Photo: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The South Carolina beginner’s permit test is a knowledge test on traffic laws, road signs and safe driving, taken with a vision screening at an SCDMV branch or an approved One Stop tester. This page gives you 30 original practice questions across the SCDMV Driver’s Manual, finishing with South Carolina’s permit, conditional license and points rules. The questions are unofficial, not SCDMV’s.
SC permit test: key facts
- Minimum age: 15.
- $2 per knowledge test attempt; $2.50 for the beginner’s permit once you pass (as of November 2026).
- SCDMV branches do not give knowledge tests after 4 p.m.
- No manuals or other testing aids are allowed during the test.
- The Driver’s Manual has its own sample questions in its “Test Your Knowledge” section. Use them with this page.
Documents, the vision rule and booking: the South Carolina beginner’s permit test guide.
Quick-fire signs and signals (1 to 10)
1. A red octagon sign tells you to:
- A. Yield
- B. Slow down
- C. Come to a complete stop
- D. Merge
Answer: C. Manual topic: signs.
2. A round yellow sign with an X and RR means:
- A. A railroad crossing ahead
- B. Road repairs
- C. A rest area
- D. A right turn only
Answer: A. Manual topic: signs.
3. A pennant-shaped yellow sign on the left side of the road means:
- A. A school zone
- B. Yield ahead
- C. A narrow bridge
- D. A no-passing zone
Answer: D. Manual topic: signs.
4. A sign with a red circle and slash over a symbol means:
- A. Information only
- B. The action shown is prohibited
- C. A detour
- D. Caution ahead
Answer: B. Manual topic: signs.
5. A yellow diamond sign is used to:
- A. Warn of a hazard or change in the road
- B. Give directions
- C. Show the speed limit
- D. Show services
Answer: A. Manual topic: signs.
6. A flashing red signal is treated like:
- A. A green light
- B. A yield sign
- C. A stop sign
- D. A school zone
Answer: C. Manual topic: signals.
7. A steady yellow light means:
- A. Speed up to beat the red
- B. The light is about to turn red: stop if you can do so safely
- C. Go, you have the right of way
- D. Pedestrians only
Answer: B. Manual topic: signals.
8. A flashing yellow left-turn arrow means:
- A. A protected turn
- B. Stop and wait
- C. Left turns banned
- D. You may turn left after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians
Answer: D. Manual topic: signals.
9. A solid yellow line on your side of the center line means:
- A. Do not cross it to pass
- B. Passing is allowed
- C. A bike lane
- D. A turn lane
Answer: A. Manual topic: pavement markings.
10. Orange signs mean:
- A. Parks
- B. Hospital
- C. A work zone: slow down and watch for workers
- D. Toll road
Answer: C. Manual topic: signs, work zones.
Right of way and road rules (11 to 19)
11. Two drivers reach an uncontrolled intersection together. Who goes first?
- A. The driver on the left
- B. The driver on the right
- C. The larger vehicle
- D. The one who honks
Answer: B. The driver on the left yields. Manual topic: right of way.
12. You are turning right on a red light where no sign prohibits it. You must first:
- A. Slow to 5 mph
- B. Flash your lights
- C. Honk
- D. Come to a complete stop and yield to pedestrians and traffic
Answer: D. Right on red after a full stop is allowed in most places unless a sign forbids it. The SCDMV manual allows right on red unless a sign prohibits it, after you stop and yield to pedestrians and other traffic. Manual topic: turns.
13. You hear a siren behind you. You should:
- A. Pull to the right edge of the road and stop until the emergency vehicle passes
- B. Speed up
- C. Stop where you are, even in an intersection
- D. Move to the left lane
Answer: A. Manual topic: emergency vehicles.
14. A school bus stops ahead of you with red lights flashing. Traffic behind it must:
- A. Pass on the left
- B. Stop only if children are near
- C. Stop and stay stopped until the red lights stop flashing
- D. Slow to 15 mph
Answer: C. On a two-lane road, oncoming traffic stops too. On a highway with at least two lanes each way, only traffic behind the bus must stop. Manual topic: school buses.
15. You approach a stopped police car or tow truck with flashing lights on a multi-lane highway. Generally you should:
- A. Keep your speed
- B. Stop beside it
- C. Use the shoulder
- D. Move over a lane if you safely can, or slow down
Answer: D. The SCDMV manual says to slow down and change to a lane away from a stopped emergency vehicle if it is safe; if not, slow down and pass with caution. Manual topic: sharing the road.
16. A pedestrian is crossing at an intersection with no marked crosswalk. You should:
- A. Honk and go
- B. Yield to the pedestrian
- C. Speed up to pass first
- D. Go around them
Answer: B. Intersections have crosswalks whether marked or not. Manual topic: pedestrians.
17. At a roundabout you should:
- A. Yield to traffic already in the circle and travel counterclockwise
- B. Stop inside the circle
- C. Drive clockwise
- D. Speed up to merge
Answer: A. Manual topic: roundabouts.
