Reckless driving in North Dakota is a criminal misdemeanor, not a traffic ticket. A standard conviction is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine. If someone is injured, the charge becomes aggravated reckless driving, a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to 360 days in jail and a $3,000 fine. A conviction also adds 8 or 12 points to your driving record and typically raises your insurance premiums for years.
What Counts as Reckless Driving
North Dakota law describes two ways driving becomes reckless. The first is driving with a reckless disregard for the rights or safety of others. The second is driving without reasonable caution, at a speed or in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger any person or property.1North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Code 39-08 – Reckless Driving – Aggravated Reckless Driving – Penalty Either path can support a charge.
What separates reckless driving from a routine traffic violation is awareness of risk. A driver who drifts out of a lane while adjusting the radio made a mistake. A driver who weaves through heavy traffic at 30 miles per hour over the limit chose to ignore an obvious danger. Prosecutors look for that conscious choice. Simple negligence can support an ordinary citation, but it won’t sustain a reckless driving charge.
Penalties for a Standard Conviction
A standard reckless driving conviction, with no injury to another person, is a Class B misdemeanor. The maximum penalty is 30 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,500, or both.2Justia Law. North Dakota Code Title 12.1, Chapter 12.1-32 – Classification of Offenses – Penalties Judges set the actual sentence based on the facts of the offense and the driver’s prior record. Court costs and administrative fees add to any fine imposed.
If your driving caused property damage or other financial loss, the court can order restitution as part of your sentence. North Dakota law requires restitution for any criminal offense that produces pecuniary damages to a victim.2Justia Law. North Dakota Code Title 12.1, Chapter 12.1-32 – Classification of Offenses – Penalties That money is separate from the fine and goes directly to the person you harmed. A damaged guardrail, another driver’s repair bill, or medical costs can all end up as part of what you owe.
Penalties When Someone Is Injured
When reckless driving causes and inflicts injury on another person, the charge becomes aggravated reckless driving, a Class A misdemeanor.1North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Code 39-08 – Reckless Driving – Aggravated Reckless Driving – Penalty The statute does not require “serious” bodily injury. Any injury caused by the driving is enough.
A Class A misdemeanor carries up to 360 days in jail, a fine of up to $3,000, or both.2Justia Law. North Dakota Code Title 12.1, Chapter 12.1-32 – Classification of Offenses – Penalties Because there is an identifiable victim, restitution covering medical costs, lost wages, and property damage is almost certain on top of the criminal penalties.
Points and License Suspension
The North Dakota Department of Transportation assigns points for every traffic conviction. A standard reckless driving conviction adds 8 points. An aggravated reckless driving conviction adds 12 points.3North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Century Code 39-06.1-10 – Entries Against Driving Record – Demerit Schedule – Suspension Reaching 12 points triggers an automatic license suspension.
That means an aggravated conviction suspends your license on its own. A standard conviction puts you at 8 points, so any prior violations already on your record can push you past 12. The suspension schedule works this way:4North Dakota Department of Transportation. Driver License Points Reduction and Points Schedule
- 12 points: 7-day suspension
- 13 or more points: 7 days for every point above 11
A driver at exactly 12 points loses their license for a week. A driver at 15 points faces a 28-day suspension (4 points over 11, times 7 days each).
Points come off over time. For every three months you drive without a new violation, one point drops off automatically.4North Dakota Department of Transportation. Driver License Points Reduction and Points Schedule The 8 points from a standard conviction take roughly two years of clean driving to clear. Completing an approved defensive driving course removes 3 points, but you can only use that option once every 12 months. Points do not reduce while you are serving a suspension. After a point-based suspension ends, reinstatement costs $50.5North Dakota Department of Transportation. Driver Record Services and Suspensions
What It Does to Your Insurance
For most drivers, the biggest financial consequence isn’t the fine. It’s what happens to insurance premiums. A reckless driving conviction tells insurers you are a high-risk driver, and they price the policy accordingly. Industry data indicates premiums rise by roughly 90 percent on average after a reckless driving conviction, and the increased rates typically stick for three to five years.
A reckless driving conviction by itself does not trigger North Dakota’s proof-of-financial-responsibility (SR-22) filing requirement. That requirement attaches to offenses like DUI, driving on a revoked license, or being involved in an uninsured crash.6North Dakota Legislative Branch. North Dakota Century Code 39-16.1 – Proof of Financial Responsibility If a reckless driving arrest also produces a DUI charge, or if your license is revoked rather than suspended, the SR-22 can attach through those companion offenses. When required, the filing must stay in place for at least one year after your driving privileges are reinstated.
Extra Consequences for CDL Holders
Federal law classifies reckless driving as a “serious traffic violation” for commercial driver’s license holders.7Legal Information Institute. 49 USC 31301(13) – Serious Traffic Violation A single serious violation won’t disqualify a CDL, but a second one within three years means a 60-day disqualification. A third within three years means at least 120 days.8Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. 6.2.5 Disqualification of Drivers (383.51) For someone who drives for a living, even the first conviction creates real exposure: one more serious violation within three years could cost them the license.
Federal rules also require CDL holders to report traffic convictions to their employer and to their state licensing agency. A reckless driving conviction in any state, not just North Dakota, becomes part of the commercial driving record.
If You Hold an Out-of-State License
North Dakota belongs to the Driver License Compact, an agreement among roughly 45 states to share traffic conviction information. A reckless driving conviction here is reported to your home state’s licensing authority, which then applies its own penalties. Those penalties may be heavier or lighter than North Dakota’s.
The handful of states outside the Compact (Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wisconsin) still participate in the National Driver Register, a federal database that flags serious convictions and suspensions. Any state checks the NDR when you apply for a new or renewed license. A reckless driving conviction that produced a suspension will appear in that check for years, so a state line does not clear the record.