The North Dakota road test

By the end of this topic you can

• You can list what to bring on test day.
• You can prepare a vehicle that will pass the inspection.
• You can name the skills the examiner must see to pass you.
• You can parallel park within one foot of the curb.
• You can explain how the road test waiver works.

What you need to know and understand

• Book online through NDDOT or by calling the toll-free scheduling line.
• You need your valid permit, plus current registration and proof of insurance for the test vehicle.
• Under 16, bring your driver's education Certificate of Training and a parent or legal guardian, who signs for the 50 supervised hours.
• Passengers, pets (except service animals) and electronic devices are not allowed in the car during the test.
• Self-parking vehicles are not allowed: switch the feature off or use another car.
• To pass you must follow instructions, keep to the proper lane, signal properly, parallel park, show good driving posture and obey all signs and laws.
• If you fail, you cannot retake the test the same day.

Getting the car ready

You supply your own vehicle and it must be currently registered. The examiner will not give the test if anything makes the vehicle or the test unsafe.

• Service brake and parking brake
• Headlights with high and low beams, brake lights, taillights and turn signals
• Leak-free exhaust with a muffler
• Doors that open from inside and outside
• A horn you can hear at 200 feet
• At least one mirror showing the road 200 feet behind
• Working seat belts and windshield wipers
• Windshield and windows with no cracks that block your or the examiner's view

What the examiner watches

• Cooperation: follow every instruction, and ask if you are unsure.
• Lane position: stay centered, turn right close to the curb and start left turns near the center line.
• Signals: signal for the last 100 feet before turns and for every lane change, then cancel.
• Posture: both hands on the wheel and one foot for both pedals.
• Laws: full stops at stop lines, correct speed (including 20 mph past a school at busy times) and right of way.

Parallel parking the NDDOT way

1. Signal and stop level with the car ahead, about two feet away from it.
2. Turn the wheel right and back slowly toward the car behind.
3. When you are clear of the car ahead, turn the wheel left and keep backing slowly.
4. Turn right and pull forward toward the curb, stopping in the middle of the space, wheels parallel and within one foot of the curb. Put the car in park.

The road test waiver

From age 15, you can skip the Class D road test with a North Dakota Driving School Certificate of Course Completion or a Department of Public Instruction Student Completion Certificate. Either must show at least 30 hours of classroom and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training in a course approved for waiver purposes. Ask the school before you enroll. The waiver does not replace the permit holding period or the 50 supervised hours. Our North Dakota Road Test and the Driver's Ed Waiver guide explains it in more detail.

Common mistakes

• Arriving with an expired registration or insurance card. The test will not start.
• Forgetting to switch off a self-parking feature.
• Ending a parallel park more than a foot from the curb or with the wheels angled.
• Rolling stops at stop lines. The examiner expects a full stop behind the line.

Test yourself: The North Dakota road test

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

Go deeper

• North Dakota Road Test and the Driver’s Ed Waiver
• Learning to Drive in North Dakota
• North Dakota 50 Hour Supervised Driving Log