SD Permit Practice Test 9

All 20 questions in test 9

Every question below comes from the South Dakota question bank on this page. Open a question to see the correct answer and the explanation. Nothing here is hidden behind a signup.

1. 1. 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
   Show answer

   Within 90 days. Holders of a valid out-of-state non-commercial license must apply for a South Dakota license within 90 days of establishing residency. Thirty days is the deadline for CDL holders, so it is the tempting wrong answer. Sixty days and one year are not South Dakota deadlines. Every licensee must also always have the license in immediate possession when driving, and the rule applies to anyone operating a vehicle on South Dakota public roadways.

2. 2. How long is a South Dakota driver's first point system suspension?

   1. A 30 day suspension
   2. A 6 month suspension
   3. A 60 day suspension
   4. A 1 year suspension
   Show answer

   A 60 day suspension. South Dakota's periods of suspension under the point system are 60 days for a first suspension, 6 months for a second, and 1 year for any later suspension. Thirty days is not on this table; it is the minimum license loss for a first DWI and a first Zero Tolerance offense. Six months and one year are the escalated periods for repeat point suspensions.

3. 3. When using ABS in an emergency stop, how should you press the brake pedal?

   1. Press as hard as you can and keep pressure applied
   2. Pump the brake pedal rapidly until the vibration stops
   3. Brake lightly and steer only after the vehicle stops
   4. Use the parking brake before touching the pedal
   Show answer

   Press as hard as you can and keep pressure applied. With ABS, press the brake pedal as hard as you can and keep steady pressure on it. The system can prevent wheel lock only while you continue pressing the pedal, and vibration or clicking can be normal. Pumping the brakes is the tempting older habit, but it defeats the instruction for ABS-equipped vehicles. The cue is an emergency stop in a modern vehicle: press firmly, hold, and continue steering around danger if needed.

4. 4. 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
   Show answer

   Slow down, blow the horn, and be ready to stop. If headlights reflect in deer eyes beside the road, slow down, blow the horn, and prepare to stop. Deer often travel in groups, so one reflection can mean more animals nearby. Swerving toward the shoulder is wrong because it can send you off the road or into another hazard. A good cue is shine low along the roadside at dusk or dawn: reduce speed early and expect the animal to move unpredictably.

5. 5. If a traffic signal is completely unlighted, how should the driver facing it respond?

   1. Treat it as a green light after honking
   2. Drive through because the signal has no legal effect
   3. Stop as if at a stop sign
   4. Wait until another driver waves you forward
   Show answer

   Stop as if at a stop sign. A completely unlighted signal requires the driver facing it to stop in the same manner as at a stop sign. The dark signal does not give permission to continue without control. The green light choice is dangerous because it assumes other approaches will yield when they may be making the same mistake. Your cue is absence of working lights: stop, search all directions, yield as needed, and enter only when the conflict area is clear.

6. 6. What shape and color combination usually identifies a warning sign in South Dakota?

   1. A yellow diamond with black letters or symbols
   2. A blue rectangle with white symbols
   3. A green rectangle with white distance information
   4. A red triangle pointing downward
   Show answer

   A yellow diamond with black letters or symbols. Warning signs usually use a yellow diamond with black lettering or symbols to call attention to possible danger ahead. The red downward triangle is reserved for yield signs, so choosing it would confuse a warning with a right of way control. When scanning ahead, use shape first and then color: a diamond tells you to prepare for a hazard, while the message or symbol tells you what kind of hazard is coming.

7. 7. What offense can result if a driver violates South Dakota’s stopped-vehicle warning-light law and causes a crash?

   1. A parking infraction
   2. A Class 1 misdemeanor
   3. A registration-only penalty
   4. A warning unless someone is injured
   Show answer

   A Class 1 misdemeanor. South Dakota treats a crash caused while violating the stopped-vehicle warning-light law as a Class 1 misdemeanor when the crash involves a qualifying emergency vehicle or stopped vehicle with amber, yellow, or blue lights. A warning is not the listed consequence, and the rule does not depend only on whether someone is injured. The cue is the combination of violation plus crash: failing to stop, move over, or slow can escalate the offense classification.

