What Happens Immediately After the Accident
You were in an accident without insurance in North Dakota. The other driver filed a police report, and now the North Dakota Department of Transportation Driver License Division has your name. Within weeks, you will receive a notice of suspension. North Dakota law requires proof of financial responsibility at the time of any accident, and driving without insurance triggers an automatic administrative suspension process managed by the NDDOT Director.
The suspension does not wait for a court hearing. North Dakota Revised Code 39-16.1-09 gives the NDDOT Director authority to suspend your license administratively when you cannot prove you had coverage at the time of the accident. The state does not need a conviction. The accident report alone starts the clock. Your license will be suspended until you meet three requirements: pay the $50 reinstatement fee, file an SR-22 certificate of insurance, and maintain that SR-22 for one full year from the filing date.
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Get Your Free QuoteND License Reinstatement Fee
$50
North Dakota charges $50 to reinstate a license suspended for driving without insurance. This is the base administrative fee; it does not include the cost of obtaining SR-22 insurance or any fines from the accident itself.
NDDOT Driver License Division reinstatement fee schedule
The SR-22 Filing Requirement
North Dakota requires you to file an SR-22 certificate of insurance for one year after an uninsured-driving suspension. The SR-22 is not a type of insurance. It is a filing your insurance carrier submits to the NDDOT electronically, certifying that you carry at least the state minimum liability coverage: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 property damage. North Dakota also mandates personal injury protection and uninsured motorist coverage, so your policy must include those as well.
The SR-22 filing itself costs nothing from the state. North Dakota charges no separate SR-22 filing fee. The larger cost is the insurance premium itself. Not all carriers write SR-22 policies, and those that do often classify you as high-risk, which raises your rate. Carriers writing SR-22 in North Dakota include Geico, Progressive, State Farm, Farmers, National General, The General, USAA, Bristol West, and Allstate.
You must maintain continuous SR-22 coverage for the full one-year period. If your policy lapses or cancels for any reason, your carrier is required to notify the NDDOT electronically, and your license will be suspended again immediately. The one-year clock does not pause. If you lapse at month eight, you do not get credit for the first eight months. You start over with a new one-year filing period once you reinstate.
The SR-22 requirement begins the day you file, not the day of the accident or the day of suspension. If you wait three months after suspension to get insurance and file the SR-22, you still owe one full year from that filing date. Delaying the filing extends the total time before you are clear of the requirement.
Your license stays suspended until you file the SR-22 and pay the $50 fee. Driving on a suspended license adds a new violation and resets the entire compliance pathway.
How to Reinstate Your License
First, obtain an SR-22 insurance policy. Contact carriers that write SR-22 in North Dakota and request a quote for a policy that meets state minimums. You will need to purchase the policy and pay the first month's premium before the carrier can file the SR-22. Once the policy is active, the carrier submits the SR-22 certificate to the NDDOT electronically. Most carriers file within one business day, but confirm the filing timeline with your carrier before assuming your reinstatement is complete.
Second, pay the $50 reinstatement fee to the NDDOT Driver License Division. You can pay online, by mail, or in person at a driver license site. The fee is due before reinstatement, not after. Third, confirm that the NDDOT has received both the SR-22 filing and your payment. The state does not automatically notify you when reinstatement is complete. Call the Driver License Division or check your license status online to verify you are clear to drive. Only then is your license reinstated. You must maintain the SR-22 policy without lapse for one full year from the filing date.
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What Happens If You Ignore the Suspension
Driving on a suspended license in North Dakota is a separate criminal offense. The new violation adds points to your record and can trigger an extended suspension period. The NDDOT may also require you to complete additional reinstatement steps, including a driver improvement course or a hearing before the Director.
Ignoring the suspension does not make it go away. The one-year SR-22 requirement does not start until you file. If you wait two years to address the suspension, you still owe one full year of SR-22 filing from the date you finally comply. The longer you delay, the longer the total compliance period stretches. North Dakota does not offer a hardship or work license for uninsured-accident suspensions during the initial suspension period, so you cannot legally drive at all until you meet the reinstatement requirements.
SR-22 Filing Period
1 year
North Dakota requires SR-22 filing for one full year after an uninsured-accident suspension. The year begins the day your carrier files the certificate with the NDDOT, not the day of the accident or suspension notice. Any lapse in coverage resets the clock.
NDCC 39-16.1-09
Temporary Restricted License During SR-22 Period
North Dakota does offer a Temporary Restricted License (TRL, form SFN 2254) for certain suspensions, including uninsured-driving cases, but only after you have filed the SR-22 and paid the reinstatement fee. The TRL allows you to drive for specific purposes: employment during normal working hours, addiction treatment, school, or life-maintenance needs such as medical appointments or grocery shopping. You cannot use the TRL for recreational driving or unrestricted personal errands.
To apply for a TRL, you submit a written application on form SFN 2254 to the NDDOT Driver License Division. The Director reviews your case and may grant the restricted license for good cause. You must provide proof of financial responsibility (the SR-22 filing), employer or school verification, and any other documentation the Director requests. The TRL is not automatic. The Director has discretion to deny the application if your driving record or the circumstances of the suspension do not support restricted driving privileges. If granted, the TRL remains in effect during the SR-22 filing period, but you must still complete the full one-year SR-22 requirement before your unrestricted license is restored.
Compare SR-22 Carriers Before You File
Not all carriers charge the same rate for SR-22 policies. North Dakota has 19 carriers writing auto insurance in the state, and nine of them write SR-22 filings: Geico, Progressive, State Farm, Farmers, National General, The General, USAA, Bristol West, and Allstate. Rates vary widely based on your driving history, the vehicle you insure, and the carrier's underwriting guidelines for high-risk drivers. Some carriers specialize in non-standard auto insurance and may offer lower rates for drivers with suspensions or violations. Others write SR-22 but price it as a high-risk add-on to their standard policies.
Request quotes from at least three carriers before you buy. Confirm that each quote includes the state-required minimums: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, $25,000 property damage, personal injury protection, and uninsured motorist coverage. Ask each carrier how much they charge to file the SR-22 and how quickly they submit it to the NDDOT after you purchase the policy. Once you select a carrier and file the SR-22, you are locked into that policy for the full year. Switching carriers mid-year requires the new carrier to file a new SR-22, and any gap in coverage between policies will suspend your license again and reset the one-year clock. Choose carefully before you commit.