North Dakota Court & Family Education Guide
Information for anyone navigating a court order, custody case, or probation requirement in North Dakota that involves anger management, parenting, co-parenting, or substance-abuse education.
What does Clearway offer?
People are sometimes ordered or referred to an educational program as part of a family-law, custody, probation, or other North Dakota court-related matter. The type of program required can depend on the circumstances of the case and the exact wording of the court order.
Clearway Institute offers four self-paced online courses: anger management, parenting, co-parenting, and substance-abuse education. Not every course is appropriate for every court order, and completing an online course does not automatically mean a particular North Dakota court, probation department, or agency will accept it — always read your order carefully and confirm the required program with the court, probation officer, attorney, or other referring agency when you're not sure.
Which type of class do you need?
Start with whichever matches your order or situation — each course page has the full curriculum before you enroll.
What if a North Dakota court ordered it?
North Dakota has a statewide statute on intervention programs. N.D.C.C. § 12.1-17-13, titled Mandated intervention program for domestic violence offenders, requires sentences for listed offenses against an intimate partner to include an order to complete a domestic violence offender assessment and intervention program, and the list of covered offenses changes after December 31, 2025. Separately, § 14-07.1-08.1 lets a court require treatment through a domestic violence court program as a probation condition.
On the civil side, domestic violence protection orders are handled under chapter 14-07.7 (Civil Protection Orders), created in 2025. Under § 14-07.7-07(2)(d) the court may recommend or require that the respondent complete a domestic violence offender assessment and attend an intervention program, and an order expires on the date written in it. Requirements vary, so confirm exactly what your own order or sentence requires before enrolling in any course.
What's the difference between classes?
Parenting vs. co-parenting. Parenting covers general child-development, discipline, and communication skills, and comes up in a wide range of family cases. Co-parenting is built specifically for separated or divorcing parents — coordinating two households, handling custody transitions, and keeping kids out of the middle — and is the more common requirement in a custody or divorce order.
Anger management vs. a certified intervention program. Many states, North Dakota included, treat general educational anger-management coursework as legally distinct from a state-certified batterer intervention, family-violence intervention, or abuser-treatment program ordered specifically in a domestic-violence case — see “What if a North Dakota court ordered it?” above for how that distinction works here. If your order names a specific certified program by name, an educational anger-management course usually isn't an automatic substitute — check with your court.
Where can I verify requirements?
The most reliable answer always comes from whoever issued your order — the court clerk, your probation or parole officer, your attorney, or the agency that referred you. Below are free, North Dakota-specific places to start if you need legal help, counseling, or crisis support along the way.
Legal reference material
For anyone who wants to read the underlying statutes for themselves, here is the reference material this guide is based on — North Dakota civil and family-law sections first, then criminal law.
Civil & family law
Custody best-interest factorsN.D.C.C. § 14-09-06.2
Courts weigh a list of best-interest factors that includes domestic violence. If a court finds credible evidence of domestic violence involving serious bodily injury, a dangerous weapon, or a recent pattern, a rebuttable presumption arises that the parent who committed it may not be awarded residential responsibility.
Domestic violence protection ordersN.D.C.C. §§ 14-07.7-03, 14-07.7-07
Chapter 14-07.7 provides for temporary and full domestic violence protection orders. A full order can include an offender assessment and intervention program, and under § 14-07.7-03 an order expires at 11:59 p.m. central standard time on the expiration date written in the order.
Criminal law
Simple assaultN.D.C.C. § 12.1-17-01
Willfully causing bodily injury to another person, or negligently causing it with a firearm or other weapon likely to cause death or serious injury. It is a class B misdemeanor, but a class C felony when the victim is a peace officer or certain other listed workers acting in an official capacity.
Domestic violenceN.D.C.C. § 12.1-17-01.2
Willfully causing bodily, substantial bodily, or serious bodily injury to a family or household member. Bodily injury is a class B misdemeanor on a first offense and class A on a later one, while serious bodily injury is a class C felony.
StalkingN.D.C.C. § 12.1-17-07.1
An intentional course of conduct directed at a specific person that frightens, intimidates, or harasses, serves no legitimate purpose, and would cause a reasonable person fear, intimidation, or harassment. It is a class A misdemeanor, or a class C felony in listed situations such as a prior conviction involving the same victim.
Violation of a protection orderN.D.C.C. § 14-07.7-17
Under the chapter 14-07.7 text reviewed, a first violation of an order is a class A misdemeanor and is also contempt of court. After a conviction, a second or later violation is a class C felony.