How to get your license back after a DUI in North Dakota
Getting a license back after a DUI is an agency process, not a court one: the steps below are the ones the North Dakota Department of Transportation, Driver License Division lists, in its order, each quoted from the agency's own page. Requirements differ by offense, blood-alcohol level, refusal, and prior record; the state's wording controls.
Steps the state lists
- 1
Serve the suspension or revocation period
NDDOT states that a driver is eligible to be reinstated once all requirements have been met and the required time has been served; its FAQ adds that a suspended driver gets privileges back after the suspension time is completed and all reinstatement requirements are met, while a revoked driver must complete the revocation period, meet all reinstatement requirements, and retake the written and road tests.
What the source says
“You can view your outstanding reinstatement requirements online. Once all requirements have been met and required time has been served you are eligible to be reinstated.”
- 2
Check outstanding reinstatement requirements online
NDDOT directs drivers to its Driver License Pay Reinstatement Fee/Outstanding Requirements System to view outstanding reinstatement requirements; the order of suspension also states the reinstatement requirements that must be met.
What the source says
“It will also tell you what reinstatement requirements must be met before your driving privileges can be reinstated.”
- 3
Pay the reinstatement fee ($100 for alcohol-related suspensions)
NDDOT states the Driver's License Division may not release suspended driving privileges without first collecting a reinstatement fee; the $100 fee applies to BAC over the legal limits, physical control, implied consent, refusal and driving under revocation suspensions. Payment is by mail, phone or online.
What the source says
“According to state law, the Driver’s License Division may not release any suspended driving privileges without first collecting a processing charge called a reinstatement fee. The amount for a reinstatement fee will vary depending on the nature of your suspension.”
- 4
File proof of financial responsibility (SR-22 insurance certificate)
NDDOT's Driver License FAQ states an SR-22 insurance certificate is required as proof of financial responsibility for persons whose driving privileges were suspended or revoked for certain convictions; it must be obtained from the insurer, which must notify the department of cancellation, and an insurance card, policy or declaration page is not accepted in its place. N.D.C.C. § 39-16.1-07(2) applies this after a § 39-08-01 (DUI) conviction (see the state record).
What the source says
“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.”
- 5
Retake the written and road tests if the privilege was revoked
NDDOT's FAQ distinguishes suspension from revocation: after a revocation, the driver must complete the revocation period, meet all reinstatement requirements, and take the written and road tests again before valid driving privileges are restored.
What the source says
“If your driving privileges are revoked, you must complete the revocation period, meet all the reinstatement requirements, and take the written and road tests again before having valid driving privileges restored.”
Official reinstatement page: North Dakota Department of Transportation, Driver License Division
Conditions that travel with reinstatement
| Reinstatement fee | $100 |
|---|---|
| SR-22 / financial-responsibility filing | Yes · 1 years — North Dakota SR-22 requirements |
| Ignition interlock | North Dakota interlock rule |
| Required program | Addiction evaluation by an appropriate licensed addiction treatment program |
| Driving during the suspension | Temporary Restricted License (TRL / work permit) |
| Re-examination | Knowledge test: required in some cases · road test: required in some cases |
Required program: Addiction evaluation by an appropriate licensed addiction treatment program
N.D.C.C. § 39-08-01(5)(a)(1) requires the sentence for a first DUI offense to include an order for addiction evaluation by an appropriate licensed addiction treatment program (also required for second, third and fourth or subsequent offenses). For a temporary restricted license under § 39-06.1-11(3), the application must be accompanied by a report from an appropriate licensed addiction treatment program and, if prescribed, proof of compliance with attendance rules, or proof of 24/7 sobriety program participation. This is a court sentencing condition; NDDOT's reinstatement page does not list a separate education course for DUI reinstatement.
“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.”
Driving during the suspension: Temporary Restricted License (TRL / work permit)
NDDOT describes a TRL as a restricted license issued to persons whose driving privileges have been suspended or revoked for certain offenses, authorizing operation of a non-commercial motor vehicle for work, educational or essential life-maintenance purposes; the driver must first serve a portion of the suspension with no restricted privileges, and a TRL is not granted to anyone under 18 or for commercial vehicles (application on SFN 2254). Under N.D.C.C. § 39-06.1-11(2), after a first § 39-08-01 or chapter 39-20 offense the director may issue a TRL that takes effect after 30 days of the suspension have been served, or after 14 days if the offender is participating in the 24/7 sobriety program; NDDOT states that after a second or subsequent § 39-08-01 violation the TRL is issued on the restriction that the offender participate in the 24/7 Sobriety Program and is canceled if the program restrictions are violated. Under § 39-06.1-11(4), the director may require an ignition interlock device as a TRL condition.
“A TRL is a restricted license issued to persons whose driving privileges have been suspended or revoked for certain offenses. A TRL authorizes the operation of a non-commercial motor vehicle for work purposes, educational purposes, or the need to perform essential life maintenance needs.”
