Required Car Insurance Coverage — North Dakota

Dark gray pickup truck with all-terrain tire in snow, showing front wheel and headlight detail
7/13/2026 · 7 min read · Published by Hardship License Insurance

What North Dakota Requires Before You Can Drive

North Dakota requires four separate insurance coverages before you can legally drive: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, $25,000 property damage, plus mandatory personal injury protection (PIP) and uninsured motorist coverage. Most states stop at liability. North Dakota does not.

If you're researching this because your license is suspended and you need SR-22 filing to reinstate, the coverage requirement doesn't change—but the carriers who will write it and the price you'll pay do. North Dakota requires SR-22 filers to carry the same four-coverage stack as clean-record drivers, filed with the NDDOT Driver License Division for the full filing period.

North Dakota requires liability, PIP, and uninsured motorist coverage—SR-22 filers cannot buy liability-only policies.

Compare car insurance rates in your state

Get quotes from licensed carriers — no obligation, no spam, results in minutes.

Get Your Free Quote
No Obligation Required Licensed Carriers Only Available Nationwide Free to Compare

North Dakota Liability Minimums

$25,000 / $50,000 / $25,000

North Dakota Century Code 39-16.1-09 sets these as the floor for bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident, and property damage liability. PIP and uninsured motorist coverage are mandatory on top of these limits.

NDCC 39-16.1-09

The Four-Coverage Stack Most Drivers Don't Expect

North Dakota is one of twelve no-fault states. That designation means you're required to carry personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, which pays your own medical bills and lost wages after a crash regardless of who caused it. The minimum PIP limit in North Dakota is $30,000 per person.

Uninsured motorist coverage is also mandatory. This pays your medical bills and vehicle damage when you're hit by a driver with no insurance or insufficient coverage. North Dakota requires uninsured motorist limits that match your liability limits—if you carry 25/50/25 liability, you must carry 25/50/25 uninsured motorist.

Most suspended drivers researching North Dakota requirements expect to buy liability only. The actual requirement is liability plus PIP plus uninsured motorist. That's four separate coverages priced into every quote. Carriers writing SR-22 policies price all four, not just the liability portion.

North Dakota's four-coverage mandate means SR-22 filers cannot buy liability-only policies—every quote includes PIP and uninsured motorist, raising the base premium before the SR-22 surcharge is applied.

SR-22 Filing Requirements for Suspended Drivers

Man in car at night with police lights in background, cinematic dramatic lighting
SR-22 is a certificate your insurance carrier files with the NDDOT Driver License Division proving you carry the required coverage. North Dakota requires SR-22 filing for DUI convictions, driving while suspended for 91+ days, revocations, unsatisfied judgments, and crashes where no insurance was in effect.

The SR-22 filing period in North Dakota is 1 year, measured from the date the NDDOT receives the electronic filing from your carrier. Most carriers file electronically within 1-3 business days of policy purchase. The filing fee is set by the carrier and typically ranges from $15 to $50 as a one-time charge.

North Dakota offers two SR-22 form variants: owner (for drivers who own a vehicle) and non-owner operator (for drivers without a vehicle who need to maintain legal driving status). Both forms require the same four-coverage stack. Non-owner SR-22 policies cover you when driving borrowed or rental vehicles but do not cover a vehicle you own or regularly use.

Which Carriers Write SR-22 in North Dakota

Not every carrier writes SR-22 policies, and not every carrier writing SR-22 will accept drivers with recent DUI convictions or multiple violations. In North Dakota, carriers confirmed to write SR-22 include State Farm, Geico, Progressive, Farmers, National General, The General, USAA (military-eligible only), Bristol West, and Root. Allstate and American Family write SR-22 but may decline drivers with DUI convictions depending on underwriting.

Carriers writing non-owner SR-22 policies in North Dakota include Geico, Progressive, Farmers, National General, The General, Travelers, Bristol West, and USAA. Non-owner policies are priced lower than owner policies because they exclude vehicle coverage, but they still include the mandatory PIP and uninsured motorist coverages North Dakota requires.

High-risk carriers like Bristol West, The General, and National General specialize in suspended-driver policies and typically accept applicants other carriers decline. Rates from these carriers run higher than standard-tier carriers but may be the only option for drivers with recent DUI convictions or multiple violations. Compare quotes from at least three carriers—rate spreads for SR-22 policies in North Dakota can exceed $100 per month between the highest and lowest quotes.

North Dakota High-Risk Premium Range

$149–$336/mo

Drivers with DUI convictions in North Dakota pay 31-87% more than clean-record drivers for the same coverage, according to ValuePenguin and Insurify 2026 state-specific rate analysis. Individual rates vary by driving history, vehicle, and carrier underwriting.

ValuePenguin + Insurify after-DUI by-state analysis, 2026

What Happens If Your SR-22 Lapses

If your insurance policy cancels or lapses during the SR-22 filing period, your carrier is required to notify the NDDOT electronically within 10 days. The NDDOT will suspend your driving privileges immediately upon receiving the lapse notice. Reinstatement after an SR-22 lapse requires purchasing a new policy, filing a new SR-22, paying a $50 reinstatement fee, and restarting the 1-year filing period from the new filing date.

North Dakota does not allow gaps in SR-22 coverage. If you switch carriers during the filing period, the new carrier must file an SR-22 before the old policy cancels. Most carriers allow a grace period of 1-3 days for payment, but that grace period does not prevent the lapse notice from being sent to the NDDOT. Set up automatic payments or payment reminders to avoid accidental lapses.

Compare Carriers Writing Your Situation

North Dakota's four-coverage requirement and SR-22 filing obligation create a coverage stack most aggregators don't price accurately. Carriers writing suspended drivers price the full stack—liability, PIP, uninsured motorist, and the SR-22 filing fee—into every quote. Compare quotes from carriers confirmed to write SR-22 in North Dakota, not generic aggregators that route suspended drivers to call centers. Request quotes for the exact coverage you're required to carry: 25/50/25 liability minimums, mandatory PIP, mandatory uninsured motorist, and SR-22 filing for the full 1-year period. Verify the quote includes all four coverages before committing.

Frequently Asked Questions