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In North Dakota you can get an instruction permit at 14, a restricted Class D license at 15 and an unrestricted license at 16. This guide is for North Dakota teens, their parents and adult first-time drivers. It covers each step, the tests and fees, and the road rules from the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) Noncommercial Driver License Manual (2025 to 2027 edition) that you need to know.
Key facts
- Instruction permit: from age 14, after a knowledge test and a vision screening. If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must sign as sponsor.
- Restricted Class D license: at 15, after the road test (or a road test waiver). There are vehicle and night limits.
- Unrestricted license: the restricted license becomes unrestricted at 16.
- Under 16: you need driver’s education and 50 hours of supervised driving.
- Phones: permit holders of any age, and all licensed drivers under 18, may not use electronic communication devices while driving.
- Fees (NDDOT, as of November 2026): knowledge test $5 per attempt, permit $15, road test $5, noncommercial license $15.
The North Dakota licensing steps by age
| Your age when you get the permit | What you must do before the road test | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 14 or 15 | Hold the permit for 12 months or until you turn 16, whichever comes first, but at least 6 months. Complete driver’s education and 50 supervised hours. | A restricted Class D license at 15. It becomes unrestricted at 16. |
| 16 or 17 | Hold the permit for 6 months or until you turn 18, whichever comes first. | A Class D license, with the under-18 phone ban. |
| 18 or older | Pass the road test. The NDDOT permit page sets no holding period for this age group. | A Class D license. |
Step by step: the North Dakota permit test, the 50-hour driving log, the road test and the driver’s ed waiver, and the rules for the restricted license at 15.
Your operator’s license: what you need to apply
Book an appointment at a North Dakota Driver License site, or take the knowledge test at home on nd.knowtodrive.com, NDDOT’s official online test platform. If you pass online, you still have to book an office visit to collect your permit. Bring:
- One proof of identity, date of birth and legal presence, for example a certified US birth certificate or a valid US passport. Originals or certified copies only. No photocopies and no hospital certificates.
- Proof of your Social Security number, for example your Social Security card, a W-2 or a pay stub.
- Two proofs of your North Dakota home address, for example a utility bill or a school transcript issued within the last 6 months. A parent can supply these for a child under 18. PO boxes are not accepted.
- A sponsor if you are under 18: a parent or legal guardian. A legal guardian must bring the guardianship papers.
If you move to North Dakota, you count as a resident once you have lived there for 90 consecutive days. After you become a resident, you can drive on your other state’s license for 60 days. After that you must take the tests needed for a North Dakota license. If you change your name or address, tell the Driver License Division within 10 days. See transferring your license to another state and REAL ID for a first license.
Signs, signals and road markings
The manual groups signs into regulatory, warning and guide signs, plus school, pedestrian and work zone signs. Points that often come up in North Dakota:
- The stop sign is the only eight-sided sign. Stop before the stop line or crosswalk. If there is neither, stop where you can see traffic coming from every direction.
- You may cross a broken yellow center line only to pass or to turn left. With two solid yellow lines, there is no passing in either direction.
- Do not use the center lane of a two-way left-turn lane for passing.
- When a train is crossing, stop at least 15 feet from the tracks. Never drive around lowered gates. If your car is stuck on the tracks, get out and walk toward the oncoming train, away from the tracks at about a 45-degree angle. Then call the number on the crossing’s Emergency Notification System sign, and then 911.
More: US road signs by shape and color.
Rules of the road in North Dakota
Speed limits
| Where | Limit unless posted otherwise |
|---|---|
| Approaching a railroad crossing or an intersection when your view is blocked; passing a school while children are arriving, leaving or at recess | 20 mph |
| Business or residential district | 25 mph |
| Gravel, dirt or loose-surface roads; unposted paved two-lane county and township roads | 55 mph |
| Rural paved two-lane highways posted for that speed | 65 mph |
| Paved, divided multi-lane highways | 70 mph |
| Rural Interstate | 80 mph |
Right of way, turns and passing
- At an unsigned intersection, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. At an uncontrolled T-intersection, traffic on the ending road yields.
- At a four-way stop, the first vehicle to stop goes first.
- Signal continuously for the last 100 feet before you turn.
- Never pass within 100 feet of an intersection, a railroad crossing or a tunnel. After passing, get back in your lane at least 200 feet before you meet an oncoming vehicle.
- No U-turn near the crest of a hill or on a curve where you can’t see at least 500 feet.
- Work zones: speeding when work is in progress and workers are present carries a minimum $80 fee.
- Keep at least a 3-second following distance. Leave more on slippery roads, behind motorcycles and when towing.
- For a school bus with flashing red lights, traffic from both directions must stop. Wait until the bus moves off, the driver signals you to pass, or the red lights stop flashing.
- For an emergency vehicle using its lights or siren, pull over to the right and stop until it has passed. On the Interstate or a multi-lane highway, move out of the lane next to a stopped emergency, police or NDDOT vehicle that has its lights flashing. Do the same, outside city limits, for any stranded vehicle with its hazard lights on; if you can’t change lanes safely, slow down and pass with caution.
- Roundabouts: slow down, pick your lane before entering (left lane to turn left, right lane to turn right), yield to pedestrians, bicyclists and circulating traffic, stay in your lane, and never pass a truck inside one.
More on these rules nationally: school bus laws, move over laws and roundabouts.
Parking
Do not park within 10 feet of a fire hydrant or a crosswalk at an intersection, or within 15 feet of a stop sign, flashing beacon or roadside traffic signal. When you parallel park, stop with your wheels within one foot of the curb.
