North Dakota Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship (SB 2029)

What SB 2029 Changed

The 69th North Dakota Legislative Assembly passed Senate Bill 2029 during the 2025 session, creating an entirely new state agency: the Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship (OGC). The office consolidates all public guardianship programs under a centralized, independent authority — a significant structural shift from the previous system where guardianship oversight was scattered across multiple state agencies with limited coordination.

Key operational milestones rolled out through early and mid-2026, with a major transition date on April 1, 2026. The OGC now handles licensing, investigation, and systemic oversight of guardianship and conservatorship statewide.

The Guardianship Registry

One of the OGC's most visible functions is maintaining a registry of guardians and conservators who have been removed for good cause. Before SB 2029, there was no centralized way to check whether a proposed guardian had been previously removed from a case in another county. A person removed as guardian in Cass County could petition to serve in Williams County without that history surfacing.

The registry addresses this by requiring professional guardians — defined as individuals managing three or more wards — to obtain a license from the OGC. The registry records removals for good cause, creating a statewide record that courts can check before appointing any guardian.

The Guardianship and Conservator Review Board

SB 2029 also established an independent Review Board to handle allegations of guardian misconduct. Under the previous system, complaints about a guardian's behavior were handled by the court that appointed them — which created an uncomfortable dynamic where the same judge who granted the guardianship was expected to police it.

The new structure works differently:

• Allegations of misconduct go to the OGC Counsel for investigation
• The OGC Counsel investigates and presents findings to the Review Board
• The Review Board adjudicates the complaint independently
• Substantiated findings can result in removal, licensing revocation (for professional guardians), or referral for further legal action

This separation of the appointment function (courts) from the oversight function (OGC) is the core structural change SB 2029 introduced.

What This Means for Family Guardians

If you're a parent petitioning for guardianship of your disabled adult child, you're classified as a nonprofessional guardian — someone serving one or two wards. The OGC's licensing requirements are designed primarily for professional guardians managing larger caseloads, not for family members.

That said, the OGC affects family guardians in several concrete ways:

Mandatory education: The OGC is tasked with providing educational resources for all guardians. The existing Administrative Rule 59 requirement to complete the North Dakota Guardianship Training Course and submit a Certificate of Completion still applies, and the OGC may expand those educational requirements over time.

Estate management monitoring: The OGC is tasked with monitoring estate management across the state. If you're filing annual financial accountings with your district court as required, keep those filings accurate and complete.

A complaint pathway that's separate from your court: If your ward (or anyone else) wants to raise a concern about your guardianship, there's now a formal pathway through the OGC that doesn't depend on going back to the same judge who appointed you. For most family guardians acting in good faith, this is neutral — but it's a structural change worth understanding.

The Guardianship Establishment Program

The OGC also administers the Guardianship Establishment Program, which provides financial assistance to families who need guardianship but can't afford the costs. If you're facing the typical $1,000 to $3,000 in guardian ad litem, court visitor, and expert examiner fees, this program may cover some or all of those costs for eligible families.

Application is recommended at least six months before the young adult's 18th birthday — the same window when you'd ideally be filing the guardianship petition itself.

Connecting This to the Transition Timeline

The OGC doesn't change the guardianship petition process itself — you still file in district court, still need the three evaluators, still go through a hearing. What changes is the oversight infrastructure around the guardianship after it's granted. The five-year review cycle, annual reporting requirements, and ongoing monitoring now have a dedicated state agency behind them.

The North Dakota Adult Guardianship & Alternatives Guide covers both the petition process and the post-appointment obligations, including how the OGC's new oversight framework affects what you need to file and when.

See more North Dakota guides →