North Dakota requires at least $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 per accident and $25,000 of property damage liability (25/50/25), plus $30,000 of basic no-fault (PIP) coverage per person and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage at 25/50. All four are required, and the statute doesn’t give you a way to reject uninsured motorist coverage.
Driving without insurance is a noncriminal traffic offense under the current North Dakota Century Code, with a $150 fee for a first violation. The bigger costs come afterward: points on your license, a year or more of filed proof of insurance and, for a repeat offense, impounded plates.
Key Takeaways
- North Dakota requires 25/50/25 liability, $30,000 of basic no-fault benefits per person, and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage at $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.
- No-fault pays your own economic losses first, regardless of who caused the crash. You can sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering only if the injury meets the state’s “serious injury” threshold.
- Driving uninsured carries a $150 fee for a first violation and $300 for a second or later one within three years, plus 6 to 14 points on your license. Twelve or more points triggers a suspension.
- After a violation, you have to keep proof of coverage on file with the Department of Transportation. North Dakota doesn’t require an SR-22 form for this. Insurers can use the state’s own certificate, SFN 54148.
North Dakota Minimum Car Insurance at a Glance
| Coverage | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $25,000 per accident |
| Basic no-fault (PIP) | $30,000 per person for economic loss |
| Uninsured motorist | $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident (bodily injury) |
| Underinsured motorist | Required at limits equal to your uninsured motorist coverage |
| Collision and comprehensive | Not required by state law, though a lender or lease may require them |
The North Dakota Insurance Department (NDID) lists these minimums on its auto insurance page. The liability limits come from NDCC 39-16.1-11, and NDCC 39-08-20 makes it illegal to drive, or let someone drive your vehicle, without a valid liability policy in at least those amounts. RateFrog’s guide to liability limits explains what the three numbers mean.
Chapter 39-16.1 also allows a $25,000 cash or securities deposit certified by the Bank of North Dakota, and self-insurance for owners of more than 25 registered vehicles.
No-Fault (PIP) Coverage in North Dakota
North Dakota is a no-fault state. Under NDCC chapter 26.1-41, the owner of a vehicle that has to be registered in the state must keep security for basic no-fault benefits in place continuously. NDID notes that no-fault is also called personal injury protection, and that your own policy’s no-fault coverage pays first, regardless of fault. No right to reject or reduce basic no-fault appears in the statute.
Basic no-fault covers economic loss from an accidental injury, up to $30,000 per person per accident. That $30,000 is a total for all economic loss, not a separate medical limit, and some categories have their own caps:
- Work loss: 85% of lost income from work, up to $150 per week per person
- Funeral, cremation and burial: up to $3,500
- Replacement services (paying someone for tasks the injured person can’t do): up to $15 per day
- Survivors’ benefits for dependents after a death
Medical expenses are part of basic no-fault rather than a separate required coverage. Insurers also have to offer optional excess no-fault benefits if you want more than the basic amount. Ask your insurer which excess limits it sells. RateFrog’s guide to personal injury protection covers how PIP works in general.
When You Can Sue After a Crash
No-fault limits lawsuits. Under NDCC 26.1-41-08, a driver who has the required security can’t be held liable for your economic loss to the extent no-fault benefits paid or will pay it. They also can’t be held liable for noneconomic loss, such as pain and suffering, unless the injury is a “serious injury.”
The statute’s definition of serious injury includes medical expenses over $2,500, serious and permanent disfigurement, disability lasting beyond 60 days, dismemberment and death. These limits apply only when the injured person qualifies for basic no-fault benefits. If a crash may cross the threshold, read the full definition or ask a North Dakota attorney.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage in North Dakota
Under NDCC 26.1-40-15.2, no auto liability policy can be issued or renewed in North Dakota without uninsured motorist (UM) coverage at the 25/50 bodily injury limits. Insurers also have to make higher UM limits available, up to $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident. The statute covers bodily injury, sickness and disease. It doesn’t include uninsured motorist property damage.
Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage is required at limits equal to your UM coverage. A vehicle counts as underinsured when its bodily injury limit is less than your UIM limit, or when payments to other injured people have reduced it. The most UIM pays is the lower of two amounts: your UIM limit, or the damages you’ve established but haven’t recovered from the at-fault side through a settlement or judgment.
A few other rules matter if you file a UIM claim:
- Settling with the at-fault driver without your insurer’s written consent can cost you coverage if the settlement hurts the insurer’s rights. For UIM, there’s an exception: if you give your insurer written notice of a tentative settlement and it doesn’t advance you a matching payment within 30 days, the consent rule doesn’t apply.
