Whether you are taking your out-of-town visitors on a tour of the local sites or just traveling back and forth to work, there is always the chance that you will be pulled over by a state trooper or cited for a moving violation. When that happens, the infraction is duly noted by the state of North Dakota, where it will eventually make its way to your official driving record.
Your Driving Record Is Important
If you think your North Dakota driving record does not have an impact on your life, think again. If you have ever applied for car insurance in North Dakota, you can be sure the insurance company has pulled a copy of your driving history and used it to set your rates and determine your eligibility for coverage. If the insurer does not like what the driving record says, you could be turned down for car insurance. Your driving record can also play a role in your job hunt, especially if the position you are seeking involves the use of a company vehicle. Companies are very careful about who they allow to operate their equipment. If your driving history paints a less than flattering picture, you could miss out on the job and the money it would bring you.
New Residents
If you have just moved to North Dakota, the department of motor vehicles will probably not have much information on you. Even so, it is a good idea to check out your driving history to make sure there are no inaccuracies. We all know that everyone who works for the state is perfect and that their data entry is flawless, but you never know when lightning will strike and cause a keying error. Checking out your record now can save you a lot of trouble later on.
Getting a Copy of Your North Dakota Driving Record
Whether you have just moved to North Dakota or have called the state your home for many years, it is important to know how to get a copy of your driving record and driving history. You should request a new copy of your driving record every time you experience an infraction or get a speeding ticket. This will help ensure that the information reported to the state is accurate, and that you are not being charged more than you should be.
Where to Go
You can obtain a copy of your official North Dakota driving record by going in person to any of these North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) offices. Once there you will need to fill out a form that includes basic information like your full name, date of birth, drivers license number and so on. One you provide that basic information and pay a small fee, you can get a copy of your driving record to review.
Check it Carefully
The driving record you receive from the North Dakota Department of Transportation will include a wealth of useful information for you as well as any other authorized users. If you were in an accident, you should see details of that crash on your official driving record. The details may include things like who was at fault, if there were any injuries and what factors contributed to the crash. Your official NDDOT driving record will also include information about any moving violations you were cited for, including speeding, running red lights, going through stop signs and so on. If you find any infractions or accidents that do not belong to you, it is important to let NDDOT know right away so the record can be corrected. The official driving record maintained by the state of North Dakota is assumed to be correct unless you can prove otherwise, so you need to check the document very carefully.
What is Included on Your Driving Record
It is important for every North Dakota resident to get a copy of his or her driving record, but it is just as important for those drivers to know what the record says and what information it contains. Not every infraction will show up on your driving record; if you get a parking ticket you will not find that information there. On the other hand, your driving record will include information on any license suspensions you may have received. The driving record will also include information on any special endorsements you have received, like a CDL or motorcycle license or permission to drive a school bus. In addition to that information, the driving record will contain vital statistics, like your age and date of birth, hair color, eye color and height. This helps to identify you and serves as a barrier to fraud, so it is really for your protection.
Keep Tabs on Your Driving
It is not a bad idea to check your official NDDOT driving record from time to time, even if you experience no speeding tickets or accidents. Keeping a close eye on your driving record can help you avoid problems down the road. A mistake on your official NDDOT driving record could cost you a lot of money in terms of insurance, lost job opportunities and other factors. Knowing what it says and correcting any errors allows you to stay one step ahead of the bureaucrats.
North Dakota Driving Record Points System
To help you ensure that information on your driving record is accurate, it’s important to be familiar with the North Dakota driving record points system.
In North Dakota, traffic tickets stay on your ND driving record as points. And, if you accumulate 12 points or more, the NDDOT may suspend your driving privileges for 7 days for every 1 point you have over 11 points on your record.
So for example, if you get 14 points on your record, you got 3 days over 11 points so your license is going to be suspended for 21 days.
Your license can also be suspended automatically if you get a ticket for a serious offense like Driving Under Influence (DUI).
Meanwhile, NDDOT automatically removes 1 point from your record for every 3 months that you were able to keep your record clean. So there’s plenty of opportunities to remove points.
Another option that you have is to complete a DOT-approved Driver Improvement course to EITHER remove 3 points from your record or prevent it from being recorded in the first place.
Just remember that this course can only be taken for point reduction or point waiver once every 12 months. And, your violation should only be 5 points or less to be eligible for point waiver. Also, you cannot take it for a combined point reduction and waiver.
What’s great is that you can take this course in person or online. For more convenience and affordable options, we recommend taking it online.
If you’d like to take the Driver Improvement course from an online traffic school, we can recommend iDriveSafely. This school offers an NDDOT-approved defensive driving course that provides options for text-based or video-based learning. You can choose which one suits your learning style. Video-based learning is a little pricier, but still more affordable than taking an in-person class.