North Dakota Driving Law



Information on North Dakota driving law and North Dakota traffic law...

Suspension for Accumulation of Points

Your driving license or privileges shall be suspended for seven (7) days upon an accumulation of 12 points. An accumulation of 13 or more points will result in an additional 7-day suspension for each point above 11 points.

Reduction of Points

Under North Dakota driving law, the point total can be reduced as shown below:

  1. One point for every three-month period during which the driver has not had any points recorded against his/her record.


  2. Three points if the driver completes an approved driver improvement course such as a defensive driving course.


  3. A person may elect to attend a driver improvement course in lieu of points on the driving record for violations of North Dakota traffic laws that are assigned five or less points. This option is valid once every 12 months and may not be used in conjunction with item 2 above.

Point Schedule for Speeding Violations

Points are assigned for speeding violations according to the following schedule.

Speed Zones Less Than 70 mph

Speed (mph) - Points

  • 1-5 mph over limit - 0
  • 6-10 mph over limit - 0
  • 11-15 mph over limit - 1
  • 16-20 mph over limit - 3
  • 21-25 mph over limit - 5
  • 26-35 mph over limit - 9
  • 36-45 mph over limit - 12
  • 46+ mph over limit - 15

Speed Zones 70 mph or Greater

Speed (mph) - Points

  • 1-5 mph over limit - 0
  • 6-10 mph over limit - 1
  • 11-15 mph over limit - 3
  • 16-20 mph over limit - 5
  • 21-25 mph over limit - 7
  • 26-30 mph over limit - 10
  • 31-35 mph over limit - 12
  • 36+ mph over limit - 15


The North Dakota Child Passenger Safety Law

In accordance with North Dakota driving law, children younger than 7 are required to ride in a child restraint (car seat or booster seat). The restraint must be used correctly – following the manufacturer’s instructions.

  • A seat belt may be substituted for children younger than 7 who weigh more than 80 pounds and are more than 57 (4’9”) inches tall.


  • A lap belt may be used by children who weigh more than 40 pounds who ride in vehicles with lap-only seat belts or if all lap and shoulder belts are used by other occupants. (This is because booster seats require both a lap and shoulder belt for correct use.)


  • Children ages 7 through 17 must be properly secured in a seat belt or child restraint (car seat or booster seat).


  • The law applies to all seating positions – front seat and back.


  • The driver is responsible for ensuring that all occupants younger than 18 are buckled up in the appropriate restraint


  • The penalty for violation is $25 and one point against the license of the driver.

For more information on North Dakota driving law, please visit the North Dakota Department of Transportation.

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