8. 8. When must a South Dakota driver carry the vehicle registration certificate?

   1. Only during the first 30 days after purchase
   2. Always in the vehicle
   3. Only when crossing state lines
   4. Only after receiving a citation
   Show answer

   Always in the vehicle. South Dakota says the registration certificate must always be carried in the vehicle. Keeping only the title in the vehicle is not the answer; the same passage says the title should be stored safely elsewhere. The 30-day and citation choices are too limited because the duty is continuous while the vehicle is operated. The cue is document type: title is for ownership and transfer, while registration is the everyday proof that stays with the vehicle.

9. 9. Why are speed limit signs posted according to the South Dakota manual?

   1. They are there for safety
   2. They mark suggested fuel-saving speeds only
   3. They show the speed police prefer in heavy traffic
   4. They apply only when pavement is dry
   Show answer

   They are there for safety. The manual’s speed discussion ties posted limits to safety, not convenience or fuel economy. A sign gives the lawful maximum or minimum for suitable conditions, and drivers still need to adjust downward when conditions are poor. The dry-pavement choice is misleading because signs still apply in rain or snow, but bad conditions may require less than the posted number. The cue is that a speed sign is a safety boundary, not a target to reach regardless of weather.

10. 10. What condition should your windshield wipers be in before driving in rain or snow?

    1. They may be skipped if the windshield is recently cleaned
    2. They only need to function on the driver's side
    3. They should work well and clear water properly
    4. They should be replaced only after winter ends
    Show answer

    They should work well and clear water properly. South Dakota treats wipers as part of keeping the vehicle safe to operate. They should be in good condition, and blades that do not clear water well should be replaced. The driver's-side-only choice is too narrow because poor clearing anywhere can reduce visibility. Use the cue of streaking, skipping, or water left on the glass; those signs mean maintenance is needed before bad weather driving.

11. 11. What maneuver is barred by this red-slashed left-turn sign?

    
    1. Going straight through the intersection
    2. Turning right after stopping
    3. Turning left at that location
    4. Changing lanes before the intersection
    Show answer

    Turning left at that location. South Dakota places No Left Turn in its group of regulatory signs, and regulatory signs state laws drivers must obey. The straight-through choice confuses the sign with a lane-use command; this symbol is aimed at the left-turn movement. When the left arrow is crossed out, keep your vehicle on a permitted path and find another legal route for the turn.

12. 12. What does a flashing yellow traffic light mean in South Dakota?

    1. Slow down and proceed with caution
    2. Stop completely and wait for a green signal
    3. Traffic from every direction must stop
    4. The signal is reserved for emergency vehicles
    Show answer

    Slow down and proceed with caution. A flashing yellow signal means slow down and proceed with caution. It is not the same as a flashing red, which South Dakota treats like a stop sign. Use the flashing yellow lamp as the cue to reduce speed, scan the intersection or hazard area, and continue only with enough control to respond if another road user enters. Flashing yellow signals are common at fire stations, school crossings, and rural intersections where a full signal is not justified.

13. 13. What do blue service signs show?

    1. Places where passing is prohibited
    2. The maximum safe speed for ideal conditions
    3. Locations of services such as rest areas, gas stations, campgrounds, or hospitals
    4. A railroad crossing with more than one track
    Show answer

    Locations of services such as rest areas, gas stations, campgrounds, or hospitals. Blue service signs point drivers toward services such as rest areas, gas, camping, or hospitals. A maximum safe speed is posted on a speed limit sign, which is black and white. The cue is a blue square or rectangle with white letters or symbols for traveler services near an exit or roadway. These signs help with trip decisions, but they do not change right-of-way or speed obligations by themselves.

14. 14. What should you do when an emergency vehicle with lights and siren approaches?

    
    1. Yield the right-of-way and pull over to the edge of the road so it may pass
    2. Stop immediately in your lane wherever you are
    3. Speed up until you reach the next intersection
    4. Follow the emergency vehicle through traffic
    Show answer

    Yield the right-of-way and pull over to the edge of the road so it may pass. South Dakota tells drivers to yield the right-of-way to an emergency vehicle when its flashing lights and sirens are on by pulling over to the edge of the road so the emergency vehicle may pass, and to avoid blocking intersections. Stopping in your lane can block the response route, and following the vehicle through traffic puts you in the path of the next responder. The cue is a siren, flashing emergency lights, or both; signal, move to the edge carefully, and remain stopped until the vehicle has passed.

