set a fixed pre-service clock-hour total; a family child care provider must complete a department-approved basic child care course within ninety days of licensure and one hour of department-approved safe sleep (sudden infant death prevention) training before providing care to infants, while each staff member must receive documented orientation during the first week of employment (NDAC 75-03-08-10(2), 75-03-08-10(4), and 75-03-08-12(8)).
How many annual training hours does North Dakota require?
A family child care provider must complete a minimum of nine hours of department-approved child care training annually (including one hour of mandated-reporter training) plus one hour of annual safe-sleep training when caring for infants; in group child care, staff annual hours scale by hours worked (eight hours/year for staff working thirty or more hours/week, six hours at twenty to twenty-nine, four hours at ten to nineteen, two hours under ten) and the group child care supervisor must complete at least ten hours annually (NDAC 75-03-08-10(3)-(4), 75-03-09-12(6), and 75-03-09-10).
Does CPR/First Aid count toward North Dakota training hours?
States differ on whether CPR and First Aid certification counts toward required training hours. Confirm with the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Early Childhood Services (Early Childhood Licensing unit) before relying on it for your annual total.
North Dakota childcare licensing rules are amended regularly. This page is compiled from published North Dakota administrative codes and statutes for informational purposes only — always verify current requirements with the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Early Childhood Services (Early Childhood Licensing unit) before relying on them. TotReady provides information and document templates, not legal or regulatory advice.