18. The speed limit is 55 mph, but there is thick fog. The right speed is:
- A. 55 mph
- B. 60 mph to keep pace
- C. Any speed with high beams on
- D. As slow as needed to stop within the distance you can see
Answer: D. In fog use low beams, which reflect less glare. Manual topic: speed and adverse conditions.
19. You are following a large truck. You are in its blind spot if:
- A. You can see its side mirrors
- B. You cannot see the driver in its side mirrors
- C. You are 10 car lengths back
- D. You are in the next lane, well ahead
Answer: B. If you cannot see the driver’s mirrors, the driver cannot see you. Manual topic: sharing the road with trucks.
Alcohol, phones and emergencies (20 to 24)
20. In South Carolina, a driver under 21 with a BAC of 0.02% or more faces a suspension of:
- A. At least three months
- B. One week
- C. Nothing below 0.08%
- D. A warning only
Answer: A. Refusing the test brings at least six months. See zero tolerance laws for drivers under 21. Manual topic: alcohol and drugs.
21. Under South Carolina’s hands-free law (in force since September 1, 2025), drivers may not:
- A. Listen to the radio
- B. Use voice commands
- C. Hold or support a phone while driving
- D. Use GPS in a mount
Answer: C. Voice and hands-free use are allowed. A first offense is a $100 fine. Topic: hands-free law.
22. Which of these lowers your blood alcohol level?
- A. Coffee
- B. A cold shower
- C. Exercise
- D. Only time
Answer: D. Manual topic: alcohol and drugs.
23. Your rear wheels skid on a wet road. You should:
- A. Brake hard
- B. Ease off the gas and steer gently in the direction you want to go
- C. Jerk the wheel the opposite way
- D. Accelerate
Answer: B. Manual topic: emergencies.
24. Your car stalls on a railroad track and a train is coming. What do you do?
- A. Try to restart the engine
- B. Stay in the car
- C. Push the car
- D. Get everyone out and move away from the tracks at once
Answer: D. Get clear first; call for help once everyone is safe. Manual topic: railroad crossings.
South Carolina permit, conditional license and points (25 to 30)
25. Between 6 a.m. and midnight, a South Carolina beginner’s permit holder must drive with:
- A. Any passenger aged 18
- B. A licensed driver at least 21 years old with at least one year of driving experience
- C. A sibling with a conditional license
- D. No one, in daylight
Answer: B. After midnight, only a licensed person listed on your Consent for Minor (Form 447-CM) may supervise. Manual topic: beginner’s permit.
26. If you are 15 to 17, how long must you hold the beginner’s permit before a license or road test?
- A. 30 days
- B. 90 days
- C. At least 180 days
- D. 1 year
Answer: C. Manual topic: beginner’s permit.
27. How much supervised practice is required before a conditional or special restricted license?
- A. 40 hours, including at least 10 in darkness
- B. 20 hours
- C. 50 hours, including 15 at night
- D. None
Answer: A. Log it on the Supervised Driving Log (Form DL-008A). See SC driver education and 40 hour practice. Topic: practice requirements.
28. On a conditional license outside daylight saving time, you may drive alone from:
- A. 6 a.m. to midnight
- B. 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- C. Any time
- D. 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Answer: D. During daylight saving time, it is 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Until midnight you need a licensed driver 21+. See SC conditional license rules. Topic: conditional license.
29. How many passengers under 21 may a conditional license holder carry without a licensed adult 21+ in the car?
- A. None
- B. One
- C. Two, not counting family members or students going to or from school
- D. Four
Answer: C. Topic: conditional license.
30. A beginner’s permit, conditional or special restricted license holder reaches 6 points. What happens?
- A. A six-month suspension for Excessive Points
- B. A warning
- C. Nothing until 12 points
- D. A $50 fine
Answer: A. One reckless driving conviction, or speeding 25 mph or more over the limit, is 6 points on its own. Topic: points.
Your score
| Correct out of 30 | What to do next |
|---|---|
| 27 to 30 | Book your test, then do the manual’s sample questions as a final check |
| 24 to 26 | Reread the sections behind your misses |
| Under 24 | Read the whole manual again before you pay for an attempt |
Check the pass mark with SCDMV, and aim for 27 or more to leave a margin.
Common questions
Are these the real SCDMV questions?
No. They are original, unofficial practice questions. The official sample questions are in the Driver’s Manual.
How many questions are on the South Carolina permit test?
Ask your branch or One Stop tester.
How much does the SC permit test cost?
$2 per attempt, then $2.50 for the permit (as of November 2026).
Can I take the test after school?
Only if you get to the branch before 4 p.m., when knowledge testing stops. A One Stop driver training program may offer other times.
Do I need driver’s ed for the permit?
No. Driver education is needed for the conditional or special restricted license, not the beginner’s permit.
Where are practice tests for other states?
See US permit practice tests. The full route is in learning to drive in South Carolina.
Sources
- South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, “Driver’s Manual” (2026) (dmv.sc.gov)
- South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, “Beginner’s Permits” (dmv.sc.gov)
- South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, “Teenage Drivers” (dmv.sc.gov)
- South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, “Points System” (dmv.sc.gov)
- South Carolina Department of Public Safety, “Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act” (scdps.sc.gov)