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The Mandate Monitor

What employers in North Dakota must do

Checked November 8, 2026From the agencies that run each program

Short answer

Most employers in North Dakota must pay at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour; North Dakota doesn’t set a higher one.

North Dakota has no state paid family and medical leave insurance program.

Running payroll in North Dakota? See the do-it-yourself route and list prices for the 8 payroll systems that say they file payroll taxes.

North Dakota requirements at a glance

RequirementStatusWhat it means for you
Minimum wageIn effect$7.25 an hour

Pay rules North Dakota employers must follow

Paydays
At least once a month on regular paydays set in advance.
Final paycheck, fired
By the next regular payday, paid as agreed or, without an agreement, by certified mail.
Final paycheck, quit
By the next regular payday.
Meal breaks
30-minute meal break for shifts over 5 hours when 2 or more employees are on duty. Employees may waive it.
Rest breaks
No state requirement for adults. Shorter breaks that are given must be paid.
Overtime
State law matches the federal rule: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek.
New hire reporting
Within 20 days of the first day of work, to the North Dakota State Directory of New Hires (Health and Human Services)

From the North Dakota Department of Labor and Human Rights and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables, checked November 8, 2026.

Upcoming North Dakota deadlines

No dated North Dakota deadlines on file right now. Federal year-end filings still apply.

Deadline calendar for every state · How to hire your first employee · Employer law changes for 2027 · All states

Sources

  1. North Dakota Department of Labor and Human Rights
  2. State Payday Requirements (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  3. Minimum Length of Meal Period Required under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  4. Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  5. State Minimum Wage Laws, including premium (overtime) pay after designated hours (updated November 5, 2026), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  6. New Hire Reporting, North Dakota Health and Human Services, Child Support (read Nov 7, 2026)