15. 15. How should you drive through a South Dakota work zone?

    1. Ignore work signs after you pass the first barrel
    2. Keep the normal limit because work areas are short
    3. Follow closely so no vehicle enters your lane
    4. Reduce speed, increase following distance, and watch for workers
    Show answer

    Reduce speed, increase following distance, and watch for workers. Work zones call for lower speed and more space because lanes can narrow, pavement may be rough, and workers or equipment may be near traffic. Keeping the normal limit overlooks those changing hazards. Look for orange signs, cones, barrels, large vehicles, and workers, then maintain extra room so a sudden stop does not become a crash. Stay with the posted work-zone controls until an End Road Work sign or normal lane pattern clearly returns.

16. 16. When does a South Dakota driver give consent to a chemical test for blood alcohol concentration?

    1. Only if the driver has a prior DWI conviction
    2. Only after signing a consent form at the police station
    3. Only when a judge issues a warrant
    4. Whenever the driver drives on a public highway
    Show answer

    Whenever the driver drives on a public highway. South Dakota treats driving on a public highway as consent to a chemical test for BAC. If you are placed under arrest for DWI, or for Zero Tolerance if under 21, the police may ask you to take the test, and that consent was already given the moment you drove on the highway. No signed form, warrant, or prior record is required for the request. A BAC of 0.08%, or 0.02% if under 21, or more is evidence of driving under the influence. Refusing has its own consequences, so understand the rule before you drive.

17. 17. What does a yellow right-curve sign warn you to expect?

    
    1. A right turn is required now
    2. A curve to the right ahead
    3. A one-way street begins to the right
    4. A no-passing zone ends after the sign
    Show answer

    A curve to the right ahead. The manual's warning sign examples include Right Curve, which warns of roadway alignment rather than a required turn. The required-turn choice would be regulatory and would tell you what movement to make, not warn about the shape of the road. Use the curved arrow as the cue to manage speed before the bend and keep steady lane position through it.

18. 18. At an all-way stop in South Dakota, two vehicles arrive at the same time. Which driver should you yield to?

    1. The driver going faster before stopping
    2. The driver on your left
    3. The driver with the newest vehicle
    4. The driver on your right
    Show answer

    The driver on your right. When two vehicles reach an all-way stop simultaneously, South Dakota uses the driver-on-the-right rule. Yielding left would reverse the manual’s order and can create hesitation or conflict when both drivers expect the same convention. Vehicle age and approach speed are irrelevant once both have arrived together. The cue is a tie at the stop: if arrival is simultaneous, look to your right and allow that driver to proceed first.

19. 19. Which passenger car is exempt from the listed South Dakota child restraint and youth seatbelt provisions?

    1. A pickup being driven less than five miles from home
    2. A passenger car made before 1966 with no seatbelts installed
    3. A car carrying only passengers age twelve or younger
    4. A vehicle with air bags for every seating position
    Show answer

    A passenger car made before 1966 with no seatbelts installed. South Dakota's exemption is narrow: the listed child restraint and youth seatbelt provisions do not apply to passenger cars manufactured before 1966 that have not been equipped with seatbelts. Air bags do not create an exemption, since the manual says belts still matter with air bags. The cue is the vehicle's age and original or current belt equipment, not trip length or passenger age alone.

20. 20. Which permit holders are barred from using any wireless communication device while operating a motor vehicle?

    1. Only drivers carrying passengers
    2. Only drivers over 18
    3. Only motorcycle operators on interstates
    4. Instruction and Restricted permit holders
    Show answer

    Instruction and Restricted permit holders. South Dakota places a special wireless-device ban on Instruction Permit and Restricted Permit holders while they operate a motor vehicle. The over-18 answer reverses the likely concern because the restriction is tied to permit status, not adult age. Passenger status also does not define this rule. The cue is the credential in the driver’s wallet: if it is an instruction or restricted permit, no wireless communication device use while driving on public roadways.