Driving Tests

North Dakota Texting and Cell Phone Laws for Drivers and Teens

informational·how to guide·Published April 6, 2026

Is texting while driving illegal in North Dakota?

Yes. In North Dakota, a driver in traffic may not compose, read or send a text, email or other electronic message on a wireless device. Traffic includes a stop at a red light or stop sign; only a lawfully parked vehicle is outside the ban. The fine is $100. Permit holders and licensed drivers under 18 may not even talk on a phone while the vehicle moves.

Where these North Dakota phone rules come from

The texting, distracted driving and teen phone rules come from the North Dakota Century Code: chapter 39-08 (sections 39-08-23, 39-08-24 and 39-08-25) and chapter 39-06 (permit and restricted license rules). The fines come from chapter 39-06.1 and the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) traffic safety laws page. The NDDOT learner's permit and driver record pages and the North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual add the permit rule, the six-point rule and the advice for parents. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the North Dakota Department of Transportation (dot.nd.gov) before you drive.

What counts as an electronic message in North Dakota?

The law bans three actions while you are in traffic: composing, reading and sending an electronic message. An electronic message includes email, a text message, an instant message and a request to open a web page. So a driver who scrolls through a message, types a reply or opens a website on a handheld phone breaks the law.

What a licensed driver 18 or older may do with a phone in traffic

What a licensed driver 18 or older may do with a phone in traffic
Phone use	Under the North Dakota texting law
Type, read or send a text, email or instant message	Not allowed
Open a web page	Not allowed
Enter or select a phone number, or use voice commands, to make or take a call	Allowed
Talk on a call	Allowed
Enter, select or read information on a GPS or other navigation device	Allowed
Use the phone in a voice-activated or other hands-free way	Allowed

Can you read a text at a red light or stop sign?

No. For this law, traffic includes a temporary stop, such as at a traffic signal or a stop sign. A line of cars that waits at a red light is still traffic. The ban ends only when your vehicle is lawfully parked, so pull over and park before you read the message. Our free question on reading a text at a red light tests this rule.

When may a North Dakota driver use a phone in an emergency?

To get emergency help: to report a crash, a medical emergency or a serious traffic hazard.
To prevent a crime that is about to be committed.
When you reasonably believe that a person's life or safety is in immediate danger.

What is failure to maintain control (distracted driving)?

This is a separate offense for drivers of any age. You commit it when you break another traffic law while distracted, or when you drive in a reportable crash with property damage while distracted. Distracted means an activity that is not necessary to drive and that impairs, or would reasonably be expected to impair, your ability to drive safely. The fine is $100, the same as for texting, and you can also get a ticket for the other offense.

Phone rules for permit holders and teen drivers

Three groups may not use an electronic communication device to talk, compose, read or send a message while the vehicle moves: drivers with an instruction permit (NDDOT also calls it a learner's permit) at any age, drivers with a restricted Class D license, and 16- and 17-year-olds with a Class D license. For these drivers, a phone call is banned too. Read the North Dakota instruction permit rules for the other permit limits, and the restricted license at 15 guide for the curfew and vehicle rules.

Which North Dakota phone rule applies to you?

You hold an instruction permit, at any age from 14

You may not talk, text or read on a device while the vehicle moves. The one use allowed is for emergency help, a crime about to happen or a danger to someone's life or safety. Try our free question on a permit holder whose phone rings.

You hold a restricted Class D license (from age 15)

The same ban applies while the vehicle moves, with the same exceptions.

You are 16 or 17 and hold a Class D license

The same ban applies until you turn 18. After that, the adult texting rules apply.

You are 18 or older with a Class D license

You may talk on a call, use GPS and use hands-free features, but you may not compose, read or send a message in traffic.

North Dakota phone ticket fines by driver

North Dakota phone ticket fines by driver
Offense	Who it covers	Penalty
Compose, read or send a message in traffic	Every driver	$100 fine
Failure to maintain control while distracted	Every driver	$100 fine
Use a phone while the vehicle moves	Instruction permit holders	$20 fine (a moving violation)
Use a phone while the vehicle moves	16- and 17-year-olds with a Class D license	$20 fine (a moving violation)
Use a phone while the vehicle moves	Restricted Class D license holders	NDDOT may suspend or revoke the license

Teen points and advice for parents

NDDOT lists a $20 fine and 4 points on the driver record for 14- and 15-year-olds who break the phone law.
A driver under 18 who gets six or more points on the driving record has the permit or license cancelled.
The manual tells parents to prohibit cell phone use, eating, drinking and other distractions while their teen drives.

Key takeaways

Every North Dakota driver in traffic is banned from composing, reading or sending a text, email or instant message. The fine is $100.
A red light or stop sign is still traffic. Only a lawfully parked vehicle is outside the ban.
Licensed drivers 18 and older may still make calls, use GPS and use hands-free or voice features.
Permit holders of any age, restricted license holders and 16- and 17-year-olds with a Class D license may not use a phone to talk, text or read while the vehicle moves, except in an emergency.
Next step: practice the rules of the road on the free North Dakota Class D practice test. It is in English only.

North Dakota texting and phone law: common questions

Can I talk on my phone while driving in North Dakota?

Yes, if you are 18 or older with a Class D license. A phone call is not an electronic message, and you may dial, use voice commands or use the phone hands-free. No, if you hold an instruction permit, a restricted license, or a Class D license at 16 or 17: you may not talk on a device while the vehicle moves, except in an emergency.

Can I use Google Maps or GPS while driving in North Dakota?

Yes. Under the texting law, entering, selecting or reading information on a GPS or other navigation device is not an electronic message. Set your route before you leave when you can. If the screen distracts you and you break another traffic law, you can get a $100 ticket for failure to maintain control.

Can I change the music on my phone while driving in North Dakota?

Under the texting law, a phone or music player used for a purpose that is not otherwise banned is not an electronic message, so choosing a song is not texting. But if the activity distracts you and you break another traffic law, it can count as failure to maintain control. Permit holders and drivers under 18 should keep the phone away.

Does the phone ban apply to adults with a learner's permit?

Yes. The permit rule covers every instruction permit holder, whatever the age. An adult who learns to drive on a permit may not use a phone to talk, compose, read or send a message while the vehicle moves. The only exceptions are emergency help, a crime about to be committed, or a danger to someone's life or safety.