Defensive Driving Course, Bismarck ND: Courts

Which court has my Bismarck ticket?

The one named on the citation, and in Bismarck both possibilities are in the same building. Bismarck City Municipal Court and the Burleigh County District Court clerk are both at 514 E. Thayer Ave., Bismarck, ND 58501.

	Municipal Court	Burleigh County District Court
Phone	701-355-1350	(701) 222-6690 ext. 1 (clerk)
Hours	Window 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; office to 5 p.m.	8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hears	City ordinance cases	South Central Judicial District cases

The municipal court hears "criminal and non-criminal violations of city ordinances," including traffic violations. If your citation names the district court instead, your bond and notice go to that clerk. Same address, different clerk, so take your notice to the right window.

How long do I have?

Fourteen calendar days. The city says the bond is "paid in full by check, cash or money order" within that time. Signing the citation isn't an admission; the city's page says "Your signature is NOT an admission of guilt." Posting the bond is a different matter, covered below.

Municipal court sits Monday and Wednesday, with arraignments from 8 to 9 a.m. and court trials at 10 a.m.

Can the Bismarck judge take the points off?

No. The city's FAQ puts it plainly: "Can the Judge reduce points on a traffic ticket?" The answer given is "No, all points are handled through Drivers License Division 701-328-2604." The court's procedures page adds that it "has no authority regarding drivers' licenses or points."

What keeps the points off is your own election under state law, made through the clerk.

How do I elect the course in lieu of points in Bismarck?

Neither court's pages in Bismarck describe the election. The steps come from state law and the state courts' self-help guide.

Check that the ticket qualifies. It must be a non-criminal violation worth 5 points or fewer, and you can't have made this election in the 12 months before the citation (NDCC 39-06.1-10.1). Which tickets qualify.
Don't pay online. The state courts' payment page says: "STOP! DO NOT MAKE A PAYMENT if you are requesting a hearing for a traffic case" or "have questions regarding taking a defensive driving course." The state's guide describes no online way to make the election.
Write a short notice saying you elect a driver training course in lieu of points. The ND Legal Self Help Center guide has a notice form on its last page.
Within 14 days of the citation, post the bond and give the clerk the notice at the same time. If you pay by mail, put the notice in the same envelope as the citation. If you pay in person at 514 E. Thayer Ave., hand it to the clerk at the window when you pay by check, cash or money order.
The clerk notifies NDDOT. You finish an NDDOT-approved course and get the certificate to NDDOT within 30 days of notifying the clerk. Email it to drs@nd.gov. The guide is blunt about this: the clerk and the course instructor "aren't responsible for submitting your certificate to the NDDOT."

Posting the bond admits the violation, and the bond is forfeited even though you elect the course. If you don't finish, you lose the course fee and the points go on your record. Electing also gives up the separate 3-point reduction under 39-06.1-13. How the election works.

Bismarck's online payment guide walks you through paying on NDCourts.gov, and the city also lists a Paymentus link. Paying either way leaves no written notice with the clerk.

Where can I take a classroom course in Bismarck?

At the North Dakota Safety Council's headquarters, 1710 Canary Avenue, Suite A, Bismarck, ND 58501. NDSC teaches its 4-hour Defensive Driving Course and Alive at 25 there. On October 5, 2026, the 4-hour classroom course was $60 for members, $65 for non-members and $85 at the court or DOT rate. Check that the class date leaves time to get the certificate to NDDOT inside your 30 days.

Can I take it online instead?

Yes. Apart from NDSC and TrainND in Williston, every course on NDDOT's list is online. All 21 compared.

Ours is 4 hours, $24.99 with the certificate included, and works on a phone. The certificate is ready to download when you pass the 25-question quiz (18 correct passes, unlimited free retakes). It's NDDOT-approved; NDDOT's public list hasn't been updated to show it yet. Start the course.

Do I need a course for this ticket?

Not always. A ticket up to 10 over on a road posted 65 or less is 0 points (NDCC 39-06.1-10), and a single point comes off after three months without new points. A course doesn't buy you anything there.

How to pay or contest is in Bismarck traffic ticket.

Last reviewed October 5, 2026 against NDCC chapter 39-06.1 and NDDOT's points reduction page.

Quick answers

Can I ask the Bismarck judge to waive the points?

No. The city's FAQ says the judge can't reduce points and that all points are handled by the Drivers License Division at 701-328-2604. The course election is the route.

Which window do I take my election notice to in Bismarck?

The clerk for the court named on your citation. Both courts are at 514 E. Thayer Ave.: municipal court for city tickets, the Burleigh County District Court clerk for the rest.

Can I pay the Bismarck bond by card if I'm electing the course?

The city's procedures page says the bond is paid by check, cash or money order. Online card payment is separate and leaves no written notice with the clerk, so don't use it if you want the course.

Where is the classroom defensive driving course in Bismarck?

At the North Dakota Safety Council headquarters, 1710 Canary Avenue, Suite A. It runs the 4-hour course and Alive at 25 there.

Defensive driving course in Bismarck, ND: classroom, online, and how to elect it at court