What to bring to the South Dakota DPS permit test

For the learner's permit and knowledge test

• Appointment
• Application (wet signature) and parent/guardian consent if under 18
• One document proving date of birth, identity and lawful status (e.g., certified birth certificate, U.S. passport)
• Proof of Social Security number (card, W-2, 1099, paystub)
• Two documents proving South Dakota physical address, less than one year old (a parent's documents are acceptable for a minor)
• Proof of any name change
• $38 fee
• Driver education certificate, if using it to waive the knowledge test (valid one year from course completion)

Fees

• Instruction permit / restricted minor's permit / operator's license: $38.00
• Duplicate/replacement, name or address change: $20.00
• Motorcycle instruction permit: $38.00

The vision test

20/40 or better with both eyes, and no worse than 20/50 in either eye, for a license without restrictions

Bring your glasses or contact lenses if you wear them to see clearly.

For the road test

• Scheduled drive test appointment
• Your own safe vehicle; no pets or passengers during the test
• For a minor upgrading to a restricted permit: parent/guardian and the Supervised Driving Affidavit (50 hours)

What happens on the road test

After you pass: your permit

• Hold it for at least 275 days (180 days with approved driver education scoring 80%+ on written and driving portions) on the Instruction Permit, then 6 months on the Restricted Minor's Permit before the road test.
• Log 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night.
• Supervising adult (parent, guardian or other adult) with a valid license and at least one year of driving experience, seated beside you
• 50 hours of supervised driving, including 10 at night and 10 in bad weather (affidavit signed by a parent)
• No wireless communication device of any kind while driving (instruction and restricted permit holders)
• The permit is valid five years (or until lawful-presence documents expire)
• No traffic conviction in the 6 months before the restricted permit or operator's license
• Restricted Minor's Permit: drive alone 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. with parent permission; 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. only with a parent or guardian beside you, except direct trips to or from school, church, work or farm work. First 6 months: no passengers except immediate family or household members; after that, one passenger under 18 who is not family or household
• Parent or guardian consent (in person or a notarized Parental Consent Form) for the permit, the restricted permit and the operator's license
• No drive test is needed to upgrade to the Restricted Minor's Permit if you passed an approved driver education course within the last year. Otherwise the drive test may be scheduled on day 276 (day 181 with driver ed)

Before you go

Take a practice test or two the day before, and the exam simulator to check you can pass in the real format. Bring originals, not photocopies, unless the DPS says copies are accepted.