Speed limits in North Dakota run from 80 mph on interstate highways down to 20 mph in school zones, with most two-lane paved roads sitting at 55 or 65 mph depending on whether a limit is posted. Break them and you pay a statutory fee that starts at $20 and rises with every mile per hour over, while the state adds demerit points to your record that can suspend your license once you reach 12.
Default Limits by Road Type
North Dakota Century Code 39-09-02 sets the default speed for every category of road. These apply unless a sign posts something different.1North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Century Code 39-09 – Speed Restrictions
- Access-controlled, paved, divided, multilane interstate highways: 80 mph.
- Paved, divided, multilane highways that are not interstates: 70 mph.
- Paved two-lane highways posted for that speed: 65 mph.
- Unposted paved two-lane county and township roads: 55 mph.
- Gravel, dirt, or other loose-surface roads: 55 mph.
The unposted two-lane rule is the one that trips people up. On a paved county road with no sign, the legal limit is 55, not 65. The 65 only applies when you see it posted.1North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Century Code 39-09 – Speed Restrictions
Lower Limits in Specific Zones
Some places require slower speeds regardless of what the surrounding road allows.1North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Century Code 39-09 – Speed Restrictions
- Business and residential districts: 25 mph, unless local authorities post a different limit.
- School zones: 20 mph when passing a school during recess or while children are arriving or leaving at opening and closing hours. Local authorities can set a lower limit.
- Railroad crossings with an obstructed view: 20 mph within 50 feet of the crossing when you can’t see clearly along the tracks for at least 400 feet in each direction.
- Obstructed intersections: 20 mph within 50 feet of the intersection when you lack a clear view of entering traffic for at least 200 feet.
The last two are worth paying attention to because they don’t require a sign. If your sightlines match the statute, the 20 mph limit applies automatically.
Weather and Conditions Can Lower the Limit
Beyond the posted numbers, you cannot drive faster than what is reasonable and safe for current conditions. Rain, snow, fog, or ice can make the legal speed well below whatever the sign reads. The statute flags curves, hill crests, narrow roads, railroad crossings, and intersections as situations that demand extra caution.1North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Century Code 39-09 – Speed Restrictions
Violating this basic rule is charged as careless driving and carries a $100 fee, separate from the standard speeding schedule.
What a Speeding Ticket Costs
Speeding is a noncriminal offense in North Dakota. You pay a statutory fee rather than a criminal fine, and the amount depends on how far over you were and the type of road you were on.2North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Century Code 39-06.1-06 – Amount of Statutory Fees
Roads Posted at 65 mph or Lower
The fee is $20 or $3 for each mile per hour over the limit, whichever is greater. An extra $20 surcharge applies if you were going 16 or more mph over.2North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Century Code 39-06.1-06 – Amount of Statutory Fees
Roads Posted Above 65 mph
On interstates and other roads with limits above 65, the fee is $20 or $5 for each mph over, whichever is greater, plus the same $20 surcharge at 16 mph or more over.2North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Century Code 39-06.1-06 – Amount of Statutory Fees Twenty over on the interstate comes to $120.
School and Construction Zones
School zone violations are $40 for 1 to 10 mph over, and $40 plus $1 for each additional mph beyond that.2North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Century Code 39-06.1-06 – Amount of Statutory Fees
Construction zones carry the steepest fees: $150 for 1 to 10 mph over, and $150 plus $2 for each mph beyond that. The enhanced fee applies only when workers are actually present and the posted sign specifically states “Minimum Fee $150.” Without both conditions, the standard schedule applies.2North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Century Code 39-06.1-06 – Amount of Statutory Fees
Demerit Points on Your License
Every speeding conviction adds points to your driving record. The number depends on how fast you were going over the limit and on the speed zone where it happened, with higher-speed roads carrying stiffer penalties for the same amount over.3North Dakota DOT. Driver License Points Reduction and Points Schedule
Speed Zones Under 70 mph
- 1–10 mph over: 0 points
- 11–15 mph over: 1 point
- 16–20 mph over: 3 points
- 21–25 mph over: 5 points
- 26–35 mph over: 9 points
- 36–45 mph over: 12 points
- 46 or more mph over: 15 points
Speed Zones of 70 mph or Higher
- 1–5 mph over: 0 points
- 6–10 mph over: 1 point
- 11–15 mph over: 3 points
- 16–20 mph over: 5 points
- 21–25 mph over: 7 points
- 26–30 mph over: 10 points
- 31–35 mph over: 12 points
- 36 or more mph over: 15 points
The gap between the two schedules matters. Twelve mph over in a 55 zone is one point. The same 12 mph over on an 80 mph interstate is three.3North Dakota DOT. Driver License Points Reduction and Points Schedule
When Points Suspend Your License
Reach 12 or more points and the state suspends your license for 7 days for each point over 11. Exactly 12 points is a 7-day suspension. Fifteen points is 28 days. You can request an administrative hearing in writing or online before the suspension takes effect.4North Dakota DOT. Driver Record Services and Suspensions
Look at the schedule and you’ll see a single violation can hit 12 points on its own. One extreme ticket, no prior record, and you’re suspended.
North Dakota does allow point reduction. A state-approved defensive driving course cuts your total by 3, but you can only use it once every 12 months. You can also take the course in lieu of points for any violation that would otherwise carry 5 or fewer, keeping those points off the record entirely.3North Dakota DOT. Driver License Points Reduction and Points Schedule
If You Hold a Commercial Driver License
CDL holders face federal consequences on top of the state penalties. Speeding 15 or more mph over the limit in any vehicle counts as a “serious traffic violation.” A second within three years disqualifies you from operating a commercial motor vehicle for 60 days. A third within that window extends it to 120 days.5eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51 – Disqualification of Drivers
The 15 mph trigger is lower than many commercial drivers expect. Going 15 over on an 80 mph interstate might only cost $75 in state fees, but a repeat puts a job at risk. The disqualification applies whether or not you were driving a commercial vehicle when it happened.
If You’re Licensed in Another State
North Dakota belongs to both the Driver License Compact and the Non-Resident Violator Compact. A speeding conviction here gets reported to your home state and typically lands on your record there. Almost every state participates in one or both agreements.
Ignoring the ticket is worse than paying it. Failure to appear or pay the statutory fee is a class B misdemeanor under North Dakota law, and the state notifies your home licensing authority to act against your license.6North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Century Code 39-06.1-04 – Failure to Appear, Pay Statutory Fee, Post Bond