North Dakota ignition interlock & DUI requirements
North Dakota does not mandate an ignition interlock for every first DUI: a court may order one, or it is required to obtain a restricted license during the suspension.
Ignition interlock device rules, approved vendors, SR-22 insurance filing, and license reinstatement in North Dakota, cited to the statute and North Dakota Department of Transportation, Driver License Division.
- IID on first offense
- Court's discretion
- Minimum IID period (first)
- No statutory minimum
- SR-22 filing
- Required · 1 year
The short answers
Do I need an interlock?
- First offense
- At the court's discretion
- Minimum period
- No statutory minimum
What the source says (2)
- First offense
“The director may require an ignition interlock device be installed in the offender's vehicle and may require the applicant to submit proof of attendance at a driver training course approved by the director.”
- Minimum period
“the director may for good cause issue a temporary restricted operator's license valid for the remainder of the suspension period after seven days of the suspension period have passed.”
What it costs here
- State reinstatement fee
- $100
- Interlock lease, national range
- $50–$150 per month
What the source says (1)
- State reinstatement fee
“$100 Suspension Fee BAC Over the Legal Limits Physical Control Implied Consent Refusal Driving Under Revocation”
How to drive legally now
- Restricted license
- Available in some first-offense cases · Temporary Restricted License
- Waiting period
- 30 days
- Hearing-request deadline
- 10 days from the notice
- Driving after a DUI in North Dakota: the restricted license
- How to get a license back in North Dakota
- Date the hearing deadline with the timeline calculator
What the source says (3)
- Restricted license
“By law, the driver must serve a portion of the suspension with no type of restricted driving privileges. This timeframe varies depending on the reason for the suspension. A TRL will not be granted for: Anyone under the age of 18 Operating commercial motor vehicles”
- Waiting period
“the director may issue a temporary restricted license that takes effect after thirty days of the suspension have been served after a first offense under section 39-08-01 or chapter 39-20, but if the offender is participating in the twenty-four seven sobriety program under chapter 54-12”
- Hearing-request deadline
“the director shall afford that person an opportunity for a hearing if the person mails or communicates by other means authorized by the director a request for the hearing to the director within ten days after the date of issuance of the temporary operator's permit.”
Approved interlock providers
Vendors listed here appear on the North Dakota licensing agency's approved-device list. Listing order is alphabetical and is not a ranking or endorsement. Installation locations are on each vendor's own locator.
North Dakota publishes no approved ignition-interlock device or vendor list: none appears on dot.nd.gov, in N.D. Admin. Code Title 37, or in the Attorney General's 24/7 Sobriety Program guidelines. Under N.D.C.C. § 39-06.1-11 the director may require an interlock as a temporary restricted license condition; monitoring otherwise runs through the 24/7 Sobriety Program.
Where to get it installed — the official approved-installer list: none published by the state
What North Dakota law requires
North Dakota's ignition interlock, SR-22, and reinstatement rules are set by the statute and agency rules cited below. The values in the tables on this page are taken from those sources and are not interpretations of how they apply to any particular case.
Primary source: N.D.C.C. § 39-06.1-11
Ignition interlock requirement
| Item | North Dakota rule |
|---|---|
| IID on first offense | At the court's discretion |
| Minimum IID period, first offense | No statutory minimum; if the director imposes an interlock it is a condition of a temporary restricted license, which is valid for the remainder of the suspension period (§ 39-06.1-11(1)) |
| Minimum IID period, repeat offense | No statutory interlock period; a temporary restricted license after a second or subsequent § 39-08-01 violation is conditioned on participation in the 24/7 sobriety program (§ 39-06.1-11(7)) |
North Dakota has no statute mandating an ignition interlock for a first DUI conviction. Under N.D.C.C. § 39-06.1-11(4), when the director issues a temporary restricted license under subsection 3, the director 'may require an ignition interlock device be installed in the offender's vehicle.' The Century Code chapters on DUI penalties (ch. 39-08) and implied consent (ch. 39-20) contain no ignition-interlock provision; the state's principal DUI compliance tool is the 24/7 sobriety program (N.D.C.C. ch. 54-12), which § 39-08-01(5) makes a mandatory probation condition for second and subsequent offenses.
What the source says (5)
- IID on first offense
“The director may require an ignition interlock device be installed in the offender's vehicle and may require the applicant to submit proof of attendance at a driver training course approved by the director.”
- Minimum IID period, first offense
“the director may for good cause issue a temporary restricted operator's license valid for the remainder of the suspension period after seven days of the suspension period have passed.”
