North Dakota Motorcycle Safety Course
Verified against North Dakota Motorcycle Safety Program ·
Compiled and verified against primary state DMV/DPS/BMV sources by GetMotorcycleLicense Research Team — cite-or-deny, with no invented figures. How we source & verify →
In North Dakota, riders under 16 must complete a motorcycle safety course before they can get the license. This page covers who runs the course, what it costs, how long it takes, and exactly which tests completing it can waive.
North Dakota's motorcycle safety course requirements — including a course fee of $125 and completion waiving the state skills test if within 12 months — are verified against North Dakota Motorcycle Safety Program (see North Dakota DOT — Motorcycle License), current as of 2026-07-28.
North Dakota Motorcycle Safety Course at a Glance
| Program | North Dakota Motorcycle Safety Program |
|---|---|
| Who runs it | ABATE of North Dakota, a nonprofit motorcyclists' association, which NDDOT's own motorcycle-license page directs applicants to for training reference material |
| Delivery model | One statewide contractorA single contractor holds the statewide training contract. |
| Typical cost | $125 |
| Course length | 11 hours |
| Mandatory under age | Yes, under 16 |
| Waives the riding skills test | Yes, if within 12 months |
| Waives the knowledge test | No |
The Basic Rider Course runs approximately 11 hours of on-cycle range instruction over two days, in addition to a mandatory 4-to-5-hour online classroom component that must be completed before the rider arrives for the range days. NDMSP also offers an Experienced Rider Course (ERC).
NDDOT's motorcycle-license page states that anyone under 16 must provide proof of enrolment in a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course before testing, using either an internet confirmation printout or a completion card. NDMSP's own BRC page sets a flat $125 registration fee, non-refundable and non-transferable, and states the course is delivered by Motorcycle Safety Foundation nationally certified RiderCoaches using motorcycles the program supplies. NDMSP operates as the North Dakota Motorcycle Safety Program 'c/o ABATE of North Dakota' at the same Bismarck address as ABATE of North Dakota, the state's motorcyclists' rights and safety association.
What North Dakota’s course covers
North Dakota teaches the Basic RiderCourse (BRC), developed by Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Full detail here.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Basic RiderCourse is designed for beginning riders aged 16 and up, pairing about five hours of classroom or online learning with about ten hours of on-motorcycle training, and it ends in a written knowledge test and a rider skills test.
How North Dakota differs: The Basic Rider Course runs approximately 11 hours of on-cycle range instruction over two days, in addition to a mandatory 4-to-5-hour online classroom component that must be completed before the rider arrives for the range days. NDMSP also offers an Experienced Rider Course (ERC).
Once you complete the course, see license requirements in North Dakota.
Source Notes
Where a source is stale, conflicting, or required a judgment call, we document it here rather than presenting a single confident-sounding number. See our methodology for how these calls are made.
- Permit, license and fee facts come from the North Dakota Department of Transportation. Helmet rules come from the North Dakota Century Code. Training facts come from the North Dakota Motorcycle Safety Program, the site NDDOT's own motorcycle-license page directs riders to for training reference material.
- North Dakota's helmet law does not simply exempt every rider 18 or older. A passenger of any age must wear a helmet if the motorcycle's operator is under 18; only when both the operator and the passenger are 18 or older is the passenger exempt.
- The North Dakota Motorcycle Safety Program is administered by ABATE of North Dakota, a nonprofit motorcyclists' association, rather than a state agency directly; this record could not independently confirm the program's funding or contractual relationship with the state beyond NDDOT's own reliance on its completion cards.
Sources
Data last verified: 2026-07-28 (verified by: agent) | Source: North Dakota DOT — Motorcycle License