NDDOT-approved defensive driving courses in North Dakota: all 21 compared
By Road Ready Safety · Last reviewed by Road Ready Safety, against the Century Code and NDDOT's pages
Short answer
NDDOT's points page lists 21 approved defensive driving courses. On October 5, 2026, the online-only providers charged $5 to $39.95 and the North Dakota Safety Council $45 to $95. Most that state a length say 4 hours, and NDDOT sets no minimum. Any approved course takes 3 points off once every 12 months.
- Courses on NDDOT's list
- 21 (October 5, 2026)
- Online-only providers
- $5 to $39.95
- NDDOT minimum hours
- None stated
- Points off
- 3, once every 12 months
- Our course
- $24.99, 4 hours, NDDOT-approved
Which defensive driving courses does NDDOT approve?
Twenty-one, as of October 5, 2026. NDDOT lists them under "Defensive Driving Courses" on its points reduction page and introduces them as "Approved online courses for up to a 3 point reduction" that "can be taken once every 12 months." The page carries no date and no phone numbers. Each provider's name is a link to its site.
Our course is NDDOT-approved and costs $24.99 for 4 hours online, but NDDOT's public list has not yet been updated to show it, so it isn't in the table below.
All 21 courses, in NDDOT's order
Prices, hours and format are from each provider's own North Dakota page, checked October 5, 2026. "Not stated" means the page didn't give that number when we looked.
| # | Provider (as NDDOT names it) | Price | Hours | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0-Point Defensive Driving by Defensive Driving Institute | $18.95 | 4 to 6 | Online |
| 2 | #01-1stDrive | $19.19 | Not stated | Online |
| 3 | #1 Defensive Driving Course | $24.98 | Not stated | Online |
| 4 | 1 Stop Defensive Driving | $19.95 | Not stated | Online |
| 5 | 4 Hour Point Reduction Course by DriveSafeToday | $24.95 | 4 | Online |
| 6 | 5 Dollar Traffic School | $5 | 4, no timers | Online |
| 7 | AAA ND Roadwise Driver | Not stated | Not stated | Online |
| 8 | AARP Driver Safety Program | $27 members, $30 others | 4 | Online |
| 9 | Alive at 25 | Not stated | 4 or 4.5 | Classroom or live online |
| 10 | DriveSafe Online Defensive Driving Course | $24.95 | 4 | Online |
| 11 | Driving School of America | $19.95 | About 4 | Online |
| 12 | Driving University | $29.95 | Not stated | Online |
| 13 | NSC | $24.95 | Not stated | Online |
| 14 | National Traffic Safety Institute (Safe New Attitude Program) | $39.95 | 4 | Online |
| 15 | North Dakota Safety Council | $45 to $95 | 4 or 5 | Classroom, live online or online |
| 16 | North Dakota Driver Safety Program (Traffic Safety Consultants) | $35.00 | At least 4 | Online |
| 17 | Pass Fast With AI | $25.00 | 4 | Online |
| 18 | Safe2Drive | $27.95 | 4 | Online |
| 19 | Safe Streets Academy | $30 | 4 | Online |
| 20 | T.H.I.N.K. Defensive Driving by TrainND Northwest | Not stated | Not stated | Classroom, Williston |
| 21 | Traffic School Online | $29.97 | Not stated | Online |
A few rows need a note.
- NSC: NDDOT links NSC's home page. The $24.95 is NSC's North Dakota course sold through State Farm. Neither page says whether that is the course NDDOT means.
- AAA: the price appears only after you start the sign-up.
- Alive at 25: NDSC runs it as a 4-hour classroom course or a 4.5-hour distance learning course. NDSC's Alive at 25 page gives no price.
- National Traffic Safety Institute: its page says you need "special permission from a court, employer, or insurance company" to use its programs.
- TrainND Northwest: classroom only, in Williston. Its listing showed "No classes found" on October 5.
- North Dakota Safety Council prices depend on the course and who is paying:
| NDSC course | Member | Non-member | Court or DOT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-hour classroom | $60 | $65 | $85 |
| 4-hour live distance learning | $75 | $80 | $95 |
| 5-hour self-paced online | $49 | $59 | $80 |
How many hours does an NDDOT course have to be?
NDDOT doesn't set a number. Its points page states no minimum, and neither does its Driver Refresher Courses page. NDCC 39-06.1-13 only requires "a driver training course approved by the director." The one hour figure on NDDOT's list is part of a provider's name.
Most providers that state a length say 4 hours. Several don't state one at all.
Is there a 5-hour course?
Yes, one. The North Dakota Safety Council sells a 5-hour self-paced online course at $49 to $80. That is NDSC's product, not an NDDOT category. NDDOT takes off 3 points either way.
NDSC's online page warns that most courts "mandate classroom attendance" for students a court has ordered to take a course. If a judge ordered yours, ask that court which formats it accepts before you pay.
