State service guide

North Dakota driving records: a limited online copy, a $3 complete abstract by mail, and fewer official record types than the benchmark suggests

North Dakota's current public materials present a simpler driver-record system than the benchmark does. NDDOT says the online request produces only a limited driving record, while a complete copy of the driving record must be requested with the Request for Driver Abstract form and a $3 fee. The state's FAQ explains the content difference: the limited record includes the current point total but not violations or convictions more than three years old or crash information, while the complete record includes the current point total, older violations and convictions, and crash information. The form adds the practical details that mailed record requests are returned from the Driver License Division, require check or money-order payment, and generally take 5 to 7 business days to process.

Open official source View North Dakota services
Online limitation North Dakota says the online request is a limited driving record only
Complete-record fee A complete copy of the driving record costs $3
Limited-record scope The limited record includes the current point total but does not include violations or convictions more than 3 years old or crash information
Mail processing time The Request for Driver Abstract form says mailed requests generally take 5 to 7 business days

Overview

What this page helps you verify

A good North Dakota driving-records page should start by correcting the benchmark's product menu. The official sources reviewed here do not present a public SFN-3137 process or a posted retail ladder of certified, complete, and CDL-specific record products with separate fees. They present a narrower split between a limited online record and a complete driver abstract requested through SFN 51386. A useful page should also keep the scope difference visible, because North Dakota's online copy is good for current points and more recent history, but the full abstract is what matters if you need older violations, convictions, or crash information.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-18. This page was manually upgraded against service-specific official sources, but requirements can still change quickly.

Usually needed

Documents and information to prepare

  • The subject driver's name, date of birth, and driver license number, because the abstract form asks for that identifying information
  • The subject driver's address and the requestor's name, mailing address, telephone number, and signature
  • A $3 check or money order payable to the Driver License Division for each complete-record request
  • Written consent from the subject driver if you are requesting another person's complete record on that basis
  • For the online limited record, the information needed to access North Dakota's online driver-record request system

Typical flow

What the process often looks like

  1. Decide first whether the limited online record is enough or whether you need the complete abstract with older violations, older convictions, and crash information.
  2. Use North Dakota's online request system if you only need the limited record and current point-total view.
  3. If you need the complete record, fill out the Request for Driver Abstract form, add the $3 fee, and mail it to the Driver License Division using the address on the form.
  4. If the record belongs to someone else, make sure the request fits one of the form's stated allowed purposes and include written consent when that is the basis for release.

Record types

North Dakota's real split is limited online versus complete abstract, not the benchmark's larger menu of public record products

This is the first correction a North Dakota driving-records page should make.

  • NDDOT says the online driving-record request is a limited driving record only.
  • The Driver Record Services and Suspensions FAQ says the limited record includes the current point total but not violations or convictions more than three years old or crash information.
  • That same FAQ says the complete record includes the current point total, violations and convictions more than three years old, and crash information.
  • The official pages reviewed here do not present a public certified-versus-noncertified or CDL-specific retail menu in the way the benchmark does.

How to request it

North Dakota keeps the complete abstract on the form-and-mail path, and the practical details are simple but important

The form matters more than generic MVR language here.

  • NDDOT says a complete copy of the driving record can only be obtained by submitting the Request for Driver Abstract form and the $3 fee to the Driver License Division.
  • The driver-license requirements page also says you can request the driving record online or by mailing the Request for Driver Abstract form with the fee.
  • The current form says record requests are mailed from the Driver License Division and asks users to allow 5 to 7 business days for processing.
  • The form says mailed complete-record requests should be paid by check or money order.

Other people's records

North Dakota does not frame another person's driving record as an open public search

The release basis needs to be stated on the form.

  • The Request for Driver Abstract form includes purpose categories such as commercial-driver employment, non-commercial employer review, government use, insurance use, parent access for a child under 18, and other explained uses.
  • The same form includes a written-consent section for requesting another person's complete driving record.
  • That means a good North Dakota page should separate your own record request from a purpose-based request for someone else's record instead of implying a casual public lookup.

Accuracy notes

Where people get tripped up

  • North Dakota driving-records content should not repeat the benchmark's SFN-3137, certified-record, lifetime-record, or CDL-specific retail framing unless an official North Dakota source directly supports it.
  • Keep the limited-versus-complete distinction visible, because North Dakota expressly says the online record is limited and omits older violations, older convictions, and crash information.
  • Use the current official $3 fee and Request for Driver Abstract form when describing the complete-record path.

FAQ

Common questions

  • Can I get my North Dakota driving record online?

    Yes, but North Dakota says the online request produces only a limited driving record.

  • What is the difference between a limited and a complete North Dakota driving record?

    NDDOT says the limited record includes the current point total but does not include violations or convictions more than three years old or crash information. The complete record includes the current point total, older violations and convictions, and crash information.

  • How much does a complete North Dakota driving record cost?

    North Dakota says the complete copy of the driving record costs $3 when requested with the Request for Driver Abstract form.

  • Can I request another person's North Dakota driving record?

    Not as a casual public search. North Dakota's abstract form uses stated purpose categories for another person's record and includes a written-consent section when the request depends on the subject driver's authorization.

Sources

Official references used for this page

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