North Dakota
What North Dakota asks of a teen driver before the first license, from the practice hours to the road test.
50hours
of supervised practice, no separate night hours
- Permit
- Instruction Permit
- License
- Restricted Class D License
- Practice can start at
- 14 years old
Depends on your answer
Which path is your child taking to a licence?
- Driver education and a licence before 16A year on the permit, driver education, and 50 hours in varied conditions.
- A licence at 16 or 17Six months on the permit. No practice hours are required.
Before the road test
- A year on the permitUnder 16, the permit is held 12 months or until 16, and never less than six months. At 16 or 17 it is six months.
- Minimum age15 years old for the restricted licence, 16 for a regular one
- Driver education certificateNeeded only for a licence before 16. Bring the Certificate of Training to the road test.
- Practice in five conditionsRural, urban, gravel or dirt roads, night, and winter. Each is required, with no set amount.
- Parent signs at the road testUnder 16, a parent or legal guardian comes along and signs that the 50 hours are done.
Where this comes from
- How to apply for a learner’s permit
- Noncommercial Driver License Manual
- Noncommercial driver license manual
- N.D.C.C. chapter 39-06 — operators' licenses
Moonroof checked these sources on October 9, 2026. Rules change, so check with the North Dakota Department of Transportation before booking the road test.