Is there an 8-hour course?
Not on NDDOT's list. North Dakota doesn't require 8 hours for point reduction, and no listed provider sells an 8-hour course as its NDDOT course. People search for one because other states require 8 hours for some courses. If a court or an employer told you 8 hours, that is their requirement, so ask them which course they accept.
What is the insurance list?
A different list, kept by a different agency. NDCC 26.1-25-04.1 requires insurers to reduce premiums for at least two years (three years for drivers 55 and older) after an accident prevention course "approved by the superintendent of the state highway patrol." The statute sets no percentage.
The Highway Patrol publishes online and classroom lists, approved through August 31, 2027 unless noted. Some providers are on both lists. Nine on NDDOT's list are not on the Highway Patrol's, and six on the Highway Patrol's are not on NDDOT's. Ours is not on the Highway Patrol's list today, so don't buy it for an insurance premium reduction. More on insurance.
How do I pick one?
Every course on NDDOT's list does the same thing for your points: 3 off, once every 12 months, or up to 5 kept off a new ticket if you elected the course at court. So the choice comes down to a few practical questions.
- Price. The numbers above are what each provider said on October 5. Check for add-ons before you pay.
- Points, insurance or both. For points, any NDDOT-approved course works. For an insurance premium reduction, pick one that is also on the Highway Patrol's list and ask your insurer first.
- Your deadline. If you elected the course when you posted bond, NDDOT must have your certificate within 30 days of telling the court (NDCC 39-06.1-10.1). A classroom date five weeks out won't fit. The 30-day deadline.
- Classroom or online. Classroom options on the list are NDSC in Bismarck, Fargo and Minot, and TrainND in Williston. Everything else is online.
Whichever you pick, you send the certificate to NDDOT yourself, by email to drs@nd.gov. How to send it.
Who shouldn't buy any course?
- A driver whose only ticket carries no points. Up to 10 mph over where the limit is 65 or less is 0 points, and so is up to 5 over where the limit is above 65 (NDCC 39-06.1-10).
- A driver with one point. It comes off by itself after three months without new points (NDCC 39-06.1-13).
- A driver with no points on the record. The 3 points come "solely from a point total accumulated before completion," so a course can't bank a credit.
- A driver who has already had 9 points taken off by courses in the current three-year period, which is the cap in 39-06.1-13.
- A driver who elected a course in lieu of points. That election "forfeits any point reduction option" under 39-06.1-13 (NDCC 39-06.1-10.1).
Last reviewed October 5, 2026 against NDCC chapter 39-06.1 and NDDOT's points reduction page.
This guide is part of North Dakota driver's license points: the point system and how to remove points. If you need the points off, North Dakota defensive driving course is 4 hours online for $24.99.
Quick answers
Is the North Dakota Safety Council course the only one NDDOT accepts?
No. NDSC is one of 21 providers on NDDOT's list. It is the only one on the list with classrooms in Bismarck, Fargo and Minot.
Does a $5 course take off the same points as a $40 one?
Yes. NDDOT doesn't grade courses. Any approved course takes 3 points off once every 12 months, and NDCC 39-06.1-13 caps the total at 9 points in three years.
Why isn't Road Ready Safety on NDDOT's list?
NDDOT approved our course on September 29, 2026, and its public web list hasn't been updated yet. The page has no date stamp, so there's no way to tell from the page when it was last changed.
Will NDDOT accept a course that isn't approved?
No. The reduction in NDCC 39-06.1-13 is for a course "approved by the director." A course sold as defensive driving but not approved by NDDOT won't change your points.
Does NDDOT's list show which courses also count for insurance?
No. NDDOT's list is for points only. The Highway Patrol keeps the insurance lists, and nine providers on NDDOT's list are not on them.
Sources
- NDDOT: Driver License Points Reduction and Points Schedule
- North Dakota Century Code 39-06.1-13: reduction of point total
- North Dakota Century Code 39-06.1-10.1: driver training course in lieu of points
- North Dakota Century Code 39-06.1-10: point schedule and suspension
- NDDOT: Driver Refresher Courses
- North Dakota Century Code 26.1-25-04.1: premium reduction for accident prevention course
- North Dakota Highway Patrol: Insurance Premium Reduction Online Courses
- North Dakota Highway Patrol: Insurance Premium Reduction Classroom Courses
- North Dakota Safety Council: Defensive Driving Course Online
- North Dakota Safety Council: Defensive Driving Course 4-Hour
We read each source on October 5, 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. NDDOT applies any point reduction, and your court handles an election in lieu of points. See a mistake? Email info@roadreadysafety.com.
More North Dakota guides
- Is there a free defensive driving course in North Dakota?
- How long is the North Dakota defensive driving course?
- Does a defensive driving course lower your insurance in North Dakota?
- How to send your defensive driving certificate to NDDOT