- Minimum IID period, repeat offense
“If an offender has been charged with, or convicted of, a second or subsequent violation of section 39-08-01 or equivalent ordinance ... the director shall issue a temporary restricted license to the offender upon the restriction the offender participate in the twenty-four seven sobriety program”
- Ignition interlock statute
“39-06.1-11. Temporary restricted license - Ignition interlock device.”
- IID on first offense
“For a first offense, the sentence must include both a fine of at least five hundred dollars and an order for addiction evaluation by an appropriate licensed addiction treatment program.”
SR-22 requirement
An SR-22 is a certificate an insurer files with the state to confirm that a driver carries the liability coverage the state requires. Some states use an FR-44 or a different form for alcohol-related offenses; where North Dakota does, the sources below say so.
| SR-22 filing required after a DUI | Yes |
|---|---|
| Filing period | 1 years |
SR-22. N.D.C.C. § 39-16.1-07(2) provides that after a conviction under § 39-08-01 (DUI) 'no license may be issued or returned to the person, unless the person gives and maintains proof of financial responsibility.' NDDOT states an SR-22 insurance certificate is the form of proof. Under § 39-16.1-19(1)(a) the director may waive/cancel the proof 'at any time after one year from the date such proof was required' if no further disqualifying conviction is received in that year; the one-year figure is derived from that provision, not from a page that states 'one year' for DUI directly.
What the source says (3)
- SR-22 filing required after a DUI
“driving or being in actual physical control of a vehicle while under the influence in violation of section 39-08-01 or equivalent ordinance ... the license or driving privilege must be suspended or revoked and no license may be issued or returned to the person, unless the person gives and maintains”
- Filing period
“a. At any time after one year from the date such proof was required when, during the one-year period preceding the request, the director has not received record of a conviction or a forfeiture of bail which would require the revocation of the license or operating privilege”
- SR-22 requirement
“An SR-22 insurance certificate is required for proof of financial responsibility for persons whose driving privileges have been suspended or revoked for certain convictions or traffic offenses. It must be obtained from your insurance company.”
Program costs
Fees set by the state are cited to the fee schedule. Vendor charges vary by vendor and are shown as published ranges with the month they were checked.
| Item | Amount | As of |
|---|---|---|
| License reinstatement fee | $100 | 2026-08-29 |
| Reinstatement fee for BAC over the legal limit, physical control, implied consent, refusal, or driving under revocation suspensions(NDDOT) | $100 | 2026-08 |
| Reinstatement fee for other suspensions (e.g., fail to maintain liability insurance, 12+ points, driving under suspension)(NDDOT) | $50 | 2026-08 |
| 24/7 sobriety program breath test (PBT) fee (ND Attorney General) | $1.00 per test ($2.00 per day) | 2026-08 |
| 24/7 sobriety program SCRAM bracelet monitoring fee (ND Attorney General) | $6.00 per day | 2026-08 |
| 24/7 sobriety program drug patch / urinalysis fees (ND Attorney General) | $60.00 per patch; U/A $5.00 per test and $25.00 for laboratory confirmation | 2026-08 |
| Additional fee for a moving violation committed while holding a temporary restricted license(§ 39-06.1-11(10)) | $100 | 2026-08 |
| Complete driving record (SFN 51386)(NDDOT) | $3 | 2026-08 |
What the source says (1)
- License reinstatement fee
“$100 Suspension Fee BAC Over the Legal Limits Physical Control Implied Consent Refusal Driving Under Revocation”
Exemptions and special cases
Four questions readers ask once an interlock is ordered — motorcycles, employer vehicles, medical inability to give a breath sample, and reduced-cost programs — answered as North Dakota's interlock program page or statute states them.