Seat belts, child seats and phones
- Everyone in every seat must wear a seat belt.
- Children under 8 must ride in a car seat or booster seat. The manual says a child should be at least 4 and 40 pounds before moving from a car seat to a booster. A child at least 57 inches tall can use a seat belt instead. Ages 8 to 17 must use a seat belt or a child restraint. The penalty is $25 and 1 point against the driver.
- Texting while driving is illegal for every driver, with a $100 fine. Drivers under 18, and anyone on a permit, may not use a phone at all while driving, except in an emergency. See hands-free and texting laws.
Crashes and insurance
- If a crash injures or kills someone, or causes $4,000 or more in combined damage, report it right away. In a city, report it to the local police. Outside city limits, report it to the Highway Patrol or the county sheriff.
- Driving without liability insurance carries a $150 fine for a first offense, and $300 for a repeat within three years. See minimum car insurance by state.
Driving skills and emergency situations
North Dakota’s manual is heavy on winter and rural driving:
- Driving onto a road that has been officially closed carries a $250 fine. Dial 511 for road and weather conditions.
- In snow, double your following distance. Studded snow tires are allowed from October 15 to April 15.
- If a snowstorm strands you, stay with your vehicle. Run the engine and heater only in short spells, with a window slightly open, to avoid carbon monoxide.
- Stay well back from snowplows, and never drive into a whiteout.
- Never drive through a flooded road: six inches of water reaches the underside of most cars, and two feet of moving water can carry away an SUV or pickup. Don’t coast downhill in neutral, and never leave a child in a parked car, even on a mild day.
- On gravel, slow down and avoid sudden changes of direction. If a wheel drops off the pavement, ease off the gas and steer gently back once you have slowed down.
- Do not swerve to avoid a deer. Slow down where deer crossing signs are posted, especially at dawn and dusk.
- Dim your high beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle, and within 300 feet when you are following one. Use headlights in rain, snow, sleet, hail, smoke or fog whenever you can’t see 1,000 feet.
- Throwing litter on a public highway can bring a $500 fine.
More: driving in snow, fog and rain.
Drinking, drugs and driving
You are legally under the influence at 0.08 alcohol concentration, or 0.02 if you are under 21. Refusing a chemical test or a roadside breath test can cost you your license for 180 days to 3 years. A first offense starts with a 91-day suspension and a fine of at least $500. Open containers are illegal for drivers and passengers. Full details: North Dakota points and DUI penalties.
Pedestrian traffic and recreational vehicles
- Pedestrians have the right of way in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Yield to anyone with a white cane or a guide dog.
- When you pass a bicycle, leave at least three feet.
- You must be at least 14 to ride a motorized bicycle, and you need a license or permit. Riders under 18 must wear a helmet.
- Snowmobiles may never use the roadway, shoulder or inside bank of a North Dakota road. They may not use any road right of way from April 1 to November 1.
- Off-highway vehicle operators need a driver’s license, a permit or an off-highway vehicle safety certificate, and riders under 18 must wear a helmet. OHVs stay off roads, shoulders and ditch banks except where state law allows.
Parent and guardian driver coaching tips
The manual asks parents of under-18s to read its licensing pages and its coaching section. In short:
- At first, practice with only the two of you in the car. Start in empty parking lots or on remote roads in daylight, then move to busier roads, night driving and bad weather.
- Use a parent-teen driving agreement. Set the consequences for tickets, missed curfews and passenger violations before they happen.
- The parent or guardian who signed the sponsorship can withdraw consent at any time. The permit or license is then cancelled. The teen can get it back with a parent’s consent again, or on turning 18.
Supervised driving log
Permit holders under 16 log at least 50 hours. The hours must include rural, urban, gravel or dirt roads, night and winter driving. A parent signs off on the day of the road test. See the North Dakota driving log checklist.
Common questions
Can I drive alone at 15 in North Dakota?
Yes, once you have passed the road test, or had it waived, and hold a restricted Class D license. You may drive only a vehicle that belongs to a parent, guardian, grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle. Between sunset or 9 p.m., whichever is later, and 5 a.m., you need a parent, guardian or someone 18 or older with you, unless you are driving directly to or from work, school or religious activities.
Do I need driver’s ed in North Dakota?
Yes, if you are under 16. You must show a driver’s education Certificate of Training at the road test. From 16, the NDDOT permit page does not list driver’s ed as a requirement.
Can I take the North Dakota permit test online?
Yes. Use nd.knowtodrive.com, then book an office appointment to collect your permit and take the vision screening.
Can I get a North Dakota license if I have seizures?
The manual says people with a history of epilepsy, seizures, blackouts or other lapses of consciousness can’t be licensed unless they have been seizure-free for at least six consecutive months and agree to the required medical examination.
Can I drive in North Dakota on another state’s license at 15?
No. A nonresident must be at least 16 to drive in North Dakota.
What happens if I get too many points under 18?
Six or more points, or any alcohol or drug offense while driving, gets your permit or license cancelled. You then start again from the beginning. See the points guide.
How does North Dakota compare with other states?
Compare the rules in GDL laws by state and how to get a license in the US.
Sources
- North Dakota Department of Transportation, “Noncommercial Driver License Manual, Class D, 2025 to 2027” (dot.nd.gov)
- North Dakota Department of Transportation, “How to Apply for a Learner’s Permit” (dot.nd.gov)
- North Dakota Department of Transportation, “Driver License Requirements” (dot.nd.gov)
- North Dakota Department of Transportation, “Driver License” (dot.nd.gov)
- North Dakota Department of Transportation, “Penalties for Driving Under the Influence” (dot.nd.gov)