Printable SD Permit Practice Test

1. After a crash involving an unattended parked vehicle, what must you do if you cannot find the owner?

1. Drive away if the damage appears minor
2. Leave identifying and crash information where the owner can find it
3. Wait 24 hours before notifying anyone
4. Move the parked vehicle before leaving a note

2. In which months does the South Dakota manual say to be especially alert for deer?

1. October and November
2. June and July
3. January and February
4. March and April

3. A South Dakota Instruction Permit holder under 16 is convicted of a first traffic violation. How long is the suspension?

1. Seven days
2. Until age 18
3. A full year
4. Thirty days

4. How long does a new South Dakota resident have to register a vehicle brought in from another state?

1. Within 30 days
2. Within 60 days
3. Within one year
4. Within 90 days

5. You want to pass a slow-moving vehicle but are not sure there is enough space to complete the pass. What does the South Dakota manual advise?

1. Pass on the right before it reaches the next driveway
2. Honk steadily so the driver holds a straight path
3. Wait until you are sure there is enough space
4. Move beside it and check for a hand signal

6. Your vehicle has trouble and you must stop on a South Dakota highway. What should you try to do first?

1. Get your vehicle off the road and away from traffic if possible
2. Stop in the travel lane and wait for help
3. Turn off all lights so other drivers are not distracted
4. Stand near the center line to warn traffic

7. In South Dakota, what do the shape and color of a route number sign tell you?

1. The speed limit on that road
2. How far it is to the next city
3. Whether trucks may use the road
4. The type of roadway, such as interstate, U.S., state, or county road

8. A South Dakota Instruction Permit holder was convicted of a traffic violation four months ago. What does that block?

1. Getting a Restricted Minor's Permit until six months pass without a conviction
2. Only night driving
3. Retaking the knowledge test
4. Nothing, as long as the fine is paid

9. A 19-year-old South Dakotan renews a license. When will a license issued to someone under 21 with five years or less until age 21 expire?

1. On the 21st birthday
2. 30 days after the 21st birthday
3. Five years from issue no matter what
4. On the 25th birthday

10. If your wheels leave the paved road surface, how should you return?

1. Steer sharply back onto the pavement at once
2. Slow gradually when safe, then turn back onto the pavement
3. Brake hard and stop in the travel lane
4. Accelerate until all wheels are on the shoulder

11. You feel unwell but need to travel somewhere. What does the handbook advise?

1. Drive yourself slowly with windows open
2. Coffee or fresh air makes driving safe
3. Delay medication until after the drive
4. Let someone else drive when you are not feeling well

12. How do drivers who are deaf or have hearing problems adjust to drive safely?

1. They rely more on vision and stay more alert
2. They drive only with a hearing passenger
3. They use louder horns than other drivers
4. They avoid roads above 35 mph

13. How are air bags designed to function in relation to seatbelts?

1. As complete replacements for seatbelts
2. As protection for side impacts mainly
3. As cushions meant only for low speed parking impacts
4. As supplemental restraints that work best in combination with seatbelts

14. On narrow rural roads with ditches instead of shoulders, how should you position and drive?

1. Ride the center line to avoid ditches
2. Hug the ditch edge to leave maximum room
3. Reduce speed, center the vehicle in the lane, and watch for oncoming traffic sharing the lane
4. Drive faster through narrow stretches to clear them as soon as possible

15. You are judging whether to pass a multiple-trailer truck. What should that decision account for?

1. A truck that long stops faster than a car because its many axles brake harder on dry roads
2. A multiple trailer truck can be 75 feet or longer and takes much longer to pass than a car
3. Length does not change passing time, since speed matters more than size here
4. You may pass in short stages, pulling in briefly between each trailer set

16. Why must you check for more than one track at every highway-railroad grade crossing?

1. Every crossing hides a second track behind the bulk of the first long freight train
2. Some multi-track crossings lack signs, so another train may be crossing
3. Crossing gates indicate how many tracks lie ahead
4. A second train uses the nearest track only

17. You are unsure whether a drug is safe to combine with driving. What should you do?

1. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about side effects
2. Take half a dose and test your driving
3. Read online reviews from other drivers
4. Skip the drug only on highway trips

18. Ideally, how far ahead in time should you try to look while driving?

1. About 5 seconds ahead of the vehicle on the road in front of you
2. Only to the next intersection line
3. What is occurring 20 to 30 seconds in front of the car
4. Two car lengths in city traffic

19. Judging distances and speeds matters most in which driving tasks?

1. Reversing carefully into a parallel parking space between two parked vehicles downtown
2. Judging safe gaps when merging and passing on two-lane roads, and judging a train's speed before crossing tracks
3. Reading street signs at night
4. Choosing a lane at a toll plaza

