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North Dakota Department of Transportation (driver license): Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
No published rule: North Dakota DOT says nothing on translating license or identity documents, so ask a driver license site before you order.
Who may translate: No published rule
How we know · policy checked on October 31, 2026
North Dakota DOT publishes no rule on translations of license or identity documents: its page for drivers from other nations, its REAL ID list and its 2025 driver manual do not mention them.
That does not mean it refuses or accepts a translation, only that it has not said, so call 1-855-633-6835 or ask a driver license site before you order.
A foreign license holder who becomes a resident surrenders that license and takes the vision, knowledge and road tests.
North Dakota DOT at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? No published rule
North Dakota DOT publishes no rule, so nothing says whether it takes a translation from a professional service, eVerbary included (drivers from other nations, REAL ID list). Ask a driver license site before you order. Policy checked on October 31, 2026.
- Translation
- No published rule
- Who may translate
- No published rule
- Foreign license
- Foreign license surrendered; knowledge and road tests
Checked on October 31, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on North Dakota DOT's own page before you submit.
Worth knowing about North Dakota DOT
No translation rule
Nothing published for a foreign license, passport or marriage certificate.
Foreign license is surrendered
New residents give it up and take the knowledge and road tests.
14 test languages
The Class D knowledge test has 14 languages; road tests are in English only.
North Dakota DOT requirements in detail
Translation
No rule on the page for drivers from other nations, the REAL ID list or the 2025 manual.
Who may translate
No published rule and no translator list (Drivers from other nations).
Foreign license, visitors
At 16 or older, with a valid license from your home country in your immediate possession, you may drive in North Dakota (Drivers from other nations).
Foreign license, new residents
You count as a resident after 90 days, unless you are a nonresident student, tourist or member of the armed forces, and have 60 days from then to get a license. You surrender all other licenses (Drivers from other nations).
Tests
Vision screening and the noncommercial knowledge test, then a road test if you are over 18. Fees: $5 per knowledge attempt, $5 road test (Drivers from other nations).
Exchange by country
The page names no exchange agreement. Its fee list includes $15 for the transfer of a Canadian license (Drivers from other nations).
Test languages
Class D knowledge test: English, Chinese, French, Spanish, Serbo-Croatian, Russian, Vietnamese, Arabic, Somali, Nepali, Turkish, Swahili, Dari and Pashto. Road and commercial tests are in English only (Drivers from other nations).
International Driving Permit
North Dakota DOT says an IDP is not a driver license but a translation of one (Drivers from other nations). AAA and AATA issue IDPs to holders of a valid US license, for travel abroad (International Driving Permit (IDP)).
Where translation comes up on North Dakota's pages
The word appears in two places, and neither is a document rule.
The page for drivers from other nations describes an International Driving Permit as a translation of your license, and the state's sites carry a notice about automatic Google translation of web pages.
The manual adds that interpretation for general business is provided for people with limited English proficiency (Noncommercial Driver License Manual, revised 2025); that is help at the counter, not a rule on translated papers.
The identity list takes a valid, unexpired foreign passport with an I-94 and a valid, unexpired US visa for REAL ID, and only originals or certified copies (REAL ID information and required documents).
A name change is shown with a certified, government-issued marriage certificate, a certified adoption document or a certified court order with its seal.
The list does not say what happens when one of those is in another language, so that is the question to ask.
Moving to North Dakota with a license from abroad
You apply in person, as a resident, with proof of identity and lawful presence, a Social Security number and your North Dakota address.
You surrender all licenses from other states or countries, pass a vision screening and the knowledge test, and if you are over 18 book a road test (Drivers from other nations).
Applicants under 18 follow the learner's permit requirements, and a sponsor signs for financial liability.
All business at the driver license sites is by appointment, with no walk-ins. Road tests run in Bismarck, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Minot and Williston (Driver license sites). Commercial applicants must read, write and speak English (Drivers from other nations).
Documents people usually translate
- Foreign passport, shown with an I-94 and US visa (no translation rule published)
- Foreign license, surrendered when you apply (no translation rule published)
- Marriage certificate, adoption document or court order for a name change (no translation rule published)
What to do in North Dakota
Call North Dakota DOT at 1-855-633-6835, or book through the driver license sites page, and ask whether your document in another language needs a translation and of what kind.
Check your identity document against the REAL ID list: originals or certified copies only, no photocopies.
Read the steps for drivers from other nations and bring the license you will surrender.
What we do not do
eVerbary translates documents; it is not the DMV and does not issue licenses, International Driving Permits or REAL ID decisions. For North Dakota DOT we do not issue licenses or International Driving Permits, and we do not get records from abroad.
Need a certified translation for another office?
A certified translation from eVerbary is still useful for a different office, such as USCIS or a court, which sets its own rules; see certified translation.
Frequently asked questions
Does North Dakota accept a translated foreign driver's license?
North Dakota DOT publishes no rule either way (Drivers from other nations). Ask a driver license site, at 1-855-633-6835, before you order a translation.
Can I drive in North Dakota on my foreign license?
Yes, at 16 or older with a valid license from your home country in your immediate possession (Drivers from other nations).
Is an International Driving Permit enough to get a North Dakota license?
The state says an IDP is not a driver license but a translation of one (Drivers from other nations). It lists no role for an IDP in the application.
Which tests do I take with a foreign license?
The vision screening, the noncommercial knowledge test and, if you are over 18, the road test (Drivers from other nations).
What languages is the test in?
The Class D knowledge test comes in 14 languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Somali and Nepali. Road tests are in English only, and so are commercial tests, by federal regulation (Drivers from other nations).
Can I use a foreign passport as identification?
Yes, a valid, unexpired foreign passport with an I-94 and a valid, unexpired US visa; originals or certified copies only (REAL ID information and required documents). The list has no translation rule for it.
Sources
North Dakota Department of Transportation (driver license)'s own pages, read on October 31, 2026.
Need a certified translation for another office?
A certified translation from eVerbary is still useful for a different office, such as USCIS or a court, which sets its own rules; see certified translation.