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To pass the North Dakota road test, you must follow the examiner’s instructions, keep to the proper lane, signal, parallel park, keep a good driving posture, and obey all signs and traffic laws. If you are 15 or older, you can skip the test altogether with an approved driver’s ed certificate. This guide covers what to bring, the vehicle inspection that comes first, what is not allowed in the car, and how the road test waiver works.
Key facts
- Fee (NDDOT, as of November 2026): $5. Book at dot.nd.gov or call 1-855-633-6835.
- Required skills: following instructions, lane position, signals, parallel parking, posture, and obeying signs and laws.
- Failing: you cannot retake the same day.
- Not allowed: self-parking features, passengers, pets (service animals excepted) and electronic devices.
- Waiver: a certificate showing at least 30 hours of classroom and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training, from a course approved for waiver purposes. Applies from age 15.
What to bring to the North Dakota road test
- Your valid North Dakota instruction permit.
- If you are under 16: your driver’s education Certificate of Training, and a parent or legal guardian, who must come with you. They sign that you have completed 50 hours of supervised driving, and an authorization for you to drive without an adult.
- Current registration for the test vehicle.
- Current proof of insurance for the test vehicle.
Make sure you have held the permit long enough first. See permit holding periods. You supply your own vehicle. A 14 or 15-year-old may use a vehicle that is not a parent’s or guardian’s for the test.
The road test vehicle inspection
The examiner inspects your vehicle before the drive. If the vehicle is unsafe, the test does not go ahead. Check each item at home:
| Item | What passes |
|---|---|
| Brakes | Both the service brake and the parking brake work |
| Headlights | High and low beams |
| Rear lights | Brake lights and taillights |
| Turn signals | Working |
| Exhaust | Leak-free, with a muffler |
| Doors | Open from inside and outside |
| Horn | Clearly audible at 200 feet |
| Mirrors | At least one that shows the road 200 feet behind |
| Seat belts | Present and working |
| Windshield and windows | Intact, with no cracks that block your or the examiner’s view |
| Wipers | Working |
| Registration | Current |
Self-parking cars
Self-parking vehicles are not allowed. Switch the self-parking feature off, or bring a different car.
What the North Dakota examiner checks
The manual lists these road test items:
- Following instructions. Cooperate with the examiner throughout. If you are not sure what you have been asked to do, ask.
- Proper lane. Stay centered. Make right turns close to the right curb. Start left turns close to the center line.
- Signals. Signal continuously for the last 100 feet before a turn, and for every lane change. Cancel the signal afterward.
- Parallel parking. Finish with your wheels parallel to the curb and within one foot of it.
- Driving posture. Keep both hands on the wheel, and use one foot for both the gas and the brake.
- Signs and laws. Make full stops at stop lines. Keep to speed limits, including 20 mph past a school at arrival and dismissal times. Follow the right-of-way rules.
Parallel parking, step by step
- Signal. Stop level with the vehicle ahead, about two feet away from it.
- Turn the wheel right and back slowly toward the vehicle behind.
- Once you are clear of the vehicle ahead, turn the wheel left and keep backing slowly.
- Turn the wheel right and pull forward toward the curb. Stop in the center of the space and put the car in park.
Common mistakes nationally: why people fail the road test. Parking rules: US parking rules.
Driver’s education for under-16s
If you are under 16, you must show a driver’s education Certificate of Training at the road test. You can earn it in two ways:
- 30 hours of classroom and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training through the Department of Public Instruction (school driver’s ed), or
- 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training at a commercial driving school approved by NDDOT.
Behind-the-wheel training can start at 14. A high school driver’s ed student may drive the school’s training car without a permit, under a certified instructor. This also requires the school district to have the right insurance.
How the North Dakota road test waiver works
You can skip the Class D road test by presenting either of these:
- a North Dakota Driving School Certificate of Course Completion, or
- a Department of Public Instruction Student Completion Certificate.
Either certificate must show at least 30 hours of classroom and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training, in a course the NDDOT director has approved for waiver purposes. The waiver applies from age 15.
| Certificate of Training (required under 16) | Waiver certificate | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Lets you take the road test | Replaces the road test |
| Commercial school route | 6 hours behind the wheel | 30 hours classroom plus 6 hours behind the wheel, in a waiver-approved course |
| School (DPI) route | 30 hours classroom plus 6 hours behind the wheel | 30 hours classroom plus 6 hours behind the wheel, approved for waiver |
On NDDOT’s list of approved driver training schools, an asterisk marks the schools in the road test waiver program. Ask the school before you enroll. The waiver replaces only the road test. The permit holding period and, for under-16s, the 50 supervised hours still apply. See the 50-hour log.
Common questions
Is parallel parking on the North Dakota road test?
Yes. The manual lists parallel parking among the things you must do to pass.
Can my parent ride with me during the road test?
No. Passengers are not allowed in the vehicle during the test. If you are under 16, a parent or guardian must still come with you to the test site.
Can I use my car’s backup camera or park assist?
Self-parking vehicles are not allowed, so switch that feature off. Ask the examiner on the day whether you may use a backup camera.
When can I retake the road test if I fail?
Not on the same day. Book another appointment.
Does every driving school’s course waive the test?
No. Only courses approved for waiver purposes do. On NDDOT’s school list, these are the schools marked with an asterisk.
Can I get the waiver at 14?
No. The manual says the road test waiver applies from age 15.
How other states test: US road test by state. Back to the North Dakota learner guide.
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 Training Schools” (dot.nd.gov)
- North Dakota Department of Transportation, “Driver License Requirements” (dot.nd.gov)