- UM and UIM payments are reduced by workers’ compensation and by certain medical payments or no-fault amounts.
- Stacking isn’t allowed. You can’t add together UM or UIM limits from different vehicles, and the most you can collect is the highest limit on any one vehicle under one policy.
RateFrog’s guide to uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage explains these coverages in more detail.
Proof of Insurance in North Dakota
If an officer stops you, NDCC 39-08-20 requires you to show satisfactory evidence of the required policy when asked, and the law accepts written or electronic proof. Keep a current ID card in the car or in your insurer’s app. RateFrog’s guide to getting proof of insurance fast can help if you need one right away.
If You Can’t Show Proof at a Stop
Under NDCC 39-08-20, a person who shows the prosecutor a valid policy that was in effect at the time of the alleged violation can’t be found in violation. A policy bought after the fact doesn’t help, and the driver or owner has to show when the policy was acquired.
Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in North Dakota
Some websites still describe driving uninsured in North Dakota as a class B misdemeanor. That doesn’t match the current code. A no-insurance citation is handled as a noncriminal offense, and the penalties come in several layers.
The Fee
Under NDCC 39-06.1-06, the fee for driving without insurance is $150 for a first violation and $300 for a second or later violation within three years. A 2025 bill, HB 1294, produced the current fee wording. Driving uninsured isn’t on the list of offenses in NDCC 39-06.1-05 that are excluded from noncriminal handling. NDCC 39-08-20 sets no jail term for the base offense.
If you cause damage to someone else or their property while uninsured, NDCC 39-08-20.1 says the court must order you to pay at least the amount of the other person’s insurance deductible.
License Points and Suspension
North Dakota’s point system under NDCC 39-06.1-10 is where an uninsured ticket gets expensive:
- 6 points for a first violation
- 12 points if you had a prior violation within the 18 months before
- 14 points if the violation is discovered while investigating a crash and the driver owns the vehicle
A driving record showing 12 or more points triggers a license suspension. So a second violation within 18 months, or one found after a crash in your own car, can reach that level alone.
Proof on File and a License Notation
After a violation, NDCC 39-08-20 requires you to give the Department of Transportation a written or electronic certificate of liability insurance from an insurer authorized in North Dakota. The statute says this proof must be kept on file for one year. If you don’t provide it, the department suspends your driving privileges and won’t issue or renew your license until you do.
NDID’s auto insurance page says proof is required for three years after a conviction for driving without liability insurance. Because the statute and NDID’s page give different periods, ask the Department of Transportation’s Driver Record Services how long your filing must stay in place before you drop it.
You also have to surrender your license and buy a duplicate with an insurance notation. The duplicate costs $50, and removing the notation later costs another $50.
Repeat Offenses and Plates
For a second or later violation, the court must order the plates of the vehicle you owned and were driving at the time impounded until you show proof of insurance and pay a $20 court fee. Failing to turn the plates over to the court when required is a class B misdemeanor. That’s the only class B misdemeanor in NDCC 39-08-20.
RateFrog’s guide to what happens when insurance lapses covers the broader risks of a gap in coverage.
SR-22 Filings in North Dakota
For a no-insurance violation, North Dakota doesn’t require an SR-22 form. NDID says insurers can file the Department of Transportation’s Certificate of Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance (SFN 54148) instead. The certificate stays in effect until it’s canceled or terminated.
Other violations work differently. NDID says offenses such as a DUI, driving under suspension or refusing a chemical test lead to a license suspension or revocation, and the department then requires proof of future financial responsibility for one year. That proof can be liability insurance, a cash deposit equal to the damages if a crash was involved, or a $25,000 cash bond. For these cases, an insurer may file an SR-22, and NDID notes that it’s generally companies writing nonstandard (high-risk) auto insurance that offer it.
Under NDCC 39-16.1-19, the filing can generally be canceled once a year has passed since it was required, if you had no conviction serious enough to cause a revocation in the preceding year. A pending lawsuit, an unpaid judgment or a crash in the past year can block cancellation. RateFrog’s SR-22 guide explains how these filings work in general.
If You Can’t Find Coverage
The North Dakota Automobile Insurance Plan (NDAIP) is the state’s coverage source for drivers who can’t get insurance in the regular market. According to the plan’s page on AIPSO, you have to certify that you tried and failed to get North Dakota auto insurance within the past 60 days at rates no higher than the plan’s, and you need a valid driver’s license or eligibility through a filing.
