North Dakota Motorcycle Knowledge Test — FAQ

The North Dakota motorcycle (Class M) knowledge test is widely reported to have 25 multiple-choice questions. NDDOT does not publish an official count, so treat 25 as the consensus figure and study the whole manual; the questions come from the North Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual.

The widely used standard is 20 of 25 correct, or 80%. Because NDDOT does not publish the exact figures, aim to answer every question confidently rather than counting on a narrow margin.

Yes. North Dakota law requires you to have a Class M permit or license in your possession to operate a two- or three-wheeled motorcycle. Riding without one results in a $20 fine and a four-point assessment on your driving record.

First pass the Class M knowledge test to get a Class M permit, then pass an on-cycle skill test before the Class M license is issued. You may not operate a motorcycle until you receive the permit, and you furnish your own motorcycle for the skill test.

If you do not already hold a valid Class A, B, C, or D North Dakota operator's license, you must pass the Class D Noncommercial knowledge test and get a Class D permit before you can take the Class M knowledge test.

Yes. The on-cycle skill test may be waived if you successfully completed, within the last one year, a motorcycle safety course approved by the director. You must present the actual completion card. The knowledge test is not waived this way.

Anyone operating a motorcycle on a learner's permit may not drive after dark and may not carry passengers.

Yes, with limits. Fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds may operate only a motorcycle with a 510 cc engine or less, must be enrolled in or have completed an approved motorcycle safety course, and must hold the initial learner's permit at least two months before taking the on-cycle skill test.

North Dakota requires a helmet that meets U.S. Department of Transportation standards for every operator and passenger under the age of 18. Riders 18 and older are not required to wear one - but if the operator must wear a helmet, then any passenger, regardless of age, must also wear one.

North Dakota law does not separately require eye or face protection. The manual strongly recommends a face shield or goggles, and warns that a windshield is not a substitute for either and that most windshields will not protect your eyes from the wind.

An adult rider is legally under the influence at an alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more. For riders under age 21, the limit is 0.02 percent. The manual stresses that impairment of judgment and skill begins well below the legal limit.

By being licensed to drive in North Dakota, you have already consented to a chemical test of your blood, breath, urine, or saliva for alcohol or drugs. Refusing the test results in your license being revoked for 180 days to three years.

Yes. The Class M knowledge test is offered in English and Spanish. Audio testing is available at the Fargo, Jamestown, Bismarck, Dickinson, Williston, Minot, Devils Lake, and Grand Forks driver license offices.

The front brake is the more powerful brake and can provide at least 70 percent of your total stopping power. Always use both brakes together every time you slow or stop, squeezing the front lever firmly rather than grabbing it.

Keep at least a three-second following distance behind the vehicle ahead. Open it up to four seconds or more when the pavement is slippery, you cannot see past the vehicle ahead, or traffic is heavy.

The best way to help others see you is to keep your headlight on at all times; a motorcycle with its light on is twice as likely to be noticed in the daytime. Use low beam at night and in fog.

You must immediately report a crash to local police, the sheriff, or the State Highway Patrol if it results in combined damage of $4,000 or more, or in personal injury or death.

North Dakota uses the Rider Skill Test - basic vehicle-control and hazard-response exercises. For two-wheeled motorcycles the cone-weave cones are 12 feet apart, and the U-turn box is 20 feet wide for motorcycles under 600 cc and 24 feet wide for 600 cc or more. Skill tests are not conducted in inclement weather.