Page updated 2026-10-27.
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Key North Dakota DMV rules and numbers
These are key rules and numbers from the North Dakota handbook, a few per topic so they fit on one printed page. We favor rules that state a specific number. Every fact below comes from our free North Dakota DMV practice test question bank, which has 500 questions across 9 topics, checked against the North Dakota handbook (last verified 2026-09-07).
Speed limits
- The maximum speed in a business or residential district is 25 mph unless another limit is posted. (Handbook, p. 20)
- North Dakota lists 80 miles per hour as the maximum on rural Interstate highways unless a different speed is posted. (Handbook, p. 20)
- The 65 mile maximum applies on a rural paved two lane highway only when the highway is posted for that speed. (Handbook, p. 20)
- When the driver's view of a railway crossing is obstructed, the maximum approach speed is 20 miles per hour unless another speed is posted. (Handbook, p. 20)
- Under North Dakota Century Code section 39-06.1-06, speeding in a highway construction zone carries a $150 fee for one through ten miles per hour over the posted speed, plus $2 for each mile per hour beyond ten over the limit. (Handbook)
Right of way
- When a train is crossing, stop at least 15 feet before the crossing. (Handbook, p. 18)
- School buses, passenger buses, and vehicles carrying explosives or flammable liquids must stop within 50 feet and not less than 15 feet from the tracks. (Handbook, p. 18)
- At an unsigned intersection, the vehicle approaching from the left yields when both vehicles arrive at approximately the same time. (Handbook, p. 19)
- Unless signs say otherwise, traffic entering a freeway from an entrance ramp must yield to vehicles already on the main roadway. (Handbook, p. 24)
- Pedestrians have the right of way in both marked and unmarked crosswalks, and a driver must yield when the pedestrian is in the driver's lane of travel. (Handbook, p. 19)
Alcohol and DUI
- For drivers at least 21, the manual uses 0.08 percent or greater as the alcohol concentration threshold for being legally under the influence. (Handbook, p. 36)
- North Dakota uses a lower alcohol concentration threshold for drivers under 21: .02 percent. (Handbook, p. 36)
- Refusing either listed test leads to a license revocation ranging from 180 days to three years. (Handbook, p. 36)
- A person who refuses an alcohol concentration test or is convicted of a DUI must show proof of financial responsibility through SR 22 insurance coverage. (Handbook, p. 37)
- In the average drink the alcohol content is about the same whether it is a 12 ounce can of beer, a 4 ounce glass of wine, or a 1 ounce glass of scotch or whiskey. (Handbook, p. 35)
Signals and markings
- North Dakota directs drivers to dim headlights at least 500 feet before meeting traffic. (Handbook, p. 25)
- The manual places intersections among the locations where a driver must never pass and gives a 100 foot boundary. (Handbook, p. 21)
- Even though vehicles are equipped with electrical turn and brake lights, the manual says every driver should know the basic hand signals as well. (Handbook, p. 19)
- Motorcyclists and bicyclists often signal turns and stops with their arms, and the manual says motorists must be able to recognize those hand signals and give the rider sufficient space to complete the signaled move. (Handbook, p. 19)
- North Dakota's guidance calls for headlights from sunset to sunrise and at any other time necessary for safe driving. (Handbook, p. 24)
Parking
- The no parking list sets 10 feet as the clearance for a crosswalk at an intersection, and the same 10 feet applies to a fire hydrant. (Handbook, p. 26)
- North Dakota lists a fire hydrant among the places where you may not park within 10 feet, so a fire crew can reach it without dragging hose around your car. (Handbook, p. 26)
- A stop sign, flashing beacon, or traffic control signal placed on the side of the roadway requires 15 feet of clearance. (Handbook, p. 26)
- North Dakota forbids parking within 15 feet of a flashing beacon, a stop sign, or a traffic control signal placed at the side of the roadway, because a parked vehicle there can hide the device from approaching drivers. (Handbook, p. 26)
- When you parallel park, your wheels should be parallel to the right-hand curb and within one foot of it. (Handbook, p. 25)
Safe driving
- A North Dakota child under eight must be properly secured in a child restraint, such as a car seat or booster seat, when the child is below 57 inches tall. (Handbook, p. 34)
- Over 25,000 serious injuries occur nationally in work zones each year, and 98 percent of work zone fatalities are travelers, meaning motorists and passengers suffer most of the casualties. (Handbook, p. 14)
- When traveling faster than 25 miles per hour, you need safety chains or brakes capable of holding the trailer if the coupling breaks. (Handbook, p. 26)
- At 55 miles per hour, it takes about 300 feet, or one city block, on dry pavement to stop. (Handbook, p. 21)
- Tractor trailers take longer to stop than a car traveling at the same speed, and a fully loaded tractor trailer may take more than 400 feet on dry pavement to come to a complete stop, more than the length of a football field. (Handbook, p. 31)
Road signs
- The triangle marks a slow moving vehicle or equipment being towed at 25 miles per hour or less. (Handbook, p. 12)
- Posted deer crossing signs call for slower travel and active scanning for animals. (Handbook, p. 25)
- A stop sign requires a complete stop before the stop line or crosswalk area. (Handbook, p. 9)
- The yield sign assigns right of way to other traffic and requires the driver to slow down. (Handbook, p. 9)
- The Do Not Enter sign prohibits the driver from entering a restricted road section. (Handbook, p. 10)
Laws and paperwork
- A U-turn is prohibited near the crest of a hill or on a curve when the driver cannot see 500 feet or more. (Handbook, p. 20)
- You may operate a Class D or M vehicle with an operator's license from another state for a period of 60 days after you become a resident of North Dakota, and then you must take the necessary tests for a North Dakota license. (Handbook, p. 2)
- If you change your name or address, you must notify the Driver License Division within 10 days and provide documentary evidence of the change; the website lists acceptable documents. (Handbook, p. 8)
- An applicant who is 16 or 17 must hold the instruction permit for six months or until turning 18, whichever comes first, before completing or waiving the road test. (Handbook, p. 3)
- Applicants under 16 must complete at least 50 hours of supervised practice driving in variable conditions. (Handbook, p. 3)
Emergencies
- The crash reporting rules apply when a crash results in combined damage of $4,000 or more, or in personal injury or death. (Handbook, p. 27)
- Nearly 3 in 10 heatstroke deaths nationally happen when an unattended child gains access to a vehicle. (Handbook, p. 35)
- After leaving a vehicle trapped on the tracks, walk in the direction of the approaching train while moving away from the tracks at a 45-degree angle. (Handbook, p. 18)
- The instruction applies when an emergency, law enforcement, or North Dakota Department of Transportation maintenance vehicle is parked on the Interstate system or a multilane highway with emergency or work lights flashing. (Handbook, p. 20)
- A lane change is not a safe maneuver in every traffic pattern, so the rule allows the driver to slow and proceed with caution when moving over cannot be done safely. (Handbook, p. 32)
Want the reasoning behind these rules? Study the handbook, chapter by chapter, in 18 short lessons quoted from the North Dakota manual.
Signs
Sign shape and color carry meaning before you even read the words. A red octagon always means stop, a red-bordered triangle pointing down means yield, and yellow diamonds warn of a hazard ahead. For every sign image used in our practice test, with the exact meaning and explanation, see the full road sign glossary.
Keep studying
This cheat sheet is a summary, not a substitute for practice. Test yourself with the free North Dakota DMV practice test, which explains the reasoning behind every answer, or see North Dakota DMV facts and fees before test day.