Justin Stoltzfus

North Dakota officials are hoping to play catch-up with other states when it comes to standards for licensing new drivers. A stricter graduated driver licensing bill will be debated in 2011 by state lawmakers.

All states have some kind of multistage graduated license program that helps new drivers ease into full driving privileges. But North Dakota is the only state that has just two graduated licensing stages; all other states have three, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.

The bill proposes the addition of an "intermediate" driver stage in North Dakota. The proposal is backed by the state's insurance commissioner, AAA North Dakota and the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

Current policy

North Dakota residents are eligible for a learner's permit at age 14. For the next year (or six months if they're 16), drivers are required to undergo 50 hours of supervised behind-the-wheel practice, according to the state's Insurance Department. At age 16, they then are eligible to take a road test to get a Class D license with full driving privileges and no restrictions.

Proposed new policy

The bill would add an extra intermediate stage following the road test. With an intermediate Class D license, new drivers would have a list of rules to follow for six to 12 months (depending on age) before they can get an unrestricted license.

The new intermediate stage rules for North Dakota would include the following, according to a December 2010 update from the state's Insurance Department.

  • No more than one teenage passenger (besides siblings, if driving to or from school).
  • No cell phone use except during emergencies.
  • No driving between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless supervised (with a few exceptions, including driving to work and school).

According to safety experts, North Dakota could use this change in policy. Other states with stricter graduated license programs have seen a 39 percent decrease in teen deaths, according to a AAA North Dakota figure cited in 2010 by the Insurance Department.

North Dakota's current standards are lenient compared with the progressive licensing programs of other states with higher populations. For example:

  • In New Jersey, the three-stage licensing process adds passenger restrictions and other limitations until the driver is 18 years old. According to graduated driver licensing law comparisons by the Governors Highway Safety Association, drivers without full license privileges even are required to display a decal showing they have not yet attained third-stage driver's license status.
  • In California, during a mandatory year-long intermediate period, drivers are not allowed to have passengers under age 20 (who are not related to the driver) without supervision. Driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. is restricted.

In North Dakota, car crashes accounted for 39 percent of teen deaths between 2001 and 2007, according to the state's Insurance Department. Nationally, young and inexperienced drivers have higher crash rates, reflected in their higher auto insurance premiums.