You need 80% to pass the South Carolina permit knowledge test; the official South Carolina sources we checked do not state a fixed question count. Official source. Page updated 2026-10-22.
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Key South Carolina DMV rules and numbers
These are key rules and numbers from the South Carolina handbook, a few per topic so they fit on one printed page. We favor rules that state a specific number. Every fact below comes from our free South Carolina DMV practice test question bank, which has 500 questions across 9 topics, checked against the South Carolina handbook (last verified 2026-09-07).
Speed limits
- Golf carts may use only secondary streets and highways with posted speed limits of 35 miles an hour or less. (Handbook, 2-3)
- The slower school-zone limit applies when the lights are flashing or children are present. (Handbook, 10-2)
- The manual recommends driving slower than the speed limit in residential and playground areas because children may run out from between parked vehicles. (Handbook, 10-2)
- A speed-limit sign identifies the maximum legal speed allowed in ideal conditions. (Handbook, 6-10)
- The manual says to reduce speed before entering a curve to a safe speed, one that allows slight and constant acceleration through it. (Handbook, 8-2)
Right of way
- The manual warns against assuming automatic priority. (Handbook, 6-1)
- Entering traffic must yield the right-of-way to vehicles already circulating in the roundabout. (Handbook, 7-7)
- A pedestrian using a guide dog or white cane is treated as visually impaired, and the driver must come to a complete stop. (Handbook, 10-1)
- Bicycles are considered vehicles when they are on roadways, and riders are expected to follow the same rules of the road as motorized vehicles. (Handbook, 10-2)
- Bicyclists are classified as vehicles in South Carolina, and the handbook tells drivers to yield the right-of-way when a bicycle path or bike lane intersects a road. (Handbook, 10-3)
Alcohol and DUI
- Refusing the test causes an immediate loss of driving privileges for at least six months under the manual's under-21 rule. (Handbook, 3-7)
- The manual warns that impairment conviction can still occur at a BAC of 0.05 or lower when alcohol is combined with drugs, including prescription and over-the-counter medications. (Handbook, 3-7)
- For a driver under 21, a BAC of 0.02 percent or greater causes immediate suspension of driving privileges for at least three months. (Handbook, 3-7)
- While the hearing results are pending, an eligible driver may receive a Temporary Alcohol License for $100. (Handbook, 1-23)
- The six-month provisional license was an option after a first DUI or DUAC suspension if the driver met conditions such as a BAC of 0.14 percent or less, enrollment in ADSAP, and a $100 fee. (Handbook, 1-21)
Signals and markings
- It is state law in South Carolina that you must use a turn signal 100 feet or more before changing lanes, turning left or right, or merging into traffic, and cancel the signal once the move is complete. (Handbook, 8-9)
- An appropriate signal gives other roadway users time to react, and South Carolina law requires one 100 feet or more before changing lanes, turning, or merging. (Handbook, 8-9)
- An RCUT removes left-turn and through movements from cross-street approaches. (Handbook, 7-6)
- A right turn on red is permitted only where no sign prohibits it, and the driver must first stop before entering the near-side crosswalk. (Handbook, 6-3)
- A flashing red signal requires the same basic procedure as a stop sign. (Handbook, 6-4)
Parking
- When parking along the roadway, park your vehicle as far away from the flow of traffic as possible, and do not park more than 18 inches from the curb or edge of pavement. (Handbook, 7-11)
- For an uphill parking space with a curb, turn the wheels toward the center of the street and place the back of the front tire against the curb. (Handbook, 7-13)
- Facing downhill, turn the wheels right whether the roadway has a curb or not. (Handbook, 7-13)
- Without a curb on an uphill grade, point the wheels right so a brake failure would send the vehicle off the road. (Handbook, 7-13)
- Turning the wheels correctly is just part of parking on a hill. (Handbook, 7-13)
Safe driving
- Most people need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per day to maintain proper alertness throughout their waking hours, so get adequate sleep before a trip. (Handbook, 3-3)
- Plan to stop about every 100 miles or two hours during long trips. (Handbook, 3-3)
- If you start feeling tired, stop driving and pull off at the next exit or rest area to take a 15 to 20 minute nap, or find a place to sleep for the night. (Handbook, 3-3)
- In hand to hand steering, the driver uses the area on the wheel between 11 and 8 o'clock with the left hand and between 1 and 8 o'clock with the right hand, regardless of the direction of the turn. (Handbook, 5-3)
- Perception time is the time and distance it takes to recognize you must stop, and the average for an alert driver is three quarters of a second to 1 second. (Handbook, 8-5)
Road signs
- A fluorescent or reflective orange and red triangle on the rear of farm equipment, construction equipment, or an animal-drawn vehicle means it is traveling less than 25 mph. (Handbook, 10-16)
- South Carolina includes Slippery When Wet among its common warning signs. (Handbook, 6-5)
- South Carolina shows Advisory Speed Around Curve among its common warning signs. (Handbook, 6-5)
- A STOP sign requires a full stop before the vehicle enters the crossing area. (Handbook, 6-10)
- The downward-pointing red and white triangle tells the driver to slow down and allow traffic that already has the right-of-way to cross before entering. (Handbook, 6-10)
Laws and paperwork
- South Carolina sets two basic driver conditions for a golf cart: the operator must be at least 16 and must hold a valid driver's license. (Handbook, 2-2)
- The conditional-license stage is available once the applicant is at least 15 and one-half but still under 16, provided the other listed requirements are met. (Handbook, 1-7)
- From midnight until 6 a.m., the conditional-license driver must be supervised by a licensed individual from the categories listed in the cited South Carolina code section. (Handbook, 1-8)
- Class E allows you to operate non commercial single unit vehicles that exceed 26,000 pounds GVW, such as large trucks and motor homes, and the holder may also operate a moped or three wheel vehicle. (Handbook, 1-2)
- The Class G classification is for operating a moped, and the manual sets its minimum age at 15. (Handbook, 1-2)
Emergencies
- The Move-Over Law guidance combines three actions: approach cautiously, slow down, and yield by moving into a lane away from the stopped authorized emergency vehicle when conditions make that safe. (Handbook, 10-15)
- The alternative to an unsafe lane change is not to keep speed or stop in the roadway. (Handbook, 10-15)
- When an emergency vehicle uses both its flashing lights and siren, yield right-of-way by pulling toward the edge of the road. (Handbook, 10-12)
- A disabled vehicle is dangerous when other drivers do not see it in time. (Handbook, 9-5)
- A failed service brake calls for controlled use of the parking brake. (Handbook, 9-3)
Want the reasoning behind these rules? Study the handbook, chapter by chapter, in 26 short lessons quoted from the South Carolina manual.
Signs
Sign shape and color carry meaning before you even read the words. A red octagon always means stop, a red-bordered triangle pointing down means yield, and yellow diamonds warn of a hazard ahead. For every sign image used in our practice test, with the exact meaning and explanation, see the full road sign glossary.
Keep studying
This cheat sheet is a summary, not a substitute for practice. Test yourself with the free South Carolina DMV practice test, which explains the reasoning behind every answer, or see South Carolina DMV facts and fees before test day.