ND Permit Test 2026: From Age 14, at an Office or Online

Key facts

At a glance

What's tested: The Rules of the Road, from the 2025-2027 Noncommercial Driver License Manual
Questions and pass mark: Not published by NDDOT
Minimum age: 14. Under 18, a parent or legal guardian signs as your sponsor
Where: A driver license site by appointment, or online at home with KnowTo Drive
Fees: $5 a try at an office, $10 online, then $15 for the permit (October 2026)

How it works

How the ND permit test works: a knowledge test and a vision screening

NDDOT calls the permit test the Rules of the Road knowledge test. It covers the Noncommercial Driver License Manual for a Class D license.
NDDOT doesn't publish how many questions the test has or the score you need to pass.
You can take it at a North Dakota driver license site by appointment, or online at home through KnowTo Drive, NDDOT's online testing site.
At a driver license site, it's offered in 14 languages, and eight offices also have American Sign Language and audio testing.
Phones, bags, paper, pens and other electronic devices aren't allowed in the testing area. Bringing one in, or leaving before you finish, gets you a failed score.
You also pass a vision screening. Under 18, a parent or legal guardian signs to sponsor you before the permit is issued.
If you pass online, you still book an appointment at a driver license office to get your permit.

Topics

What’s on the test

Permits and North Dakota's licensing steps

The manual's first section: who can get a permit at 14, who must sit beside you, how long you hold the permit, and how a 15-year-old gets a restricted license.

Key points (4)

You must be at least 14 and pass the knowledge test and a vision screening. Under 18, a parent or legal guardian signs as your sponsor.
The person beside you must be at least 18, hold a valid license for the vehicle you're driving and have at least three years of driving experience.
At 14 or 15, a permit lets you drive only a vehicle belonging to a parent, guardian, grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle.
Under 16, you need driver education and at least 50 hours of supervised practice, in rural, urban, gravel, night and winter driving, before the road test.

Signs, signals and pavement markings

Pages 9 to 18 of the manual cover regulatory, warning and guide signs, work zones, traffic signals, lane markings and railroad crossings.

Key points (4)

A round yellow sign warns of a railroad crossing ahead. A yellow pennant on the left side of the road marks a no passing zone.
The orange slow-moving vehicle triangle is used on vehicles or towed equipment going 25 mph or less.
Breaking a work zone speed limit while workers are present carries a minimum $80 fee.
When a train is crossing, stop at least 15 feet from the crossing. Never drive around lowered gates.

Right of way, emergency vehicles and school buses

Who goes first at intersections and driveways, and what you must do for emergency vehicles and stopped school buses.

Key points (4)

When two vehicles reach an unsigned intersection at about the same time, the one on the left yields to the one on the right.
At a four-way stop, the vehicle that stops first goes first.
For an emergency vehicle using its lights or siren, stop at the right-hand curb or edge of the road and stay stopped until it passes. Don't stop in an intersection.
When a school bus is stopped with its red lights flashing, traffic from both directions stops until the bus moves, the driver signals you on, or the lights stop.

Speed limits, passing, following and turning

North Dakota's limits when no other speed is posted, the three-second rule, and where you may not pass.

Key points (4)

Unless a sign says otherwise: 25 mph in business and residential districts, 55 on gravel or dirt roads, 70 on divided multi-lane highways and 80 on rural interstates.
The limit is 20 mph near a school at recess or opening and closing times, and when your view of a railway crossing or intersection is blocked.
Don't pass within 100 feet of an intersection, railroad crossing or tunnel, and be back in your lane at least 200 feet before meeting oncoming traffic.
Signal continuously for the last 100 feet before a turn.

Interstates, roundabouts, night driving and parking

Merging and exiting on interstates, how to use a roundabout, headlight rules and where you may not park.

Key points (4)

Traffic in a roundabout moves counter-clockwise. Yield to traffic already circling, stay in your lane and don't pass trucks.
If you miss your exit, go on to the next one. Never back up on an interstate or a ramp, and don't use median crossovers.
Use headlights from sunset to sunrise and when you can't see 1,000 feet. Dim them at least 500 feet before meeting a car and within 300 feet when following one.
Don't park within 10 feet of a fire hydrant or a crosswalk at an intersection, or within 15 feet of a stop sign or traffic signal beside the road.

Winter driving, floods and emergencies

North Dakota's winter rules, snowplows, skids, flooded roads, blowouts and what to do after a crash.

Key points (4)

Driving onto a road that's officially closed for hazardous conditions brings a $250 fine.
If you're stuck in a snowstorm, stay with your vehicle. Open a window slightly and run the engine and heater only for short periods.
With antilock brakes, keep firm, steady pressure on the pedal. Pumping them makes them work less well.
Six inches of water reaches the bottom of most cars, and two feet of moving water can carry away most vehicles, pickups and SUVs included.

Trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians

Truck no-zones, the Move Over law, and the space the law and the manual ask you to give riders and people on foot.

Key points (4)

A truck's no-zones reach up to 20 feet in front of the cab, along both sides and up to 200 feet behind. If you can't see the driver in the side mirror, the driver can't see you.
Passing a stranded vehicle with flashing hazard lights on an interstate or multi-lane highway outside city limits, move to a lane not next to it. If you can't, slow down.
Leave at least three feet when you pass a bicyclist.
Give a motorcycle a full lane and follow it by three or four seconds.

Seat belts, phones, alcohol and drugs

North Dakota's seat belt, child seat, texting, open container and DUI laws, and what refusing a test costs you.

Key points (4)

Everyone in every seat wears a seat belt. Children under 8 ride in a car seat or booster, unless they're at least 57 inches tall.
Texting while driving brings a $100 fine. Permit holders and licensed drivers under 18 can't use a phone or other electronic device at all while driving.
You're legally under the influence at an alcohol concentration of .08 or more, or .02 or more if you're under 21.
Refusing a chemical test or a roadside breath test means your license is revoked for 180 days to three years.

Road signs

Signs and shapes from pages 9 to 18 of the manual

The manual's signs chapter sorts signs into regulatory, warning and guide signs, then moves on to signals, lane markings and railroad crossings. Two yellow shapes mean different things: a round sign warns of a railroad crossing ahead, while a yellow pennant on the left side of the road marks a no passing zone. North Dakota uses the orange slow-moving vehicle triangle on anything going 25 mph or less.

Stop: the only eight-sided sign. Stop before the stop line or crosswalk
Yield: slow down, and stop if you need to, to give the right of way
Round and yellow: a railroad crossing is ahead
Crossbuck: you're at a railroad crossing. Make sure every track is clear
Emergency Notification System sign: call this number about a problem at the crossing
Pennant: a no passing zone, posted on the left side of the road
Do Not Pass: the rectangular version, posted on the right
No Turn on Red: you may not turn on a red light here
Two-way left turn only: the center lane is for left turns from both directions, not for passing
Slow-moving vehicle: in North Dakota, it travels 25 mph or less
Flashing red: the same as a stop sign
Flashing yellow arrow: turn left with caution after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians

Test day

What to bring to your permit appointment

One original or certified identity document, such as a state-certified U.S. birth certificate or a valid U.S. passport
Proof of your Social Security number, such as your Social Security card or a W-2
Two documents showing your name and North Dakota home address, not a P.O. box
Under 18: a parent or legal guardian to sign the sponsorship, with guardianship papers if it's a guardian
Your glasses or contacts for the vision screening
The $5 test fee and the $15 permit fee

Before you go

Read the 2025-2027 Noncommercial Driver License Manual. Parents of teens are asked to read pages 1 to 6 and 40 to 45 too.
Book an appointment. Driver license sites don't take walk-ins.
At an office that closes for lunch, arrive at least an hour before noon. Anywhere else, at least an hour before closing.
Check your documents against NDDOT's REAL ID checklist. Photocopies and hospital certificates aren't accepted.
Leave your phone, bag and anything electronic somewhere safe before you go into the testing area.
Testing at home instead? KnowTo Drive needs a desktop or laptop with a webcam, and a parent or guardian registers with anyone under 18.

NDDOT: Schedule a driver license appointmentBook online or call 1-855-633-6835. Every service at a driver license site needs an appointment, and online booking doesn't offer same-day times.

Study options

Where to study

NDDOT's 2025-2027 Noncommercial Driver License Manual is free as a PDF, and it's the only study guide the state names. The audio version on YouTube and the Spanish edition are still the 2023-2025 ones, with new versions promised. NDDOT doesn't post a practice test of its own, so the apps and courses here are compared on price and what you can use for free.