Apply through a licensed North Dakota agent or broker. AIPSO lists the plan’s number as (888) 706-6100 and its private passenger line as 800-827-6370. If an insurer cancels you for a reason other than nonpayment, or doesn’t renew you, NDCC 26.1-40-06 requires it to tell you that you may be eligible for the plan.
How North Dakota Insurers Set Rates
Insurers can use credit information for personal auto policies, within limits set by NDCC chapter 26.1-25.1. An insurer can’t:
- Deny, cancel or nonrenew a policy solely on the basis of credit information
- Take an adverse action against you solely because you don’t have a credit card account
- Count a lack of credit information against you, unless it handles the missing information in an approved way, treats it as neutral or leaves it out in favor of other factors
Under NDCC 26.1-40-11, age, sex and marital status can affect your rate, but an insurer can’t decline or end your coverage based solely on them.
North Dakota requires a discount for completing an approved crash prevention course, and it isn’t limited to older drivers. Under NDCC 26.1-25-04.1, the reduction applies to the vehicle the course taker principally drives and lasts at least two years, or three years for drivers 55 and older. The law doesn’t set a percentage. The North Dakota Highway Patrol lists approved courses and suggests checking with your insurer before enrolling. RateFrog’s guide to the factors that affect car insurance rates covers the rest.
Cancellation and Nonrenewal Rules
Once a policy has been in effect for 60 days, or if it’s a renewal, NDCC 26.1-40-02 lets the insurer cancel only for listed reasons. These include nonpayment, fraud or material misrepresentation, and a license suspension or revocation for a named insured or a household driver during the policy period.
Under NDCC 26.1-40-03, the insurer has to give at least 20 days’ notice before a cancellation, or 10 days for nonpayment.
For a nonrenewal, NDCC 26.1-40-05 requires written notice at least 30 days before the policy expires. That notice isn’t required if the insurer offered to renew or you didn’t pay the premium. RateFrog’s guide to car insurance grace periods explains what usually happens when a payment is late.
Is North Dakota’s Minimum Coverage Enough?
The required package includes no-fault and UM and UIM, but the liability limits are modest. A serious crash can exceed $50,000 of injury claims, and $25,000 of property damage coverage may not pay for a newer vehicle. If a claim is more than your limits, you could owe the rest.
Higher limits cost more, so weigh what you could lose against the premium. Because UIM matches your UM limits, raising UM also raises your underinsured protection. RateFrog’s guide to how much car insurance you need can help you choose, and you can compare car insurance quotes at several coverage levels.
Where to Get Help
The North Dakota Insurance Department takes questions at (701) 328-2440 or insurance@nd.gov and accepts complaints through its complaints page. For license suspensions and insurance filings after a violation, NDID directs drivers to the Department of Transportation’s Driver Record Services. If you can’t find coverage, contact the North Dakota Automobile Insurance Plan at (888) 706-6100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is North Dakota a No-Fault State?
Yes. Every registered vehicle must carry $30,000 of basic no-fault benefits per person, which pays your own economic losses first, regardless of fault. Lawsuits for pain and suffering require a serious injury.
Can I Reject Uninsured Motorist Coverage in North Dakota?
The statute doesn’t provide a way to reject it. Every liability policy must include UM coverage at $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, and UIM at equal limits.
What Is the Fine for Driving Without Insurance in North Dakota?
Under the current code it’s a noncriminal offense with a $150 fee for a first violation and $300 for a second or later one within three years. Points and a proof filing come on top of the fee.
Do I Need an SR-22 After a No-Insurance Ticket in North Dakota?
Not by that name. You do have to keep proof of insurance on file with the Department of Transportation, and insurers can file it on the state’s SFN 54148 certificate. The statute says one year, while NDID’s page says three, so confirm the period with Driver Record Services.
Sources
- North Dakota Insurance Department: Auto Insurance
- North Dakota Insurance Department: Complaints
- NDDOT: SFN 54148 Certificate of Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance
- North Dakota Highway Patrol: Insurance Premium Reduction Courses
- NDCC Chapter 39-08 (including 39-08-20 and 39-08-20.1)
- NDCC Chapter 39-06.1 (including 39-06.1-05, -06 and -10)
- NDCC Chapter 39-16.1 (including 39-16.1-11 and -19)
- NDCC Chapter 26.1-40 (cancellation, nonrenewal, UM and UIM)
- NDCC Chapter 26.1-41 (no-fault)
- NDCC Chapter 26.1-25 (including 26.1-25-04.1)
- NDCC Chapter 26.1-25.1 (use of credit information)
- AIPSO: North Dakota Automobile Insurance Plan