State guide
Advance Directive Forms in North Dakota
By Jason Su · Sources last confirmed September 14
We link to official sources only. We are not a law firm and we never write legal documents. The form you sign must come from an official or authorised source in your state.
What this document does
An advance directive is where you write down the healthcare treatment you would and would not want if you could not speak for yourself. In most states it also names a healthcare agent — the person who speaks for you when you cannot.
Where to get the North Dakota form
North Dakota Department of Human Services publishes the current form here: https://www.nd.gov/dhs/policymanuals/62410/Content/PI/PI-10-20%20Attachment%202%20HEALTH%20CARE%20DIRECTIVE%20Form.pdf
North Dakota runs a Health Directive registry.
Background reading: North Dakota Department of Human Services guidance
North Dakota's form is an attachment inside a policy manual
North Dakota's Health Care Directive is published by the Department of Human Services, and the form itself is filed as an attachment inside an administrative policy manual. That single detail explains why so many people cannot find it: you are looking for a form, and what exists is an appendix to a manual numbered for staff use.
The practical path is to go straight to the published attachment rather than trying to navigate the manual it sits inside. Once you have the file, it is a normal and complete form.
North Dakota also runs a Health Directive registry through an online portal, so a filed copy can be retrieved electronically. As with every registry, treat it as a backstop rather than the plan: the people who may have to act quickly should already have a copy in hand.
The document combines naming your agent and recording your wishes in one form, so there is nothing to pair up afterwards.
North Dakota's form sits inside an administrative manual rather than on a forms page. If a search takes you to the manual instead of the document, look for the numbered attachment — that is the form itself.
National resources
- USA.gov — Official U.S. government portal.
- Medicare.gov — Official Medicare information.
After you sign it
- Sign it the way North Dakota requires. Many states need witnesses or a notary. The form itself says which — follow the form, not a blog.
- Give copies to your healthcare agent and your doctor. A form nobody can find is a form that does not work.
- Keep the original somewhere reachable — not locked in a safe deposit box that needs a bank visit during an emergency.
- Add it to your checklist so your trusted contact knows it exists and where it lives.
Frequently asked
Is the North Dakota advance directive form free?
Yes. North Dakota Department of Human Services publishes the current form free of charge, and we link to the official source only.
Do I need a lawyer to complete the North Dakota form?
No. You can complete the form yourself. It must be signed the way North Dakota law requires — usually with witnesses or a notary — so follow the instructions printed on the form itself.
Where should I keep my signed North Dakota advance directive?
Give copies to your healthcare agent and your doctor, and keep the original somewhere reachable at home — not locked in a safe deposit box that needs a bank visit during an emergency.
Next: build your checklist and record where this form is kept.