Option	Price	Free to use	Links
Official and free
Noncommercial Driver License Manual (Class D)Official · PDF and text56 pages, revised 2025. NDDOT links it as the study guide for the Rules of the Road knowledge test, and a paper copy can be read at any driver license site.	Free	The whole 2025-2027 manual, as a PDF or a text page	Manual page ↗PDF ↗
Audio and Spanish editions of the manualOfficial · YouTube and PDFBoth are the 2023-2025 edition (the audio is dated June 2024). NDDOT says 2025-2027 versions are coming, so check numbers against the current English manual.	Free	One audio video per section, and a Spanish PDF	Audio playlist ↗Spanish manual (PDF) ↗
Motorcycle and CDL manualsOfficial · PDF and audioThe Motorcycle Operator Manual is for the Class M knowledge test. The 2025-2027 Commercial Driver License Manual covers every CDL knowledge test, and its Section 1 chart shows which sections to study for each.	Free	Both manuals, with audio versions	Motorcycle Operator Manual ↗CDL manual ↗
Apps and websites
Driving-Tests.org and DMV GenieWeb and app · all statesOne company runs both. The North Dakota section also has fines and limits, distracted and drinking and driving tests, and an exam simulator. Premium promises 500+ questions and a pass guarantee. The page shows 4.7 on Trustpilot from 16,700+ reviews, and the DMV Genie app at 4.7 on Google Play with 1M+ downloads.	Free tests, paid Premium (price not shown on the North Dakota page)	North Dakota permit practice tests 1 to 5, a diagnostic quick check and road sign tests	North Dakota section ↗
ZutobiApp and web · all statesGame-style lessons built on each state's manual. Its North Dakota page claims 600+ North Dakota questions and a 4.8 Trustpilot score.	Free to try, then paid (price not shown on its North Dakota page)	A free start	North Dakota car page ↗
In person
NDDOT-approved driver training schoolsLocalUnder 16, driver education is required before the road test. NDDOT lists approved schools in Bismarck, Burlington, Dickinson, the Fargo area, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Minot, Pingree and Williston, and marks those in the road test waiver program.	Set by each school	Not free	NDDOT school list ↗
Alive at 25, North Dakota Safety CouncilCourse · in person or onlineA 4.5-hour course for drivers under 25 on judgment and decision making, not a permit test prep course. The manual says it's approved in North Dakota for point reduction and insurance discounts.	$60 in person, $80 online (as printed in the 2025-2027 manual)	Not free	North Dakota Safety Council ↗

Prices and ratings checked October 2026.

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FAQ

Common questions

How many questions are on the ND permit test, and what's the passing score?

NDDOT doesn't publish either number. Its learner's permit page and the manual say only that you must pass the Rules of the Road knowledge test, and KnowTo Drive's FAQ doesn't give a count or a pass mark for the online version. What the manual does say: you get a failed score if you leave the testing area early or bring a phone, bag, paper or pen into it.

Can I take the North Dakota permit test online?

Yes. KnowTo Drive, NDDOT's online testing site, gives the Class D knowledge test at home to North Dakota residents who are at least 14. You need a desktop or laptop with a webcam, and a parent or guardian registers with you if you're under 18. Passing online doesn't give you the permit: you still book a visit to a driver license office. The online test page has the cost and rules.

How old do you have to be to get a learner's permit in North Dakota?

14. Under 18, a parent or legal guardian signs to approve and sponsor you, and takes on financial liability. How long you hold the permit before a road test depends on your age. The learner's permit page has those rules.

What happens if I fail the ND permit test?

At a driver license site you can try once a day, and each try costs $5. On KnowTo Drive you can retest 24 hours after a fail, but after five fails you wait a year, or take the test in person at an office instead.

Is the North Dakota driver's test the same as the permit test?

No. The permit test is the written knowledge test. The road test comes later, at one of eight driver license sites, after you've held your permit long enough for your age. Some teens can skip it with an approved driver education certificate. The road test page explains who qualifies.

Can I take the ND DMV permit test in Spanish?

Yes. At driver license sites the Class D knowledge test comes in Arabic, Chinese, Dari, English, French, Nepali, Pashto, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Somali, Swahili, Turkish and Vietnamese. The Spanish manual on NDDOT's site is the 2023-2025 edition, and NDDOT says the 2025-2027 one is coming soon.

What should I study for the North Dakota permit test?

The Noncommercial Driver License Manual, the 2025-2027 edition. Its main sections cover signs and signals, rules of the road, driving skills and emergencies, alcohol and drugs, and pedestrians and recreational vehicles. The manual page goes through it section by section.

Sources: NDDOT · KnowTo Drive and 5 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

ND permit test: North Dakota's Rules of the Road test

At a glance

How the ND permit test works: a knowledge test and a vision screening

What’s on the test

Permits and North Dakota's licensing steps

Signs, signals and pavement markings

Right of way, emergency vehicles and school buses

Speed limits, passing, following and turning

Interstates, roundabouts, night driving and parking

Winter driving, floods and emergencies

Trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians

Seat belts, phones, alcohol and drugs

Signs and shapes from pages 9 to 18 of the manual

What to bring to your permit appointment

Before you go

Where to study

Everything else, in one place

Common questions

Related exams