The design for the flag of North Dakota is an almost exact copy of the unit banner carried by the state's troop contingent in the Philippine-American War. It was adopted by the state legislature on March 3, 1911, although the color was not precisely specified at that time. Legislation in 1943 brought the flag in line with the original troop banner, which is on display at the state historical museum in Bismarck.

Interpretations of the flag are as diverse as there are makers of it; the complicated design precludes standardization. The design is typically screen-printed on rayon for mass-production; very few if any are embroidered.

Digitized versions of the flag are difficult to find, and indeed the State of North Dakota does not help the situation, its primary digital source file for the flag [1] is actually incorrectly rendered; the text "North Dakota" should be white, not blue. The interpretation of the blue color varies as well, some versions a deep navy and others almost a sky blue.

This inattention to detail extends to all state symbols; the Great Seal of North Dakota has been subject to wide interpretation outside the state. Furthermore, no digital representation of the Coat of Arms of North Dakota is currently known to exist.