Getting your South Dakota learner permit

By the end of this topic you can

• You can book a permit appointment with DPS.
• You can list the documents a first-time applicant must bring.
• You can explain how a parent or guardian gives consent.
• You can describe the vision and knowledge tests you will take.
• You can state the rules for driving on an instruction permit.

What you need to know and understand

• You must be at least 14 and have parent or guardian consent if you are under 18.
• Make an appointment online through DPS or by calling 605-773-6883.
• Bring originals: photocopies are not accepted.
• A hospital birth certificate is not accepted. It must be a certified copy with the issuing authority's stamp or raised seal.
• Two documents proving your South Dakota address, less than a year old, are required. A parent's mail is fine if that parent comes with you.
• You pass a vision test and a knowledge test, unless an approved driver education certificate from the last year waives the knowledge test.
• The DPS teen flyer lists the permit fee as $38. The permit is valid for five years.

Your document checklist

DPS checks every document by hand, so bring originals in good condition.

• Proof of identity and date of birth: a certified US birth certificate, a valid US passport, or another document on the DPS list.
• Proof of your Social Security number, such as your Social Security card or a W-2.
• Two proofs of South Dakota address, such as a utility bill, bank statement or school report card.
• A completed application form.
• Your parent or guardian in person, or a notarized Parental Consent Form.
• Your driver education certificate, if you want the knowledge test waived.

What happens at the exam station

1. An examiner checks your documents and your application.
2. Your photo is taken.
3. You take the vision test. If you wear glasses or contacts for it, you must wear them whenever you drive.
4. You take the knowledge test on rules of the road and safe driving, unless it is waived.
5. You pay the fee and receive your instruction permit.

Other eligibility rules

You cannot get a permit while your driving privilege is suspended or revoked in any state, or while you have unpaid fines for moving traffic violations. If you fail the vision test, you need a statement from an optometrist or ophthalmologist before the exam can continue.

Drivers 18 and older also start with an instruction permit. They drive with a licensed adult who has at least a year of experience and must pass a drive test before getting an operator's license. Our guide to the South Dakota permit test at 14 covers test day in more detail.

Common mistakes

• Bringing a hospital-issued birth certificate. Only a certified copy from the state or county is accepted.
• Bringing address mail in a parent's name when a different parent attends. The accompanying parent's name must be on the documents.
• Turning up without an appointment. DPS asks applicants to book first.
• Driving alone on the new permit. A licensed adult must be seated beside you every time.

Test yourself: Getting your South Dakota learner permit

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Learning to Drive in South Dakota
• South Dakota Permit Test at 14
• South Dakota Permit Practice Test