Supervised practice and driver education in North Dakota

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain who must log 50 supervised hours.
• You can list the five driving conditions the log must include.
• You can describe who is allowed to supervise you.
• You can describe the two ways to earn a driver's education Certificate of Training.
• You can plan practice sessions that build from easy to harder conditions.

What you need to know and understand

• Permit holders under 16 need at least 50 hours of supervised driving.
• The hours must include rural, urban, gravel or dirt road, night and winter driving. The manual sets no minimum for each condition.
• A parent or legal guardian goes to the road test and signs that the hours are complete.
• A supervisor must be licensed for the vehicle, at least 18, with at least three years of driving experience, sitting beside you.
• Under 16, you need a driver's education Certificate of Training at the road test.
• The certificate comes from 30 hours of classroom plus 6 hours behind the wheel through the Department of Public Instruction, or 6 hours behind the wheel at an NDDOT-approved commercial driving school.
• Behind-the-wheel training can start at 14.

Two routes to the driver's ed certificate

Under-16s cannot take the road test without a driver's education Certificate of Training. NDDOT accepts either route below. A high school driver's ed student may drive the school's training car without a permit while supervised by a certified instructor, as long as the school district has the right insurance.

• School route: 30 hours of classroom and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training through the Department of Public Instruction.
• Commercial school route: 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training at a driving school approved by NDDOT.

Filling the five log conditions

The log at the back of the manual has a row for each condition. Spread your hours so each one gets real attention rather than a token drive.

• Rural: two-lane highways, passing rules, and watching for deer at dawn and dusk.
• Urban: four-way stops, turn lanes, crosswalks and the 25 mph default limit.
• Gravel, dirt or aggregate roads: lower speeds and no sudden steering.
• Night: dimming high beams in time and not overdriving your headlights.
• Winter: testing grip at low speed, doubled following distance and staying back from snowplows.

Building skills in the right order

The manual's coaching section suggests a clear progression for parents and teens.

1. Start in an empty parking lot or on a remote road in daylight and good weather, with only the two of you in the car.
2. Practice basics first: turning, parking and backing.
3. Move to quiet neighborhood streets, then busier roads and highways.
4. Add lane changes and merging, then night driving and bad weather.
5. Keep practicing after the test: the manual notes that teens improve most over their first 1,000 to 5,000 miles.

Common mistakes

• Counting driver's ed hours toward the 50. The manual says the 50 hours are in addition.
• Leaving winter until the last minute. Time your permit so you drive through at least part of a winter.
• Letting an older sibling under 18 supervise. The supervisor must be at least 18 with three years of experience.
• Practicing with friends in the car. The manual advises only the learner and the supervisor at first.

Test yourself: Supervised practice and driver education in North Dakota

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• North Dakota 50 Hour Supervised Driving Log
• North Dakota Permit Practice Test
• North Dakota Restricted License at 15