Driving Tests

North Dakota Driver's Ed Requirements: Who Needs It and the 50-Hour Log

informational·how to guide·Published June 1, 2026

Does my teen need driver's ed in North Dakota?

Yes, if your teen takes the road test before age 16. North Dakota requires an approved driver's education course for the restricted Class D license at 15: 30 classroom hours and 6 behind-the-wheel hours through a high school, or 6 behind-the-wheel hours at an NDDOT-approved driving school. Your teen also logs 50 supervised driving hours. At 16 or 17, the steps are a six-month permit and a road test.

Where the North Dakota driver's ed facts come from

The restricted license, permit and driver training rules come from North Dakota Century Code chapter 39-06. The certificates, the road test waiver and the 50-hour log come from the North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual (2025-2027 edition). The steps by age and the fees come from the NDDOT learner's permit page. The school course rules come from North Dakota Administrative Code chapters 37-13-01 and 37-13-05, and the school list is on the NDDOT driver training schools page. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the North Dakota Department of Transportation (dot.nd.gov) before you drive.

North Dakota driver's ed and driving log by age at the road test

North Dakota driver's ed and driving log by age at the road test
Requirement	Road test before age 16	Road test at 16 or 17
Driver's education	Approved course. Bring the Certificate of Training to the road test	Not required
Supervised driving log	At least 50 hours, in five conditions. A parent or legal guardian signs at the road test	Not required
Permit holding time	At least 12 months	At least 6 months
License after the road test	Restricted Class D license. It becomes unrestricted at 16	Class D license

What counts as driver's education in North Dakota?

Two paths count. At a high school, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) course has 30 hours of classroom time and 6 hours behind the wheel. At an NDDOT-approved commercial driver training school, the behind-the-wheel part is 6 hours. A commercial school may offer only the driving hours.
The school gives your teen a certificate. A Certificate of Training means the course did not include the 30 classroom hours. A Certificate of Course Completion, or a DPI Student Completion Certificate, means 30 classroom hours and 6 driving hours.

Which driver's ed path fits your teen?

Your teen takes the high school course

Your teen must be 14 by the end of the classroom part. Behind-the-wheel training cannot start before 14. A student in the school program may drive with a certified instructor without a permit if the school district has insurance.

Your teen takes a commercial school course

From age 14, your teen can get a restricted instruction permit for the course. It is valid for a school year or a shorter period. An approved instructor must sit beside your teen.

The school gives a Certificate of Course Completion

Your teen may skip the road test, if the course is one that NDDOT approved for the waiver. NDDOT can still road test a student at random. See our guide to the North Dakota road test.

What is the 50-hour driving log in North Dakota?

The log is a record of supervised driving. Instruction permit holders under 16 must drive at least 50 hours with a supervisor, and these hours come on top of the course.
On the day of the road test, a parent or legal guardian goes with your teen to the test site and signs that the 50 hours are done.

Which conditions must you log?

Rural driving.
Urban driving.
Driving on gravel, dirt or aggregate roads.
Night driving.
Winter driving.

How do you fill in the log?

Your teen must practice in each of the five conditions, and the hours must add up to at least 50. Page 45 of the manual has a log page that you can use to track the hours.
A teen who drives 50 hours only on paved city streets in daylight has not met the rule. Try our free question on a log with 50 hours of daytime city driving to check it.

Who can supervise the practice hours?

The supervisor sits in the seat beside your teen. The supervisor must be 18 or older, hold a Class A, B, C or D license and have at least three years of driving experience. No other person may sit in the front seat, unless the vehicle has only a front seat.
For the knowledge test and the other permit rules, see our guide to North Dakota instruction permit rules.

Steps for a teen who is 14 or 15

1
Get the instruction permit
Your teen must be a resident who is at least 14 to get a Class D instruction permit (NDDOT also calls it a learner's permit). Your teen passes the rules of the road knowledge test and a vision screening, and a parent or guardian gives written approval. Under 18, a sponsor signs for financial liability. The permit costs $15, and each knowledge test attempt costs $5.
2
Finish an approved driver's education course
Choose the high school course or an NDDOT-approved commercial school. Keep the certificate for the road test.
3
Log the 50 hours
Drive with a qualified supervisor in all five conditions until the hours total at least 50.
4
Hold the permit long enough
Under 16, your teen must hold the permit for at least 12 months before the license.
5
Take the road test or use a waiver
A parent or guardian goes to the road test and signs the log. Your teen shows the Certificate of Training, or a Certificate of Course Completion for the waiver. The road test costs $5.

What can a 15-year-old drive with a restricted license?

A minor who is at least 15 can get a restricted Class D license. Your teen needs an approved driver's education course and the 50 hours, and a parent or guardian must come in person. The license covers only the car of a parent, guardian, grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle. Check this with our free question on a neighbor's car.
For the road test, your teen may use a car that is not a parent's or guardian's. At 16, the license changes to an unrestricted license.

Limits on a restricted Class D license

No driving from the later of sunset or 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. A parent, guardian or other person 18 or older in the front seat lifts the limit.
The night limit does not apply on a drive directly to or from work, an official school activity or a religious activity.
No phone or device to talk, compose, read or send messages while the vehicle moves, with emergency exceptions.

Key takeaways

A teen who takes the road test before 16 needs an approved driver's education course: 30 classroom hours and 6 driving hours at a high school, or 6 driving hours at an NDDOT-approved school.
The 50 supervised hours are extra. Log rural, urban, gravel or dirt, night and winter driving.
Your teen holds the permit at least 12 months for a license before 16, or at least six months at 16 or 17.
A Certificate of Course Completion from a course that NDDOT approved for the waiver can replace the road test.
Next step: practice on the free North Dakota Class D practice test.

North Dakota driver's ed: common questions

Do adults need driver's ed in North Dakota?

No. North Dakota asks for a driver's education Certificate of Training only from applicants under 16. At 16 or 17, the steps are a six-month permit and a road test. At 18 or older, NDDOT lists one step after the permit: a road test through the state. An adult with a learner's permit must still drive with a supervising driver.

Does driver's ed replace the 50 hours?

No. The manual says the 50 hours of supervised driving are in addition to the formal driver's education requirement. Your teen needs both: the course certificate for the road test and the 50 logged hours in rural, urban, gravel, night and winter driving.

Can my teen log practice hours in a friend's car?

Not at 14 or 15. NDDOT says a permit holder of that age may drive only a vehicle owned by a parent, guardian, grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle. The one exception is a vehicle with dual controls and a licensed driver trainer in it.

Where can I find an approved driving school in North Dakota?

NDDOT keeps a list of approved driver training schools by town on its Driver Training Schools page at dot.nd.gov. A high school course through the Department of Public Instruction also counts. Ask your teen's school if it offers driver training.

Can I take the driver's ed course online?

Not for a teen who wants a license before 16. The course needs 6 hours behind the wheel, at a high school or an NDDOT-approved school. An approved internet course is an option only after a minor's license is canceled, and then your teen also logs 30 hours of driving supervised by a parent or legal guardian.