📋 What to Bring
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Proof of identity, SSN & SD residency
Bring proof of your legal name and date of birth, proof of your Social Security number, and two documents proving South Dakota residency. A star-marked REAL ID requires these same documents.
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Application & fee
Apply at a South Dakota exam station (Driver Licensing, SD DPS) and pay the applicable fee.
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Parent consent (if under 18)
Applicants under 18 must have a parent/guardian's consent and go through South Dakota's graduated licensing: an instruction permit (available at 14) followed by supervised driving before a full license.
📅 How to Schedule
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Study the manual and practice
Read the South Dakota Driver License Manual and take practice tests covering signs and signals, rules of the road, alcohol/drug rules, and safe driving.
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Visit a South Dakota exam station
South Dakota licensing is handled by the DPS Driver Licensing Program. Bring your documents and fee; see dps.sd.gov/driver-licensing for locations and hours.
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Pass the vision and knowledge tests
Pass a vision screening and the 25-question knowledge test (20 correct, 80%). Then hold your instruction permit, complete the required supervised driving, and pass the road test to be licensed.
💡 Test Day Tips
- •The South Dakota knowledge test has 25 questions; you must answer 20 correctly (80%) to pass.
- •The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08 for drivers 21 and over, with a lower 0.02 limit for drivers under 21. South Dakota has an implied-consent law — refusing a chemical test can result in license revocation.
- •Winter and rural driving matter in South Dakota: slow down for snow, ice, and gravel roads, watch for animals and farm equipment, and increase your following distance.
📚 Driver Handbook
All practice questions are based on the chapters below. Click any chapter to read it on the official DMV website.
🎯 Practice by Topic
The Driver's License
Licensing requirements and eligibility, residency time limits, minimum ages and graduated licensing for minors, types of licenses and permits, the required noncommercial license tests, renewal, loss of driving privileges, vehicle registration, and financial responsibility.
Be in Shape to Drive
Vision and hearing, fatigue and drowsy driving, driver distractions, aggressive driving, alcohol and other drugs and driving (BAC limits, implied consent, penalties), impairing medications, emotions, and health.
Before You Drive
Inspecting your vehicle, adjusting your seat and mirrors, using seatbelts and air bags, the child passenger safety laws by age and weight, securing your load, and trip planning.
Basic Driving and Rules of the Road
Starting, moving, stopping, steering, controlling speed, and backing up; yielding the right-of-way, traffic control devices, traffic signals and arrows, traffic signs, pavement markings, and other lane controls.
General Driving
Turning and turnabouts, intersections and who goes first, rules for school buses, parking, changing lanes, adjusting to traffic and interstate driving, and what to do during an enforcement stop.
Safe Driving Tips
Visual search and scanning, speed management, stopping distance (perception, reaction, and braking distance), the cushion of space and following-distance rule, and communicating with other road users.
Emergency Situations and Avoiding Crashes
Handling emergencies and avoiding crashes, vehicle malfunctions such as brake failure, tire blowout, and stuck accelerator, and what to do if you are in a crash — stopping, exchanging information, and reporting.
Sharing the Road
Sharing the road with pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists, large trucks and buses and their NO-ZONE blind spots, emergency vehicles and the move-over law, and slow-moving vehicles.
Special Driving Situations
Night driving and headlight use, work zones, winter driving safety tips for snow, ice, and skids, and rural road driving including gravel roads, animals, and farm equipment.
🔗 Official Resources
🛑 New to US road signs? See all road signs and their meanings →
❓ Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the South Dakota Driver's License test, and how many do I need to pass?
The South Dakota Driver's License knowledge test has 25 questions. You must answer 20 correctly (80%) to pass.
How many questions can you miss on the South Dakota Driver's License test?
You can miss up to 5 of the 25 questions and still pass.
What is the minimum age to take the South Dakota Driver's License test?
Minimum age: 14 (instruction permit) / 14（学习许可）/ 14 (permiso de instrucción).
What should I bring to the South Dakota Driver's License test?
Proof of identity, SSN & SD residency — Bring proof of your legal name and date of birth, proof of your Social Security number, and two documents proving South Dakota residency. A star-marked REAL ID requires these same documents. Application & fee — Apply at a South Dakota exam station (Driver Licensing, SD DPS) and pay the applicable fee. Parent consent (if under 18) — Applicants under 18 must have a parent/guardian's consent and go through South Dakota's graduated licensing: an instruction permit (available at 14) followed by supervised driving before a full license.
How do I schedule and take the South Dakota Driver's License test?
1. Study the manual and practice: Read the South Dakota Driver License Manual and take practice tests covering signs and signals, rules of the road, alcohol/drug rules, and safe driving. 2. Visit a South Dakota exam station: South Dakota licensing is handled by the DPS Driver Licensing Program. Bring your documents and fee; see dps.sd.gov/driver-licensing for locations and hours. 3. Pass the vision and knowledge tests: Pass a vision screening and the 25-question knowledge test (20 correct, 80%). Then hold your instruction permit, complete the required supervised driving, and pass the road test to be licensed.