North Dakota's revised speed limits, enacted on August 1, 2025, have led to a notable shift in where state troopers are issuing speeding tickets, according to data from the North Dakota Highway Patrol. While stretches of interstate highway increased to an 80 mph speed limit, some areas where speeds were reduced from 75 mph to 70 mph saw a substantial rise in citations.
During the first year of these changes, North Dakota Highway Patrol troopers wrote 4,742 speeding tickets on the newly designated 80 mph interstate sections, a decrease from 8,361 tickets in the prior 12-month period. Conversely, the newly established 70 mph zones around Dickinson, Grand Forks, Jamestown, and Valley City collectively saw an increase in citations. In these four reduced-speed areas, troopers issued 1,000 tickets over the first year, compared to 776 during the preceding year.
The increase was particularly pronounced in certain areas. Dickinson's 70 mph zone accounted for 223 tickets in its first year, more than tripling the number from the previous year for the same location, as reported by the North Dakota Highway Patrol. Tickets issued in the Grand Forks reduced-speed area more than doubled year-over-year. Jamestown’s 70 mph zone experienced a slight increase in citations, while Valley City's saw a decrease.
State Representative Ben Koppelman, a Republican from West Fargo, sponsored the bill that authorized the 80 mph speed limit. Representative Koppelman stated that feedback on the 80 mph limit has been “all positive” but noted that public reaction to the 70 mph zones around the four cities has been “all negative.” He mentioned that some individuals are mistakenly blaming him, believing the 70 mph zones were part of his bill. However, the decision to create these reduced-speed zones was made by the state Department of Transportation.
Representative Koppelman described the Dickinson area as a “speed trap” and indicated he has voiced his complaints to Transportation Director Ron Henke. He reported receiving no indication that the zones would be changed. Representative Koppelman also shared that he has discussed the situation with other legislators, exploring options to address it in the 2027 legislative session, though he is not yet aware of any specific bill drafts.
Kirk Hoff, director of the Department of Transportation’s Design Division, explained the rationale behind the 70 mph zones. He said that these four cities are large enough that increased traffic congestion during peak morning and evening commute times warrants the slower speed limit. Mr. Hoff also cited curves on I-94 in the Jamestown and Valley City areas, where an 80 mph speed limit would not be considered safe. He added that the Fargo-West Fargo and Bismarck-Mandan areas already had reduced speeds in place prior to these statewide changes. The Department of Transportation also initially designated a 70 mph area near Medora, but a subsequent review of the curves in that Badlands area led to a decision to allow the 80 mph limit there. Mr. Hoff stated he was not aware of any plans to alter the existing 70 mph zones.
Major Tom Iverson of the North Dakota Highway Patrol suggested that ticket numbers in these areas might eventually decrease as drivers become more accustomed to the new limits. Major Iverson remarked that if a roadway motorists are accustomed to driving at 75 mph is now 70 mph, it may take time for them to adjust.
The Highway Patrol's data also included crash statistics for the interstates. Crashes increased in the new 80 mph areas, rising to 505 from 469 in the previous year. Similarly, crashes also increased in the areas where the speed limit was reduced from 75 mph to 70 mph, climbing to 65 from 53 over the same period. Major Iverson cautioned that it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the effect of speed limit changes based on only one year of crash data. It is worth noting that speeding fines also increased as part of Representative Koppelman’s bill.
