South Dakota permit test
Test requirements, handbook sources, and practice for South Dakota.
Test and permit facts
Read the scope and exceptions alongside each fact. Requirements still awaiting review are omitted; their absence does not mean the agency has no rule.
| Fact | South Dakota | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Agency | South Dakota Department of Public Safety | |
| Test name | knowledge test | |
| Passing percentage | 80 | |
| Minimum permit age | 14 | Official source · PDF page 8 |
| Permit fee | $38 for an instruction permit. Credit or debit card payments at the exam station also carry a processing charge of $2.00 or 2.95%, whichever is greater. Cash, check and money order are also accepted in person. | |
| Permit validity | A noncommercial instruction permit lasts five years, or ends sooner when the documents authorizing the holder’s presence in the United States expire. This applies to both the under-18 and adult instruction permits. | Official source · PDF page 8 |
| Driver’s education | An approved course is optional. Without it, a minor must keep an instruction permit for 275 days before upgrading; completing an approved course with at least 80% on its written and driving portions shortens that period to 180 days. A course certificate may waive testing for one year after completion. | Official source 1 · PDF page 8 |
| Retest rules | After an ordinary failed test, wait at least until the next working day. A fee covers three attempts within six months; after three failures in that period, pay again. Cheating on the knowledge test carries a separate minimum two-week wait. | Official source 2 · PDF page 10 |
| Language list scope | Spanish written testing is explicitly identified by this state-service directory. This evidence does not provide a complete list of test languages. | |
| Test languages | Spanish | |
| Handbook | Driver's License Manual - English | |
| Handbook edition | REVISED 11/2024 | Official source · PDF page 71 |
| Requirements for applicants under 18 | A parent or guardian must consent to every application and be present to sign a first application. Pass the required tests, with a qualifying course certificate able to waive testing for one year after completion. Drive beside an eligible licensed adult who has at least one year of driving experience. Before the restricted-permit upgrade, complete 50 hours supervised by a parent or guardian, including 10 at night and 10 in inclement weather. Hold the instruction permit for 275 days; the 180-day path requires an approved driver-education course with a score of at least 80% on each of its written and driving portions. A restricted permit requires six months without a traffic conviction and a driving test unless waived. Keep that restricted permit for at least six months before a full license, which requires age 16 and six conviction-free months. For the first six restricted-permit months, passengers must be family or household members; afterward, one other passenger is allowed. Driving alone is generally limited to 6 a.m.–10 p.m.; specified direct school, church, work and agricultural trips are exceptions after 10 p.m. | |
| Documents to bring | First-time applicants need a completed application with an original dated signature, an accepted identity and lawful-status document, Social Security evidence, and two documents showing a South Dakota physical address. Bring certified evidence linking any changed names. A parent or guardian must be present to sign for an applicant under 18. The handbook allows an accompanying parent’s address evidence for a minor. Consult the agency’s document list for citizenship, name-change and residency exceptions. | Official source 2 · PDF page 6 |
| Agency offices and appointments | Apply at a South Dakota Driver Licensing location. First-time commercial applicants and non-U.S. citizens must use a state Driver Licensing location. Testing visits require an appointment; use the agency’s linked location map and appointment service. Scheduling help is available at 605-773-6883, option 6, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central Time, excluding state holidays. |
Start with the handbook
Driver's License Manual - English
Official source · PDF page 2
Study the federal road-sign catalog.
Free permit practice
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