Paying or Contesting a Traffic Ticket in North Dakota
How to pay, contest or reduce a traffic ticket in North Dakota, and what happens if you ignore it.
Short answer: Most traffic violations are noncriminal. A person may pay the statutory fee to the designated official at or before the hearing time, or post bond. N.D. Cent. Code §§ 39-06.1-02, 39-06.1-04
| Paying or fighting a ticket | Most traffic violations are noncriminal. A person may pay the statutory fee to the designated official at or before the hearing time, or post bond. If bond is posted by mail, it must be sent within 14 days of the citation, and the person marks on the citation whether a hearing is requested; if no hearing is requested within 14 days, the bond is forfeited and the violation is treated as admitted. If a hearing is requested, the court sends a summons with the hearing date. Not responding at all is treated as an admission, and failing to appear after promising to appear is a class B misdemeanor. |
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| Paying or looking up a ticket online | For a non-criminal traffic citation, pay the bond/fee on the citation within 14 days to the court in the county where it was issued, in person, by mail, or online through the court system's public search portal (State of North Dakota > Criminal/Traffic > find the case > "Make Payment"; Visa, MasterCard and Discover only). New citations can take up to 4 days to appear, and not every case can be paid online; if there is no "Make Payment" button, contact the clerk of court where the citation was issued. Paying means you admit the violation and waive a hearing; to contest, sign the request for hearing on the citation and return it with the bond to the court within 14 days. If you do not respond, you are deemed to have admitted the violation and your license may be suspended. Citation options: https://www.dot.nd.gov/driver/driver-record-services-and-suspensions/uniform-complaint-and-summons-information |
| Traffic school | A driver can have 3 points taken off the record by completing a driver training course approved by the Department and sending in the certificate. This can be used once in any 12-month period, only for points already on the record, and for no more than 9 points in a three-year period. It does not dismiss the ticket. If the record already has 12 or more points (6 or more for a minor), the reduction is applied after the suspension is served. Source: N.D. Cent. Code § 39-06.1-13(2) |
| License suspension | Main grounds include reaching 12 or more points (7 days at 12 points, plus 7 days for each point over 11), a DUI arrest with a test result at or over the legal limit (administrative suspension starting at 91 days), and refusing a chemical test (revocation starting at 180 days). Suspension rules for unpaid tickets and for driving without insurance, and reinstatement fees, were not confirmed from the pages read. |
Where to get help in North Dakota
More North Dakota traffic tickets & dui
- Reinstating a Driver's License in North Dakota
- DUI Laws in North Dakota
- How Driver Points Work in North Dakota
- All North Dakota traffic tickets & dui rules
FAQ
How do you pay or contest a traffic ticket in North Dakota?
Most traffic violations are noncriminal. A person may pay the statutory fee to the designated official at or before the hearing time, or post bond. If bond is posted by mail, it must be sent within 14 days of the citation, and the person marks on the citation whether a hearing is requested; if no hearing is requested within 14 days, the bond is forfeited and the violation is treated as admitted. If a hearing is requested, the court sends a summons with the hearing date. Not responding at all is treated as an admission, and failing to appear after promising to appear is a class B misdemeanor.
How do I pay or look up a traffic ticket online in North Dakota?
For a non-criminal traffic citation, pay the bond/fee on the citation within 14 days to the court in the county where it was issued, in person, by mail, or online through the court system's public search portal (State of North Dakota > Criminal/Traffic > find the case > "Make Payment"; Visa, MasterCard and Discover only). New citations can take up to 4 days to appear, and not every case can be paid online; if there is no "Make Payment" button, contact the clerk of court where the citation was issued. Paying means you admit the violation and waive a hearing; to contest, sign the request for hearing on the citation and return it with the bond to the court within 14 days. If you do not respond, you are deemed to have admitted the violation and your license may be suspended.
Can traffic school remove a ticket or points in North Dakota?
A driver can have 3 points taken off the record by completing a driver training course approved by the Department and sending in the certificate. This can be used once in any 12-month period, only for points already on the record, and for no more than 9 points in a three-year period. It does not dismiss the ticket. If the record already has 12 or more points (6 or more for a minor), the reduction is applied after the suspension is served.
What gets your license suspended in North Dakota?
Main grounds include reaching 12 or more points (7 days at 12 points, plus 7 days for each point over 11), a DUI arrest with a test result at or over the legal limit (administrative suspension starting at 91 days), and refusing a chemical test (revocation starting at 180 days).
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.