Why Do Almost 64,000 North Dakota Drivers With Suspended Licenses Keep Getting Behind The Wheel Anyway?

However, some lawyers argue that the Department of Transportation (DOT), minimal risk, and the need to drive to work in rural areas have all contributed to a cycle of repeated violations, despite the state's claims to the contrary.

FARGO — The North Dakota Department of Transportation reports that over 64,000 North Dakota residents have had their licenses suspended.

According to the North Dakota Supreme Court, between 2018 and 2021, prosecutors in the state filed 25,520 cases of driving with a license suspended or revoked. North Dakota reportedly has the highest rate of suspended drivers in the US at 7.1%, according to a 2019 report by Insurify, an insurance firm based in Massachusetts.

North Dakota Highway Patrol Sergeant Wade Kadrmas admitted, "It's very uncommon for us to see someone under suspension or revocation," adding that when they do, they will issue a citation for the infraction.
According to Fargo criminal defense attorney Richard Edinger, hundreds of people in the area drive without a license because many find the risk worthwhile.

Edinger remarked, "People need to get to work," but he stressed that he does not support people driving while their licenses are suspended. According to many, the risk of paying a fine is not worth risking driving with a suspended license.

Director of the North Dakota Department of Transportation's Driver License Division Brad Schafer noted that the state had taken steps to provide more choices for reinstatement, including constructing kiosks and working on phone apps.

He explained that we're working to reduce barriers to fee payment so that more people can rejoin the driving community.

But Mark Friese, a lawyer from Fargo, argued that the state did the reverse. Customers have been calling his office in droves to vent their ire at the state transportation agency. Calls to the DOT, it has been said, goes unanswered. Friese claims that even when residents reach a human being, that person is difficult to collaborate with.

According to Friese, "the predominant policy of the North Dakota Department of Transportation is to punish drivers instead of helping them reactivated," and the state's custom of repeatedly rejecting drivers' requests to have their licenses restored has deterred many people from attempting to do so.