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CDL schools in North Dakota
12 schools in North Dakota are on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry for Class A training and take students from the public. Programs that post prices to North Dakota's approved training list charge a median $5,495, with the middle 80% between $2,532 and $9,300 (13 programs).
Heavy truck drivers in North Dakota earn a median $60,910 a year, and 11,870 hold those jobs. A commercial learner permit costs $15 and the Class A license $15 (North Dakota DMV pages, checked Oct 5, 2026).
Registry file Oct 5, 2026 · BLS wages May 2025 · North Dakota training list (TrainingProviderResults.gov)
Class A schools open to the public in North Dakota; 11 teach theory, range and road.
Typical first-time cost: median posted tuition plus the North Dakota permit ($15) and CDL ($15). Medical exam extra.
North Dakota training locations FMCSA has removed from the registry, 169 of them involuntarily.
Median pay for heavy truck drivers in North Dakota; 11,870 work there.
Find a North Dakota school near you
Type a ZIP code to see the nearest registered Class A schools. The full lists are below.
Where 12 schools are
No North Dakota city has its own page yet.
Smaller towns, with their schools
Bismarck
Bismarck State College TrainND & Continuing Education, United Tribes Technical College
Belcourt
Turtle Mountain Community College
Fargo
NDSCS Fargo
Fort Totten
Cankdeska Cikana Community College
Grand Forks
All States Driving Academy
Mandan
Bismarck State College
Minot
Williston State College - TrainND Northwest
New Town
Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
Wahpeton
North Dakota State College of Science
West Fargo
Commercial Education and Safety, LLC
Williston
Williston State College - TrainND Northwest
Source: FMCSA Training Provider Registry location file, Oct 5, 2026.
What we left out
We left out 475 active registrants in North Dakota: 451 are private (training the employees or students of one organization only); 5 are online-only or travel to the customer; 19 tick "open to the public" but are not schools that take students: 3 school districts and public school programs, 9 employers and carriers training their own drivers, 6 bus or coach operators and 1 government agency. Every count comes from the same registry file. Schools we kept pass a name, domain and class check that we describe on sources.
What CDL school costs in North Dakota
North Dakota programs post tuition to the Labor Department's list of approved training programs, the list workforce boards use to pay for training. Across 13 programs the median is $5,495, the lowest posted price is $2,002 and the highest is $12,500. Completion and job rates are on each school's page where it has them.
State fees
| Commercial learner permit | $15 |
|---|---|
| Skills test | $5 |
| Class A license | $15 |
North Dakota DMV pages, checked October 5, 2026 · fee page. The DOT medical exam is extra.
North Dakota's CDL manual (state DMV).
Source: TrainingProviderResults.gov program file (downloaded Oct 5, 2026); North Dakota DMV pages.
Free and company-paid training in North Dakota
Workforce boards. If you qualify for WIOA, a North Dakota workforce board can pay tuition at a school on the state's approved list. Ask at an American Job Center before you enrol, because boards pay only for programs on the list.
Carrier-paid programs that list North Dakota among their training sites. Training is free up front because you agree to drive for the carrier. What the carrier's own pages say:
| Carrier | Cost to you | Commitment | If you leave early |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Inc. | $0 upfront if you drive for Prime 1 year with CDL; Prime blog states $155 student cost ($100 admin fee + $55 permit/test costs) | 1 year driving for Prime with CDL | unverified on the carrier's page (tuition becomes payable if commitment not met) |
| Stevens Transport | no out-of-pocket costs | 'your commitment' - length not on page; third-party reports promissory-note model | unverified |
Carrier pages checked Oct 5, 2026. "Unverified" means the carrier does not publish it; ask for the signed agreement before you start. All carriers
How to check a North Dakota school before you pay
Since February 2022 you can only take the CDL skills test after finishing entry-level driver training with a provider on FMCSA's registry. Search the school's name at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov and confirm its status says Active. Or use our check-a-school page, which also searches the removed list.
FMCSA has removed 171 North Dakota training locations from the registry, 169 of them involuntarily. The registry lists 6 more North Dakota locations as under review. A school on the removed list cannot certify your training. Removals by state
25% of North Dakota's Class A schools updated their registry record in 2026; 8 have left their record untouched for over two years.
Questions people ask
How much is CDL school in North Dakota?
Programs on North Dakota's approved training list post a median of $5,495, with the middle 80% between $2,532 and $9,300. With the permit and license fees, plan on about $5,525 before the medical exam.
How many CDL schools are in North Dakota?
12 schools in North Dakota are registered for Class A training and open to the public, in 11 cities. FMCSA lists 171 North Dakota locations as removed.
How do I check that a North Dakota school is on the FMCSA registry?
Search the school's name at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov and confirm its status says Active. Our check-a-school page searches active, removed and under-review records in one box.
Is there free CDL training in North Dakota?
Two routes. A workforce board can pay tuition at a school on North Dakota's approved training list if you qualify under WIOA, and some carriers train you for free in return for a work commitment. The terms differ, so read the signed agreement before you start.