South Dakota Permit Practice Test 1
This free South Dakota practice test has 30 multiple-choice questions covering road signs, right-of-way, speed limits, and safe driving — the same topics the DPS tests. You need 80% correct to pass the real DPS Knowledge Test.
Tap an answer. The explanation opens so you can learn it, then go on. Keyboard: A–D or 1–4 to answer, then Enter or Space.
Question 1 of 30
1. You turn onto a quiet South Dakota street lined with houses and no speed sign. Unless a local rule posts something else, the usual default is:
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Correct answer: B. Unposted residential streets in South Dakota are generally 25 mph. Watch for school and work-zone drops. When houses line the road and no sign argues otherwise, think 25 mph.
2. A South Dakota red arrow is showing. What must you do?
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Correct answer: A. South Dakota says a red arrow means you must stop and you cannot go in the direction of the arrow. You may proceed when the red arrow goes out and a green arrow or light comes on.
3. A friend says every US interstate is 80 mph. In South Dakota, the highest posted highway limit is actually:
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Correct answer: A. Interstate limits vary. South Dakota tops out at 80 mph where posted. Learn the number for your state, then obey the sign in front of you, which is often lower.
4. What is the safest way to handle your speed through a sharp curve?
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Correct answer: B. Slow to a safe speed before the curve begins, then hold steady or gently accelerate through it. Braking mid-curve can break tire grip and cause a skid. Do your slowing on the straightaway, your steering in the bend.
5. Two cars arrive at a four-way stop at the same time, facing each other, and the car across from you is going straight. You want to turn left. Who should go first?
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Correct answer: B. At a four-way stop, through traffic goes before a facing left turn when you arrive together. The left-turner would otherwise cut across the straight path. Straight first, then the left — same idea as an unprotected green.
6. South Dakota enforces 'zero tolerance' for underage drinking and driving. In practice, a driver under 21 violates this law at what BAC?
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Correct answer: A. Zero tolerance in South Dakota means the under-21 line sits at 0.02%, so even one drink can end in a suspended license. The memory hook is simple: under 21 means zero drinks before you drive.
7. What is the maximum lawful speed when you pass a South Dakota school during recess or at opening and closing hours?
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Correct answer: A. South Dakota caps speed at 15 mph when passing a school at recess or while children arrive and leave. Kids step into the street unpredictably, and 15 mph leaves room to stop. Breaking this rule is a Class 2 misdemeanor.
8. A pedestrian is crossing your half of the street in a crosswalk at an intersection without signals. What must you do?
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Correct answer: A. Drivers must yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk, and crosswalks legally exist at intersections even when no lines are painted. People on foot have no protection in a collision, so treat every corner as a possible crosswalk.
9. A yellow diamond shows a truck tipping on a curved arrow. What should you do before the curve?
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Correct answer: B. The tipping-truck symbol marks a curve or ramp with a recommended lower speed for high-center vehicles — and a wise lower speed for everyone. Slow before you enter the curve, not in the middle of it.
10. What does NHTSA say about over-the-counter and prescription drugs and driving?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA drug-impaired-driving guidance says Some prescription and over-the-counter medicines can cause extreme drowsiness, dizziness, and other side effects. Warnings against operating heavy machinery include driving a vehicle.
11. In South Dakota, a driver who is 21 or older breaks the law by driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above what level?
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Correct answer: A. South Dakota law makes it illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.08% or higher. Alcohol slows judgment and reaction time, and impairment can begin well below that number. Treat 0.08% as a legal line, not a safe target.
12. BAC measures the percentage of alcohol in a person's blood. For drivers 21 and older in South Dakota, what BAC puts them at or over the legal limit?
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Correct answer: C. BAC stands for blood alcohol concentration. In South Dakota, adult drivers reach the illegal level at 0.08%. Remember the rule as a hard line: at 0.08% you are over, and skills like reaction time fade even sooner.
13. When must you stop for a South Dakota school bus?
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Correct answer: A. South Dakota says you must always stop for a school bus that has its red lights flashing or its stop arm extended unless the roadway is separated by a physical barrier. After the red lights stop and the stop arm is no longer visible, proceed slowly while watching for children.
14. Who writes the official new-driver (graduated licensing) rules that apply on South Dakota roads?
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Correct answer: A. GDL hours, night limits, and passenger rules are South Dakota law, explained by the DPS. A school or insurer may summarize them, but they are not the source. Learn the South Dakota version, not a generic US version.
15. At the top of a ramp you see a square sign with a red circle and a white horizontal bar reading DO NOT ENTER. What does it mean?
