IN
North Dakota requires applicants under 16 to complete an approved driver education course before road testing. Teens aged 14-15 must complete a state-approved course with at least 6 hours of professional instruction.
North Dakota's required driver training changes at age 16, and the under-16 rule has more than one approved path.
| Age | Required training before licensing |
|---|---|
| 14–15 | Obtain the required Certificate of Training. This can be completed through Department of Public Instruction driver education with 30 classroom hours plus 6 behind-the-wheel hours, or through 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training at an NDDOT-approved commercial driver training school. The separate 50 supervised practice hours also apply. |
| 16–17 | No general professional driver-training requirement and no 50-hour supervised-practice requirement under the standard licensing path. The age-based permit holding period still applies. |
| 18+ | No general professional driver-training requirement before the normal road test. |
Check the current NDDOT-approved school list before enrolling.
Yes. An applicant under 16 can use six hours of behind-the-wheel training through an NDDOT-approved commercial driver training school to meet the Certificate of Training route.
No. The Department of Public Instruction route uses 30 classroom hours plus six behind-the-wheel hours. The approved commercial-school route can satisfy the under-16 training requirement with six hours of behind-the-wheel training.
North Dakota does not set a fixed number of optional professional lessons for applicants age 16 or older on the standard road-test path. Extra lessons can still be useful based on the driver's experience, but lesson packages and provider pricing belong on the dedicated training-cost page.
For applicants under 16, the required 50 supervised hours are separate from professional driver training. Use the practice-hours guide for the supervised-driving requirement rather than treating an optional lesson package as a substitute.
Yes, on the standard licensing path. Ages 16–17 do not have the general under-16 professional training requirement, but they still must meet the applicable permit holding period and other road-test requirements.
If an applicant under 16 uses the commercial-school route for the required Certificate of Training, the school must be NDDOT-approved. Department of Public Instruction programs use their own approved driver-education pathway.
Use the official approved-school list to verify a commercial provider.
Check the current NDDOT-approved driver training school list. Schools that participate in the road-test waiver program are identified there; do not assume every approved school offers the waiver route.
North Dakota uses training certificates for different purposes. Keep the distinction brief here: the normal under-16 training certificate supports licensing eligibility, while a qualifying course-completion certificate can support the separate road-test waiver path for eligible applicants. Detailed driver-education eligibility belongs on the Driver Ed Requirement page.
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