The state’s highest court ruled that North Dakota’s law survives constitutional challenge under the state constitution.
The North Dakota Supreme Court has upheld a state law restricting gender-transition-related medical procedures for minors.
In T.D. v. Wrigley, the court concluded that minors do not have a fundamental right under the North Dakota Constitution to a particular course of medical treatment. The justices also found that the law regulates treatment based on age and medical purpose rather than creating a classification based on sex or transgender status.
Because the court found that the law did not implicate a fundamental right or suspect classification, it reviewed the measure under the rational-basis standard.
The court concluded that the law bears a rational relationship to the state’s interest in protecting the health and welfare of minors and affirmed the lower court’s determination that the challenged provisions are constitutional.
Supporters of the law say minors should be protected from medical interventions with potentially permanent consequences. Opponents argue that restrictions interfere with treatment decisions involving families and medical professionals.
Sources
North Dakota Supreme Court, T.D. v. Wrigley, Sept. 17, 2026.