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Correct answer: A. DO NOT ENTER marks a roadway where traffic flows toward you, such as an exit ramp or one-way street. Entering it risks a head-on crash. If you have already turned in and see WRONG WAY, pull over and turn around safely.
16. Which official NHTSA NDR code records a financial-responsibility failure?
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Correct answer: A. Official 23 CFR 1327 Appendix A lists D35 Failure to comply with financial responsibility law and B63 Failed to file future proof of financial responsibility. The leftover insurance-or-keys mnemonic is not on that page; this nearby official national code is.
17. A power outage has left the traffic signals at an intersection completely dark. What should you do?
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Correct answer: A. When a signal is completely dark, treat the intersection as an all-way stop: stop fully, yield to vehicles that arrived first, and proceed in turn. This shared rule keeps order when the usual electronic referee is offline.
18. A passenger claims some South Dakota highways have unlimited speed like the German autobahn. In reality, the state's highest legal limit is which of these?
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Correct answer: D. Every road in South Dakota has a limit, and the statewide ceiling is 80 mph on designated highways. Higher speeds multiply crash energy dramatically, so no US state allows unlimited speed. Follow whatever limit is actually posted.
19. If a state legalizes marijuana possession, may you drive under the influence of the drug?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA drug-impaired-driving guidance says Even in states where marijuana laws have changed, it is still illegal to drive under the influence of the drug. Driving impaired by any substance is against the law in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
20. The signal shows a green arrow for your left turn. What does having a 'protected' turn mean?
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Correct answer: B. A green arrow gives you a protected turn: conflicting traffic is held by a red signal. Still glance for people or vehicles already in the intersection, because protected means favored, not guaranteed safe.
21. Before turning left across oncoming traffic, why should you look twice for motorcycles?
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Correct answer: A. A motorcycle's narrow profile fools your eyes: it looks farther away and slower than it really is. Many rider deaths happen when cars turn left across their path. Look twice and judge twice before you commit.
22. On a dark road you see several black-and-yellow signs, each with a single sideways V pointing to the right, spaced along the roadside. What do they mark?
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Correct answer: B. Chevron alignment signs outline a sharp curve, each arrowhead pointing the direction the road bends. They are placed in a series so your headlights pick up the curve's shape at night. Follow the chevrons like breadcrumbs through the turn.
23. On slick or snow-covered roads, what following-distance step does NHTSA list?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA winter-driving guidance says On the road, increase your following distance enough so that you’ll have plenty of time to stop for vehicles ahead of you. The leftover count-the-seconds mnemonic is not on that page; this nearby official following-distance sentence is.
24. You are parking near railroad tracks. What distance do most state manuals require from the nearest rail?
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Correct answer: C. Fifty feet from the nearest rail is the usual keep-clear distance so trains and crossing gates have room and drivers can see. Do not park on or immediately beside the tracks. Fifty for rails, thirty for signs, twenty for walks, fifteen for hydrants.
25. In South Dakota, state law sets a default limit for residential districts that applies wherever no speed limit sign is posted. That default is which of the following?
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Correct answer: B. South Dakota law fixes the unposted residential default at 25 mph. Lawmakers keep it low because residential streets are full of crossings, parked cars, and pedestrians. Remember: no sign means the default applies, and posted signs override it.
26. What first winter-driving step does NHTSA list on a slick surface?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA winter-driving guidance says Slow down. It’s harder to control or stop your vehicle on a slick or snow-covered surface. The leftover hard-brake-on-bridge sentence is not on that page; this nearby official slick-surface rule is.
27. You are driving past a school crossing just as classes let out. What must you be prepared to do?
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Correct answer: C. Near school crossings you must slow to any posted school speed and stop whenever children or crossing guards are in the crosswalk. Kids are small, quick, and unpredictable, so extra caution is required. Expect the unexpected wherever students gather.
28. In South Dakota, supervised behind-the-wheel practice with a permit can begin once a teen reaches which age?
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Correct answer: C. Supervised practice starts at 14 in South Dakota, once the teen holds a learner's permit. Every practice hour with a licensed adult builds judgment that classroom study alone cannot teach, which is why the permit stage exists.
29. What is the right way to pass a bicyclist riding near the edge of your lane?
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Correct answer: B. Pass a bicyclist the patient way: ease off the gas, give plenty of side clearance, and wait until oncoming traffic allows a safe move. A wobble or pothole can push a rider sideways, so space is survival.
30. An orange sign with a black arrow reads DETOUR. What is this sign telling you?
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Correct answer: A. Detour signs guide you along a temporary route when the normal road is closed, often for construction or an emergency. Keep following the arrows until the detour ends, and the route will return you to your original road.
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