Will you have to retake the test? Re-examination in North Dakota
Some states hand the license back once the conditions are met; others treat a revoked or long-withdrawn license as expired and issue a new one only after the knowledge test, the road test or a vision screening is passed again. The rules below are the licensing agency's own, one per test.
| Knowledge (written) test | Required in some cases A suspension ends with the reinstatement requirements and the fee; a revocation requires the written test again before driving privileges are restored. Separately, a license expired more than one year requires a knowledge test to be relicensed. What the source says“If your driving privileges are revoked, you must complete the revocation period, meet all the reinstatement requirements, and take the written and road tests again before having valid driving privileges restored.” |
|---|---|
| Road (driving) test | Required in some cases The road test is retaken on the same terms: after a revocation, and after a license has been expired more than one year. What the source says“However, no retesting will be required to renew unless your license has been expired for more than one year. If the license has been expired more than one year, you will be required to pass both a knowledge and road test prior to becoming relicensed.” |
| Vision screening | Required in some cases Every examination of an applicant for an operator's license includes an eyesight test under the Century Code, and driver license examiners do a vision screening at an in-person renewal; the revocation page itself names only the written and road tests. What the source says“The examination must include a test of the applicant's eyesight; ability to read and understand highway signs regulating, warning, and directing traffic; and knowledge of the traffic laws of this state.” |
What triggers a re-test
The revocation, as opposed to a suspension: suspended privileges come back once the period and the reinstatement requirements are met, while revoked privileges also require the written and road tests again. A license expired more than one year requires both tests regardless of the withdrawal.
“If your privileges are suspended, you will get driving privileges back after the period of suspension time has been completed and all reinstatement requirements have been met.”- Testing fee
- $5.00 — each of the written test and the road test costs $5.00, and the non-commercial license itself $15.00; the $50 or $100 reinstatement fee is separate
What the source says
“Written test: $5.00 Road test: $5.00 Duplicate license or permit: $8.00 (or $3.00 for name or address change only) Non-commercial permit or license: $15.00”
- Where to take it
- dot.nd.gov — the knowledge test at a driver license site or online; the road test by appointment through the Driver License Division's online scheduler
- Official driver manual
- 2025-2027 Noncommercial Driver License Manual
- The rule
- N.D.C.C. § 39-06-36
“the director may not then issue a new license unless the director is satisfied after investigation of the individual's driving records, driving habits, and driving ability of the individual that it will be safe to grant an operator's license to that individual.”
Questions about re-testing in North Dakota
- Does a North Dakota revocation mean retaking the written and road tests?
- Yes. The Driver License Division's FAQ states that revoked privileges are restored only after the revocation period, the reinstatement requirements, and the written and road tests taken again; suspended privileges come back without retesting once the period and requirements are met.
- What if the license expired during the suspension?
- The renewal page states that no retesting is required unless the license has been expired for more than one year; beyond that, both a knowledge and a road test are required before relicensing.
- What do the tests cost?
- The Driver License Requirements page lists $5.00 for the written test, $5.00 for the road test and $15.00 for a non-commercial permit or license, separate from the $50 or $100 reinstatement fee.
Reinstatement knowledge check: North Dakota
Ten questions on the rules this site cites for the state — the figures the licensing agency and the statute state, with a link to where each one is stated. The order changes every time.
This is not the agency's knowledge test and does not predict it; it checks the rules cited on this site.
Questions about reinstatement in North Dakota
- What does North Dakota require to reinstate a license after a DUI suspension?
- NDDOT's Driver Record Services and Suspensions page states a driver is eligible for reinstatement once all requirements have been met and the required time served, that the Driver's License Division must first collect a reinstatement fee ($100 for BAC over the limit, physical control, implied consent, refusal or driving under revocation), and that a revoked driver must also retake the written and road tests. NDDOT's FAQ states an SR-22 insurance certificate is required as proof of financial responsibility for certain convictions.
- Can a person drive during a North Dakota DUI suspension?
- NDDOT states a Temporary Restricted License (TRL) may be issued to persons 18 and older for work, educational or essential life-maintenance driving after a portion of the suspension is served with no privileges. Under N.D.C.C. § 39-06.1-11(2), a TRL after a first DUI or implied-consent suspension takes effect after 30 days, or 14 days for 24/7 sobriety program participants; after a second or subsequent DUI, NDDOT states the TRL is conditioned on 24/7 Sobriety Program participation.
- Does North Dakota have an ignition interlock removal rule?
- No statutory or NDDOT removal rule was found. North Dakota has no mandatory DUI interlock statute; under N.D.C.C. § 39-06.1-11(4) the NDDOT director may require an ignition interlock device as a condition of a temporary restricted license, and NDDOT's pages describe the 24/7 Sobriety Program rather than interlock monitoring. The sources do not state a compliance period or a procedure for ending an interlock condition.
Sources
- NDDOT - Driver Record Services and Suspensions (reinstatement requirements system; TRL; 24/7 program; reinstatement fees; FAQs)
- NDDOT - Driver License (FAQ: What is an SR-22 insurance certificate?)
- NDDOT - How to Replace or Reinstate a Driver License
- N.D.C.C. ch. 39-06.1 (§ 39-06.1-11 Temporary restricted license - Ignition interlock device) (official PDF)
- N.D.C.C. ch. 39-08 (§ 39-08-01(5) sentencing; addiction evaluation) (official PDF)
- N.D.C.C. ch. 39-16.1 (§ 39-16.1-07 proof of financial responsibility after conviction) (official PDF)