Defensive Driving Course, Fargo ND: Courts

Which court has my Fargo ticket?

The one printed on the citation. For a Fargo police ticket that's usually Fargo Municipal Court, which hears "criminal and non-criminal violations of Fargo city ordinances," including traffic violations inside the city.

	Fargo Municipal Court	Cass County District Court
Address	207 4th St. N., Fargo, ND 58102	211 9th St. S., Fargo, ND 58103
Mail	Address on your citation	P.O. Box 2806, Fargo, ND 58108
Phone	701.241.1316	(701) 451-6900 (clerk)
Hours	Mon to Fri, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.	Mon to Fri, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The municipal court is on the second floor of the Fargo Civic Center. The city's page notes a temporary relocation effective August 31, so check it before you go. Cass County District Court is part of the East Central Judicial District. If your citation names it, that's where your bond and notice go.

How long do I have?

Fourteen calendar days. Fargo's non-criminal procedures page says "you have 14 calendar days to post this bond." To contest it instead, the city says to appear at 1:15 p.m. on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday within 14 days after the offense date. Court convenes at 1:30.

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

You tell the clerk in writing at the moment you post bond. Fargo's own pages don't describe the election, so 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 207 4th St. N., hand the notice to the clerk when you pay.
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.

What does the Fargo court say about points?

Very little. Its non-criminal procedures page sends anyone asking about "getting points reduced on your driving record by attending a Defensive Driving Course" to the North Dakota Drivers License Division at 701.328.2604. Points belong to NDDOT, not the city.

The court also takes payments online and by phone at 701.241.1316. Neither one gives you a way to hand the clerk a written notice, so if you want the course, don't use them until you've asked the clerk how to record the election.

Where can I take a classroom course in Fargo?

The North Dakota Safety Council, 4321 20th Ave. S., Suite 102, Fargo, ND 58103, (701) 223-6372 or 800-932-8890. NDSC teaches its 4-hour Defensive Driving Course and Alive at 25 there. On October 5, 2026, NDSC listed the 4-hour classroom course at $60 for members, $65 for non-members and $85 at the court or DOT rate. Pick a class date that 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?

Maybe not. Up to 10 mph over on a road posted 65 or less carries 0 points (NDCC 39-06.1-10), and a 1-point ticket drops off after three months without new points. Paying for a course to protect zero or one point is a poor trade.

Paying the ticket itself is covered in Fargo traffic ticket.

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

Quick answers

Can I elect the course over the phone with the Fargo court?

The state's self-help guide names two ways: written notice mailed in the same envelope as the citation, or handed to the clerk when you pay in person. Phone isn't one of them, so call 701.241.1316 before you pay if you want to try another way.

Where is the defensive driving class in Fargo?

The North Dakota Safety Council's Fargo office, 4321 20th Ave. S., Suite 102. Call (701) 223-6372 for dates.

Does the Fargo court send my certificate to NDDOT?

No. The clerk notifies NDDOT of your election, but the certificate is yours to send. Email it to drs@nd.gov within 30 days of telling the clerk.

My ticket says Cass County District Court. Does the election work the same way?

Yes. The state law and the self-help guide apply to every court. Send or hand your written notice to the clerk at 211 9th St. S. with the bond.

Who in Fargo answers questions about points?

Fargo's court refers point questions to the North Dakota Drivers License Division at 701.328.2604.

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