North Dakota

Emerging Action

North Dakota at a glance

North Dakota mandates bell-to-bell phone-free schools with inaccessible storage — a model for the rest of the nation.
North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, First Lady Kjersti Armstrong, and Lieutenant Governor Michelle Strinden led the state's adoption of its phone-free school policy.
North Dakota has not enacted any significant social media age restrictions.
North Dakota does not yet have a reasonable childhood independence law.
North Dakota has not yet passed major laws that regulate harmful tech or hold companies liable.

Areas of Opportunity

Passing a reasonable childhood independence law will protect North Dakota's families from unfair charges of neglect.
Setting a social media age minimum of 16 with no parental consent loophole will solve the collective action problem for North Dakota families.
Passing laws that address harmful social media design and AI safety will protect North Dakota's kids from manipulative technology.
Creating legal pathways for families to sue tech companies for harm will help North Dakota hold big tech accountable.

These opportunities are within reach for your home state. Download our policy menu, reach out to us, and reclaim childhood in North Dakota.

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Dive Deeper

Childhood Development Policies

Is the state helping to solve the collective action problems families face by adopting policies that support a healthier real-world childhood?

Distraction-Free Schools
North Dakota mandates bell-to-bell phone-free schools and requires inaccessible device storage. It was one of only two states to receive the highest grade from the Phone-Free Schools Report Card for its model policy.
Childhood Independence
North Dakota does not yet have a reasonable childhood independence law, leaving too much discretion to the authorities and putting parents at risk of unfair neglect charges.

Political Leadership

Is the governor championing kids' safety, and is the Office of the Attorney General using its power to hold big tech accountable?

Governor Leadership
Governor Kelly Armstrong has led the charge for bell-to-bell phone-free schools in North Dakota and testified in support of the proposal to the North Dakota House and Senate education committees, along with the First Lady and the Lieutenant Governor.
Attorney General Leadership
Attorney General Drew Wrigley has been active on tech accountability, joining the multistate lawsuit against Meta and calling for action on kids’ online safety by signing the AI Child Safety Letter, AI Chatbot Safety Letter, xAI Grok Letter, and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) Letter.

Tech Policies

What is the state doing to address harmful tech and hold companies accountable?

Social Media Age Limits
North Dakota has not enacted any significant social media age restrictions.
Regulating Harmful Design
North Dakota has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.
Holding Tech Companies Accountable
North Dakota has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.
Incentivizing Safer Tech
North Dakota has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.

Family Perceptions

What do parents in the state say about their children's tech use, opportunities for independence, and real-life interactions?

IFS Resilient Childhood Score
High. North Dakota parents report that their kids experience:
- High levels of independent, unsupervised activity
- Ample time spent playing outside and socializing with friends
- Relatively low screen time and tech use

This page was last updated on March 4, 2026. The Childhood Index highlights key policies and actions and is not intended to be a comprehensive list. If there’s something you think we missed or should consider, we welcome your feedback.