North Dakota Driver Education

North Dakota is one of several states that require driver's education classes before you can receive your driver's license. They also participate in the graduated licensing program, ensuring that teen drivers have a greater sense of the responsibility they must possess when driving a car, especially when they have passengers in the vehicle as well. This helps to decrease the number of automobile accidents and fatalities that involve a teenager.

You must be at least 14 years old before you can apply for your learner's permit in the state of North Dakota. While you are driving with a learner's permit, your front seat passenger must be at least 18 years old and have driving experience of at least 3 years. After completion of a state-approved driver's education course, you may apply for a restricted driver's license.

A state-approved driver's education course must consist of at least 30 hours of classroom teaching and 6 hours of supervised behind-the-wheel training. There is no minimum of supervised driving experience you must obtain outside of driver's education, but there are online courses available to assist teenagers in either studying for driving exams or to aid in learning safe driving practices and habits from an early age.

As part of a nationwide effort to enhance the issuance of secure identification credentials, proof of current name and date of birth is required when applying for a North Dakota Permit, License, or Identification card.

Acceptable Forms of Identification are:

1. U.S. Birth Certificate (state certified; Government-issued; includes U.S. territories).
2. Valid U.S. Passport
3. U.S. Government-issued Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Certificate or FS240-seal required).
4. Valid Foreign Passport with an I-94 card or an I-551 stamp.
5. U.S. Active Duty/Retiree/Reservist Military ID Card or Common Access Card.
6. U.S. Court Order containing the legal name and date of birth (Court seal required).
7. North Dakota state issued permit, license, or ID card
8. The following Immigration and Naturalization documents (unexpired):
I-551 Resident Alien or Permanant Resident Card
I-688 Temporary Resident Identification Card
I-688B, I-766 Employment Authorization Card
N560 Certificate of Citizenship
N550 Certificate of Naturalization
I-94 card stamped Refugee or Asylee

Only original documents and certified copies will be accepted. No photocopies. A court order or government issued marriage certificate is required for a name change. Several documents may be necessary in the event there has been more than one name change since birth.

North Dakota residents may obtain a non-driver photo identification card by visiting an automated driver license site. A fee of $8 and proof of current name and date of birth is required (see the above list of acceptable documents). There is no minimum age requirement.

All applications for a permit or license must contain a social security number. The social security number will be verified with the Social Security Administration. However, the social security number will not be used as the driver license number.