North Dakota driver's license points: the point system and how to remove points

How does the North Dakota point system work?

Every violation has a point value fixed by NDCC 39-06.1-10. When a court reports a conviction, an admission or an adjudication, NDDOT enters "the proper points" on your driving record. The court doesn't choose the number and can't waive it. Bismarck's municipal court says so on its own FAQ: points are handled by the Drivers License Division.

At 12 points, NDDOT notifies you that it intends to suspend your license, and you get a chance at a hearing before the suspension is ordered.

How many points is each violation?

This is the whole schedule in 39-06.1-10(3), in plain words. NDDOT's points page says that "for violations not listed, no points are assigned."

Noncriminal violation	Points
Overtime or double parking (city ordinance)	0
Driving without a license	0
Not following highway patrol rules under 39-21-46(3)	0
Failing to display license plates	1
Parking in a prohibited place	1
Leaving a vehicle improperly unattended on an open highway	1
Opening doors when unsafe	1
Failing to dim headlights	1
Child not in a restraint system or seatbelt	1
Driving a modified vehicle (39-21-45.1)	1
Letting an unauthorized minor or person drive	2
Stopping or parking on an open highway	2
Knowingly driving with defective or unlawful equipment	2
Knowingly driving with defective brakes	2
Failing to yield right of way	2
Disobeying a traffic-control device	2
Driving on the wrong side of the road	2
Disregarding a police officer's lawful command	2
Overtaking where prohibited or unsafely	2
Failing to use the care required (39-09-01.1)	2
Motorcycle: passengers or packages, laned traffic, no passenger footrests, no helmet	2 each
Driving in violation of 39-08-18	2
Violating 39-21-44 (hazardous materials)	2
Violating an instruction permit's conditions	2
Exhibition driving	3
Failing to stop at a railroad crossing	3
Violating a restricted certificate (39-06.1-03)	4
Clinging to another vehicle on a motorcycle	4
Careless driving (39-09-01)	6
Passing a stopped school bus	6
Driving in violation of 39-08-09	6
No liability insurance	6
Racing or drag racing	10
No insurance, second within 18 months	12
No insurance, found in a crash investigation, driver is the owner	14

Criminal violation	Points
Knowingly operating an unsafe vehicle	2
Causing a crash with an emergency or highway maintenance vehicle	2
Violating a corrective lens restriction	3
Violating any other license restriction	4
Reckless driving	8
Aggravated reckless driving	12
Leaving the scene, property damage	14
Leaving the scene, injury or death	18
Fleeing a peace officer	24

Speeding has two schedules. Paragraph 30 covers roads posted 65 or less. Paragraph 33 covers roads posted above 65.

Mph over	Limit 65 or less	Limit above 65
1 to 5	0	0
6 to 10	0	1
11 to 15	1	3
16 to 20	3	5
21 to 25	5	7
26 to 30	9	10
31 to 35	9	12
36 to 45	12	15
46 or more	15	15

The fee for each of these is on traffic violations: points and fees.

How do points come off?

Two ways, both in NDCC 39-06.1-13.

Time. NDDOT takes off 1 point "for each three-month period during which points are not recorded against the licensee's driving record." The clock runs from the date your last points were entered, so a new ticket restarts it.

A course. Your total "must, during any twelve-month period, be reduced by three points" when you mail or deliver a certificate from an approved driver training course. The same subsection sets the limits:

• The reduction comes "solely from a point total accumulated before completion." Points from a ticket you get next month aren't covered.
• It "may not exceed nine points during any three-year period."
• If you're at 12 or more (6 or more as a minor) when NDDOT receives the certificate, the reduction is applied after you serve the suspension or cancellation.

NDDOT's points page says the same in shorter form: a course reduces "total points by 3, once every 12 months." You send the certificate yourself to drs@nd.gov. How to send it.

You have	After the course	What changes
5	2	Room for two more 2-point tickets
9	6	A 5-point ticket no longer suspends you
11	8	You're no longer one point from a suspension

Can a course keep a new ticket's points off?

Yes, if the ticket is worth 5 points or fewer. NDCC 39-06.1-10.1 lets you elect an approved course "in lieu of entry of points." The conditions:

• You tell the court at the time you post bond. The court self-help guide gives you 14 days from the citation date to post it.
• The notice is written. Mail it in the same envelope as the citation, or hand it to the clerk when you pay in person.
• The bond is forfeited anyway. You pay the fee and the course.
• NDDOT must have your certificate within 30 days of the day you notified the court.
• Not available if you elected within the previous 12 months, if the offense is 6 points or more, or if it's an offense listed in 39-06.1-05 (reckless driving, leaving the scene, driving under suspension and others).
• Electing "forfeits any point reduction option under section 39-06.1-13."

There's no online path for the election. The North Dakota courts payment page opens with: "STOP! DO NOT MAKE A PAYMENT" if you have questions about taking a defensive driving course. Pay online first and the points post. How the election works.

What happens at 12 points?

A suspension of 7 days for each point over 11, under 39-06.1-10(2).

Point total	Suspension
12	7 days
13	14 days
14	21 days
15	28 days

The suspension starts 20 days after the order is delivered to your address on file. Reinstatement is $50. When you finish it, 39-06.1-12 sets your total to 11, not zero, and a suspension "must be ordered" if you reach 12 again. One more 1-point ticket does it. Suspended for points.

What about drivers under 18?

NDCC 39-06-01.1 cancels the license of a driver whose points from violations committed as a minor total "in excess of five points." Six points is enough. After cancellation the driver is treated as never having held a license and starts again with an instruction permit. Under 18 and points.

How do I check my points?

Order your record from NDDOT. It costs $3. How to check your points covers the form and the difference between a limited and a complete record.

Who shouldn't take the course?

• A driver with a 0-point ticket. Up to 10 over where the limit is 65 or less carries no points.
• A driver with 1 or 2 points and nothing else coming. Time removes a point every three months.
• A driver already at 12 or more. The reduction waits until the suspension is served.
• A driver who just elected a course in lieu of points. The statute says that election forfeits the 3-point option.

Everyone else between 3 and 11 points gets the full benefit. Ours is 4 hours online for $24.99, certificate included, and you email it to drs@nd.gov when you pass the quiz.

Last reviewed October 5, 2026 against NDCC chapter 39-06.1 and NDDOT's points reduction page.