The minimum driving age in North Dakota is 14 for an instruction permit, 15 for a restricted license that allows unsupervised driving with limits, and 16 for a full unrestricted license.1Justia Law. North Dakota Code Title 39 Chapter 39-06 – Operators Licenses Each step adds privileges only after the driver meets specific training, supervised-hours, and testing requirements.
Instruction Permit at 14
A North Dakota resident who is at least 14 can apply for a Class D instruction permit at a driver license site. A parent or legal guardian must sign the application for anyone under 18.2North Dakota Department of Transportation. Driver License Requirements The applicant passes a written knowledge test on road rules and traffic signs and a basic vision screening.1Justia Law. North Dakota Code Title 39 Chapter 39-06 – Operators Licenses The written test is $5 and the permit itself is $15. Appointments are required.
Bring originals or certified copies; photocopies are not accepted. You’ll need proof of identity and legal presence (a state-certified U.S. birth certificate, valid U.S. passport, certificate of naturalization, or another approved document),3North Dakota Department of Transportation. ID Card Requirements proof of your Social Security number (the card, a W-2, an SSA-1099, or a pay stub showing the full number), and proof of a current North Dakota address such as a utility bill, bank statement, or insurance policy. A parent’s proof of address works for minor applicants.2North Dakota Department of Transportation. Driver License Requirements
Driving on the Permit
A permit holder can drive on public roads but never alone. A supervising driver has to sit beside the permit holder, be at least 18, hold a valid license, and have at least three years of driving experience. No one else may sit in the front seat unless the vehicle only has one row of seating, and even then the supervisor stays next to the driver. Permit holders cannot use any electronic communication device while the vehicle is moving, with narrow exceptions for contacting emergency services or reporting an immediate danger.1Justia Law. North Dakota Code Title 39 Chapter 39-06 – Operators Licenses
Restricted License at 15
At 15, a minor can upgrade to a restricted Class D license, which permits unsupervised driving under set conditions. The applicant appears in person at a driver license site with a parent or guardian and satisfies four requirements.1Justia Law. North Dakota Code Title 39 Chapter 39-06 – Operators Licenses
The first is an approved driver education course with at least 30 hours of classroom instruction and at least 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training in a dual-control vehicle.4North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Administrative Code 37-13-05 – Driver Training Instruction Requirements The second is at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice in varied conditions, including night driving, gravel and dirt roads, rural and urban settings, and winter weather.1Justia Law. North Dakota Code Title 39 Chapter 39-06 – Operators Licenses Those 50 hours are separate from the six hours of professional instruction, and most families log them during the permit year. The third is a written recommendation from the parent or guardian. The fourth is passing a road test. The road test is $5 and the license is $15.2North Dakota Department of Transportation. Driver License Requirements
What the Restricted License Allows and Prohibits
A 15-year-old with a restricted license can drive without an adult in the car, but only in a vehicle belonging to a parent, guardian, grandparent, sibling, aunt, or uncle.1Justia Law. North Dakota Code Title 39 Chapter 39-06 – Operators Licenses Borrowing a friend’s car is not permitted. Commercial trucks, buses, and taxicabs are off-limits. Restricted license holders can drive farm vehicles up to 50,000 pounds when hauling agricultural products or equipment within 150 miles of the farm.
A nighttime curfew applies. A restricted license holder cannot drive between sunset or 9:00 p.m. (whichever comes later) and 5:00 a.m. unless a parent, legal guardian, or another adult who is at least 18 sits in the front seat.5North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Century Code 39-06 – Operators Licenses Driving directly to or from work, an official school activity, or a religious activity is exempt from the curfew.
Drivers under 18 cannot use any electronic communication device while the vehicle is moving, and that includes hands-free mode.6Vision Zero. Distracted Driving The family whose vehicle the minor is driving remains legally responsible for damages caused by the minor’s negligent driving.1Justia Law. North Dakota Code Title 39 Chapter 39-06 – Operators Licenses
Unrestricted License at 16
A driver becomes eligible for a full, unrestricted Class D license once two conditions are met: the driver is at least 16, and the instruction permit has been held for at least 12 months.1Justia Law. North Dakota Code Title 39 Chapter 39-06 – Operators Licenses Someone who first obtained their permit at 16 or later only needs to hold it for six months. Teens who started at 14 usually clear the 12-month requirement by their 16th birthday.
Once the unrestricted license is issued, the curfew, vehicle restrictions, and supervised-driving requirements fall away. The driver can operate any Class D vehicle at any hour, carry passengers, and drive vehicles outside the family. 16 is also the absolute minimum age on North Dakota roads, so out-of-state visitors under 16 cannot legally drive in the state even with a license from home.2North Dakota Department of Transportation. Driver License Requirements
What Breaks a Teen License
North Dakota uses a points system that is stricter for drivers under 18. An adult loses a license after 12 points; a minor’s license is canceled at 6.7North Dakota Department of Transportation. Driver License Points Reduction and Points Schedule Violating instruction permit conditions carries 2 points, and breaking a restriction on a restricted license carries 4. A single restriction violation combined with one permit violation would cancel a minor’s license.
Reinstatement is not quick. The minor has to retake the written knowledge test, complete driver education again, hold a new permit for the required period, and retake the road test.8North Dakota State Highway Patrol. Under the Troopers Hat – Juvenile Drivers and Drivers License Points
North Dakota also enforces zero tolerance for alcohol. Drivers under 21 who operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.02% or higher face fines, community service, and license suspension.9Vision Zero. Impaired Driving That threshold is roughly one drink for most people, so the practical rule is no alcohol at all before driving.