By: Jeff Beach (ND Monitor)
North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong made the state’s jump to an 80 mph speed limit official Monday, signing a bill that also raises fines for speeding.
“This bill strikes a reasonable balance by aligning North Dakota’s interstate speed limit with two of our three neighboring states and increasing fines as a deterrent to speeding,” Armstrong said in a statement.
On Aug. 1, North Dakota will join neighbors South Dakota and Montana at 80 mph on interstate highways. The top speed limit in Minnesota is 70 mph.
Then-Gov. Doug Burgum in 2023 vetoed a bill to increase the speed limit to 80 mph.
This year’s version of the bill, House Bill 1298, creates a new system of calculating speeding fines on all roads.
For highways with a speed limit of 65 mph or higher, the fine will be $20 or $5 for every mile per hour over the limit, whichever is greater.
In slower speed zones, there will be a $20 fine for speeding or $3 for every mile per hour over the limit, whichever is greater.
For both road categories, going more than 16 mph over the limit adds $20 to the fine.
Speeding in a construction zone with workers present jumps from an extra $80 fine to $150.
The bill passed Friday as the North Dakota Legislature wrapped up its session.