| Question | North Dakota rule |
|---|---|
| Motorcycles | Not addressed on the official pages read North Dakota has no mandatory ignition-interlock statute for DUI offenders; the only interlock provision in Title 39, N.D.C.C. § 39-06.1-11(4), lets the NDDOT director require a device as a condition of a temporary restricted license and says nothing about motorcycles. The NDDOT Driver Record Services and Suspensions page does not mention interlock devices at all. |
| Employer-owned vehicle | Not addressed on the official pages read Neither N.D.C.C. § 39-06.1-11 nor the NDDOT Driver Record Services and Suspensions page states an employer-vehicle exception to an interlock condition; the statute only authorizes the director to require the device 'in the offender's vehicle'. |
| Unable to provide a breath sample | Not addressed on the official pages read No waiver or alternative for a person unable to provide a breath sample is stated in N.D.C.C. § 39-06.1-11 or on the NDDOT Driver Record Services and Suspensions page. |
| Reduced-cost / indigent program | Not addressed on the official pages read No reduced-fee or indigent interlock program is stated in N.D.C.C. § 39-06.1-11, ch. 39-08, ch. 39-20 or on the NDDOT Driver Record Services and Suspensions page. |
| Interlock is a discretionary condition of a temporary restricted license (N.D.C.C. § 39-06.1-11(4)) | For a temporary restricted license under § 39-06.1-11(3), the NDDOT director may require an ignition interlock device in the offender's vehicle; the statute does not fix a term, a device standard or an approved-vendor list. What the source says“The director may require an ignition interlock device be installed in the offender's vehicle and may require the applicant to submit proof of attendance at a driver training course approved by the director.” |
| 24/7 sobriety program as the alternative compliance track (N.D.C.C. § 39-06.1-11(3)) | The director shall issue a temporary restricted license to an offender who is participating in and compliant with the twenty-four seven sobriety program under chapter 54-12 (or who has been offense-free for one year before applying). What the source says“For any suspension or revocation imposed under the law, the director shall issue a temporary restricted license if the offender is participating in and compliant with the twenty-four seven sobriety program under chapter 54-12” |
Compare: motorcycles by state · employer, medical and reduced-cost exemptions by state
Frequently asked questions
- Does North Dakota require an ignition interlock after a first DUI?
- No statute mandates it. Under N.D.C.C. § 39-06.1-11(4), when the director issues a temporary restricted license under subsection 3, the director 'may require an ignition interlock device be installed in the offender's vehicle.' The DUI penalty statute, § 39-08-01(5), requires a first offender to pay a fine of at least $500 and undergo an addiction evaluation, and does not mention an interlock.
- How does a repeat DUI offender get restricted driving privileges in North Dakota?
- Under N.D.C.C. § 39-06.1-11(7), an offender charged with or convicted of a second or subsequent § 39-08-01 violation who has no unrelated suspension 'shall' be issued a temporary restricted license 'upon the restriction the offender participate in the twenty-four seven sobriety program under chapter 54-12,' with proof of financial responsibility and proof of program participation submitted with the application.
- How long is a North Dakota license suspended for a first DUI?
- Under N.D.C.C. § 39-20-04.1(1)(a), the director suspends driving privileges for 91 days for a first violation with an alcohol concentration of at least 0.08 and under 0.18; § 39-20-04.1(1)(b) provides 180 days if the concentration was at least 0.18. A temporary restricted license under § 39-06.1-11(2) may take effect after 30 days of the suspension, or after 14 days if the offender is in the 24/7 sobriety program.
- What is the reinstatement fee after a DUI suspension in North Dakota?
- The NDDOT Driver Record Services and Suspensions page lists a $100 reinstatement fee for suspensions for 'BAC Over the Legal Limits,' 'Physical Control,' 'Implied Consent,' 'Refusal,' and 'Driving Under Revocation.' Other suspensions carry a $50 or $25 fee.
- Is an SR-22 required to reinstate a North Dakota license after a DUI?
- Yes. N.D.C.C. § 39-16.1-07(2) provides that after a conviction under § 39-08-01 no license may be issued or returned 'unless the person gives and maintains proof of financial responsibility.' NDDOT states that an SR-22 insurance certificate, obtained from the insurance company, is the required proof and that an insurance card, policy, or declaration page cannot be accepted in its place.
Sources
- N.D.C.C. ch. 39-06.1 (Disposition of Traffic Offenses), incl. § 39-06.1-11 Temporary restricted license - Ignition interlock device (official PDF)
- N.D.C.C. ch. 39-08 (Regulations Governing Operators), incl. § 39-08-01 DUI (official PDF)
- N.D.C.C. ch. 39-20 (Chemical Test for Intoxication, Implied Consent), incl. § 39-20-04.1 (official PDF)
- N.D.C.C. ch. 39-16.1 (Proof of Financial Responsibility for the Future) (official PDF)
- NDDOT - Driver Record Services and Suspensions (reinstatement fees, TRL, 24/7 program)
- NDDOT - Driver License (FAQ: What is an SR-22 insurance certificate?)
- NDDOT - How to Replace or Reinstate a Driver License
- NDDOT form SFN 60363 - Temporary Restricted License / Twenty-Four Seven Sobriety Program
- North Dakota Attorney General - 24/7 Sobriety Program (testing fees)
- N.D. Admin. Code Title 37 chapter index (checked ch. 37-03-01 through 37-03-05, 37-03.1-01; no interlock rule)
Record history
- — Record verified against primary sources.