20. At 50 mph on dry pavement with good brakes, about how far does braking alone take?

1. About 100 feet
2. About 250 feet
3. About 158 feet
4. About 320 feet

21. What do no-passing signs together with pavement markings indicate along a road?

1. County boundary locations posted along rural highways across the state
2. Places where trucks must stop for scheduled safety inspection checks
3. Where future construction projects will close lanes for road work
4. Where you can pass, and the beginning and ending of passing zones or where you may not pass

22. How should you approach an uncontrolled rural intersection with no stop or yield signs?

1. Keep your normal speed if no vehicle is visible at first
2. Honk and maintain your speed through it
3. Slow down and be prepared to stop for crossing or oncoming traffic
4. Assume cross traffic must yield to you

23. You begin a parallel parking maneuver. Where should you stop first relative to the vehicle ahead of the space?

1. Even with that vehicle, about 2 feet away from it
2. One full car length behind that vehicle before starting to back
3. Beside its rear bumper, about 4 feet away
4. Ahead of it, angled toward the curb already

24. A snowplow works near the center line throwing clouds of snow. How should you respond?

1. Pass quickly through the snow cloud
2. Follow closely behind it in the cleared path
3. Slow down and give the plow as much room as possible
4. Pass the plow while it is working near the center line

25. After stopping a disabled vehicle, where should you stand while waiting?

1. In front of the vehicle to flag passing traffic
2. Off the road where you are safe from traffic
3. Between your vehicle and the moving traffic lanes
4. On the center line to become visible sooner

26. How should a driver respond to deer eyes reflecting beside the road?

1. Speed up before more deer reach the pavement
2. Swerve toward the shoulder to scare the deer away
3. Slow down, blow the horn, and be ready to stop
4. Dim all lights and coast past silently

27. What does a red arrow signal mean?

1. You may turn after yielding to pedestrians
2. The arrow direction has priority over other lanes
3. You may proceed if there is no oncoming traffic
4. You must stop and may not go in the arrow's direction

28. For a second DWI in South Dakota, what minimum license loss does the manual list?

1. At least 60 days
2. At least 30 days
3. At least one year
4. Until the driver turns 21

29. What maximum prison term does South Dakota list for a third DWI offense?

1. Six months
2. Life
3. Up to ten years
4. Up to two years

30. You are driving through a South Dakota work zone. Until what point should you keep obeying the posted work zone signs?

1. Until you pass the last orange cone
2. Until no workers are in sight
3. Until the lane closure ends
4. Until you see the End Road Work sign

31. In a South Dakota funeral procession, which vehicle must obey traffic signs and signals?

1. Only the hearse
2. Only the first vehicle
3. Every third vehicle
4. Only vehicles without headlights on

32. Where should both hands usually be placed on the steering wheel for best control?

1. At the 2 and 10 o'clock positions
2. At the 3 and 9 o'clock positions
3. Together at the bottom of the wheel
4. One hand inside the rim and one on top

33. What does a red circle with a red slash over a symbol tell you?

1. The pictured action is recommended in heavy traffic
2. The pictured action is prohibited by that sign
3. The pictured action is allowed after a full stop
4. The sign gives route information for services

34. What penalties can follow a South Dakota conviction for failing to maintain proof of financial responsibility (insurance)?

1. A Class 2 misdemeanor plus a driver license suspension
2. A $25 fine only
3. A warning on the first offense
4. Loss of license until age 21

35. A new South Dakota resident holds a valid out-of-state regular (non-commercial) license. How long does the driver have to apply for a South Dakota license?

1. Within 30 days
2. Within 60 days
3. Within one year
4. Within 90 days

36. While backing into a parallel space, you have cleared the vehicle in the space ahead. What should you do next?

1. Straighten the wheels and keep backing straight until you reach the curb line
2. Turn the wheels sharply to the right, driving the rear toward the curb
3. Stop, pull forward into the lane, and restart the whole maneuver
4. Turn sharply left and back slowly toward the vehicle in the space behind

37. What does the handbook say frequent sudden stopping usually reveals about a driver?

1. The brakes need immediate replacement
2. The roadway has too many intersections
3. Other traffic is moving too slowly
4. The driver was not paying attention

38. After which record must a driver prove future financial responsibility before driving or registering a vehicle again?

1. One reckless driving conviction in any five year span
2. Two speeding convictions in one calendar year
3. Two reckless driving convictions within one year
4. One equipment violation with a paid fine

39. How should your grip on the steering wheel feel during normal driving?

1. As tight as possible at all times
2. Firm but gentle, using fingers with thumbs up along the wheel face
3. Press your palms hard against the inside of the rim
4. Loose enough for the wheel to spin freely

40. Besides flashers, how can you signal that your stopped vehicle is an emergency?

1. Leave all vehicle doors standing wide open toward traffic
2. Raise the hood or tie a white cloth to the antenna, side mirror, or door handle
3. Remove both license plates from the stopped disabled vehicle
4. Park with the front wheels turned sharply toward traffic