South Dakota Permit Test Sample Questions
Real, South Dakota-specific sample questions from our practice question bank, with the correct answer, a full explanation, and a source reference for each. See our national sample questions for topics that apply to every state, or take the full South Dakota permit practice test to test yourself instead of just reading the answers.
Licensing Provisional Rules
1. How many questions are on South Dakota's permit test, and what score is needed to pass?
South Dakota's permit test has 25 questions, and an applicant needs at least 20 correct (80%) to pass.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
2. What is the minimum age to apply for a South Dakota instruction permit?
South Dakota's minimum age for an instruction permit is 14, one of the youngest permit ages in the country.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
3. How many hours of supervised driving must a South Dakota instruction permit holder complete, including what special categories?
A South Dakota instruction permit holder must complete 50 hours of supervised driving, including 10 hours in inclement weather and 10 hours after dark.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
4. How long must a South Dakota teen hold an instruction permit before advancing, without driver's ed?
A South Dakota teen must hold the instruction permit for 275 days before advancing, unless they've completed an approved driver's ed course.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
5. How does completing an approved driver's ed course change South Dakota's permit hold period?
Completing an approved driver's ed course reduces South Dakota's permit hold period from 275 days to 180 days.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
6. Who may supervise a South Dakota instruction permit holder?
A South Dakota instruction permit holder must be supervised by a licensed driver at least 18 years old.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
7. What does South Dakota call the license issued to a teen after the instruction permit stage?
South Dakota calls the license issued after the instruction permit stage the Restricted Minor's Permit.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
8. What curfew applies to a South Dakota Restricted Minor's Permit holder?
A South Dakota Restricted Minor's Permit holder can only drive between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., with exceptions for school, religious services, or employment.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
9. What passenger restriction applies during the first 6 months of a South Dakota Restricted Minor's Permit?
For the first 6 months of a South Dakota Restricted Minor's Permit, no passengers besides immediate family are allowed.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
10. What passenger restriction applies after the first 6 months of a South Dakota Restricted Minor's Permit?
After the first 6 months, a South Dakota Restricted Minor's Permit holder may carry one non-family passenger, loosened from the no-passenger rule of the first 6 months.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
11. At what age can a South Dakota teen reach a full, unrestricted license?
A South Dakota teen can reach a full, unrestricted license at 16, after holding the Restricted Minor's Permit for at least 6 months with no traffic convictions.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
12. What documentation must a South Dakota applicant younger than 18 provide when applying for a permit?
A South Dakota applicant younger than 18 must provide a birth certificate or equivalent document along with a parent or legal guardian's signature.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
More Questions
13. Can a South Dakota Restricted Minor's Permit holder use a wireless communication device while driving?
A South Dakota Restricted Minor's Permit holder may not use any wireless communication device while driving.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
14. What BAC threshold triggers South Dakota's zero-tolerance law for a driver under 21?
South Dakota's zero-tolerance law treats a BAC of 0.02% or higher as a Class 2 misdemeanor for a driver under 21.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
15. What is the standard BAC threshold for a South Dakota driver 21 or older?
The standard BAC threshold for a South Dakota driver 21 or older is 0.08%.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
16. What following distance should a South Dakota driver keep in good conditions?
A 3-second following gap in good conditions gives a South Dakota driver enough time to react if the vehicle ahead brakes suddenly.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
17. Which agency issues South Dakota driver's licenses?
South Dakota driver's licenses are issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS).
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
18. What is South Dakota's official knowledge-test study resource called?
South Dakota's official study resource is the South Dakota Driver's Manual.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
19. What does DPS stand for in South Dakota's licensing agency name?
DPS stands for the Department of Public Safety, South Dakota's licensing agency.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
20. When are headlights generally required in South Dakota?
South Dakota generally requires headlights starting a half hour after sunset through a half hour before sunrise, along with any time visibility is poor.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
21. What does a double solid yellow line mean for passing in South Dakota?
A double solid yellow line prohibits passing for vehicles traveling in either direction.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
22. What should a South Dakota driver do at a railroad crossing with no gates or lights?
Even without gates or warning lights, a driver should slow down, look both directions, and listen for an approaching train before crossing.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
23. Without signs or signals, who has the right-of-way at a South Dakota intersection?
At an uncontrolled intersection, a South Dakota driver yields to the vehicle approaching from the right.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
24. What must South Dakota drivers do when approaching a stopped school bus with flashing red lights on an undivided road?
South Dakota requires traffic in both directions on an undivided road to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights, and to remain stopped until the lights stop flashing.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual
25. What does South Dakota's basic speed law require regardless of the posted limit?
South Dakota's basic speed law requires a safe speed for current conditions, which can mean driving below the posted limit even when it's technically legal to go faster.
Source: South Dakota Driver's Manual