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North Dakota DOT · Driver License Division

North Dakota permit test start at 14, test from home

North Dakota is one of the youngest-start states: a permit at 14, a restricted license at 15, and an unrestricted one at 16. You can even take the knowledge test online. This page covers how long your permit period lasts (it depends on your age), the 14 test languages, and a practice test built from the 2025–2027 Class D manual.

Last reviewed October 30, 2026 · 2025–2027 Noncommercial Driver License Manual, Class D

Online route

  1. Take the test at nd.knowtodrive.com
  2. Book a Driver License office appointment
  3. Bring your documents and your sponsor's signature
  4. Pass vision screening, and you get the permit

Office route

  1. Go to a Driver License office
  2. Show proof of legal presence, name, date of birth, SSN and ND residency
  3. Take the vision and knowledge tests. Leaving the testing area mid-test counts as a fail.
  4. Get the permit

Class D test languages

EnglishArabicSpanishSomaliRussianVietnameseTurkishSwahiliNepaliSerbo-CroatianFrenchPashtoDariChinese

Automated ASL and audio are available at eight major offices. The manual doesn't give the question count, pass score, fees or retake wait.

North Dakota DOT practice test

25 questions scored against an 80% target. NDDOT doesn't publish its pass mark.

Free quiz · no sign-up

North Dakota permit practice test

Questions
25
To pass
80%
About
17 min

Instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.

Preview the 25 free questions

  1. What is the minimum age for a North Dakota instruction permit?

    • 14
    • 15
    • 15½
    • 16

  2. Where can you take the permit knowledge test online?

    • dot.nd.gov/test
    • nd.knowtodrive.com
    • dmv.org
    • It isn't offered online

  3. Who may supervise a permit driver?

    • Anyone 16+
    • A licensed driver 18+ with 3+ years of experience
    • Anyone 21+
    • Anyone 25+

  4. How long must a 14- or 15-year-old hold the permit?

    • 3 months
    • 6 months
    • 12 months or until 16 (6 months minimum)
    • 18 months

  5. How long must a 16- or 17-year-old hold the permit?

    • 3 months
    • 6 months
    • 9 months
    • 12 months

  6. How many supervised hours do applicants under 16 need?

    • 30
    • 40
    • 50
    • 60

  7. How many classroom hours are in DPI driver education?

    • 20
    • 24
    • 30
    • 40

  8. How many behind-the-wheel hours?

    • 4
    • 6
    • 8
    • 10

  9. At what age can you get a restricted Class D license?

    • 14
    • 15
    • 16
    • 17

  10. When does the restricted license curfew begin?

    • 8 p.m.
    • Sunset or 9 p.m., whichever is later
    • 10 p.m.
    • Midnight

  11. At what age does a restricted license become unrestricted?

    • 16
    • 17
    • 18
    • 21

  12. How many points for driving in violation of permit conditions?

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4

  13. At what BAC is a driver under 21 under the influence?

    • .00
    • .02
    • .04
    • .08

  14. What is the limit in business and residential districts?

    • 20 mph
    • 25 mph
    • 30 mph
    • 35 mph

  15. What is the rural interstate limit?

    • 70 mph
    • 75 mph
    • 80 mph
    • 85 mph

  16. What is the limit on divided multilane highways?

    • 65 mph
    • 70 mph
    • 75 mph
    • 80 mph

  17. What is the limit on gravel roads?

    • 45 mph
    • 50 mph
    • 55 mph
    • 65 mph

  18. What is the limit near a school during recess?

    • 15 mph
    • 20 mph
    • 25 mph
    • 30 mph

  19. A school bus is stopped with red lights. Oncoming traffic must:

    • Pass
    • Stop
    • Slow to 10 mph
    • Honk

  20. What is the minimum fee for speeding in a work zone with workers present?

    • $40
    • $80
    • $100
    • $250

  21. What is the fine for littering on a highway?

    • $100
    • $250
    • $500
    • $1,000

  22. Above what combined damage must a crash be reported?

    • $1,000
    • $2,500
    • $4,000
    • $5,000

  23. What is the first fine for an uninsured vehicle?

    • $100
    • $150
    • $300
    • $500

  24. What happens if you leave the testing area during the knowledge test?

    • Nothing
    • You fail
    • The test pauses
    • You retake it the same day

  25. Besides the supervisor, who may sit in the front seat with a permit driver?

    • Anyone
    • No one
    • A sibling
    • A friend

How long you hold the permit depends on when you get it

Age at permitHolding period
14–1512 months or until 16, whichever comes first (at least 6 months)
16–176 months, or until 18

Your supervisor must be 18+ with 3+ years of experience. That's a younger minimum age than most states, but it comes with an experience requirement. Nobody else may sit in the front. Permit holders of any age, and every licensee under 18, may not use electronic communication devices except to get emergency help. Breaking a permit condition is 2 points.

Under 16: driver ed and 50 hours

If you're under 16, you need driver education (30 classroom hours plus 6 behind the wheel through DPI, or 6 behind the wheel through a commercial school) and 50 hours of supervised practice in varied conditions. A parent certifies the hours at the road test. No pets, extra passengers or phones are allowed during the road test.

The restricted license at 15

  • Family vehicles only.
  • No driving from sunset or 9 p.m., whichever is later, until 5 a.m., unless with a parent, guardian or adult 18+, or going to work, school or religious activities.
  • It becomes unrestricted at 16.

North Dakota's speed ladder

20 mphNear obstructed railroad crossings and intersections, and schools during recess or arrival
25 mphBusiness and residential districts
55 mphGravel roads and unposted paved county roads
65 mphPosted rural two-lane highways
70 mphDivided multilane highways
80 mphRural interstates

Dollar amounts to remember

  • Work zone speeding with workers present: at least $80
  • Littering on a highway: $500
  • Uninsured vehicle: $150, then $300 for another within 3 years
  • Report crashes with injury or $4,000+ in combined damage

Other rules: stop for a school bus with red lights from either direction. Hazmat trucks, school buses and passenger buses stop 15–50 feet from railroad tracks. For a stationary emergency or maintenance vehicle on an interstate or multilane road, move to the far lane. BAC limits are .08, or .02 under 21.

Neighbors

Minnesota · South Dakota · Montana

North Dakota permit test FAQ

Can I take the North Dakota permit test online?

Yes, at nd.knowtodrive.com. If you pass online, you still make an appointment at a Driver License office to get the permit.

How old do you have to be for a North Dakota permit?

14. Under 18, a parent or guardian sponsors your application.

How many questions are on the ND permit test?

NDDOT's manual doesn't give the count or pass score, and we couldn't confirm either.

What languages is the North Dakota test in?

The Class D test comes in 14 languages: English, Arabic, Spanish, Somali, Russian, Vietnamese, Turkish, Swahili, Nepali, Serbo-Croatian, French, Pashto, Dari and Chinese. Automated ASL and audio are available at eight major offices.

Can a 15-year-old drive alone in North Dakota?

With a restricted Class D license, yes: family vehicles only, and not from sunset or 9 p.m. (whichever is later) until 5 a.m. unless with a parent, guardian or adult 18+, or for work, school or religious activities.

Who can supervise a permit driver?

A licensed driver 18 or older with at least three years of experience, seated beside you, with nobody else in the front.

Keep studying

Source: ND Noncommercial Driver License Manual (PDF); NDDOT. Not affiliated with NDDOT.