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South Dakota · Knowledge test

The SD driving test (road test)

You take the driving test once you’ve passed the vision and knowledge tests and, under 18, once your instruction permit’s holding time is up. For the SD driving test you bring a safe car, book an appointment with the Department of Public Safety (DPS), and show an examiner you can drive safely.

  • 30 daysWait after a serious error on the test
  • Day 276Under-18 first booking, no driver’s ed
  • No passengers or petsRule for the car during the test
Read the drive test rulesFree practice test

Updated November 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

How do you book the SD driving test?

Every drive test needs an appointment, and you book it online or by phone, the same way as the knowledge test.

Under 18, the earliest you can book is day 276 on your instruction permit, or day 181 if you’ve passed an approved driver education course. The manual adds that no drive tests are given from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or in the last hour before an exam station closes.

See the permit rules →See how to book →

Taking the driving test in Sioux Falls

The main Sioux Falls Driver Exam Station, at 1501 South Highline Avenue, Suite 1B, handles every service that needs a test. The Sioux Falls Express Station at 6010 S. Minnesota Avenue works by appointment only and doesn’t offer testing.

The car you test in

You bring your own safe car for the road test, and pets and passengers aren’t allowed in it during the test. The examiner may cancel the test if they consider the weather or road conditions unsafe.

What the driving test checks

The test is made up of normal driving tasks, and you won’t be asked to do anything against the law. You need a score of 80% or higher. The testing pages don’t list set maneuvers, but the manual’s General Driving chapter teaches these step by step:

  • Parallel parking, ending within 12 inches of the curb
  • Two-point and three-point turnabouts
  • Perpendicular and angle parking
  • Parking on a hill, with and without a curb

Mistakes that mean a 30-day wait

If you make one of these errors on the drive test, you wait 30 days before DPS gives you another:

  • A crash during the test, unless the tester is not at fault
  • Poor car control
  • Weaving in and out of lanes
  • Failing to yield to a car or a pedestrian
  • Running a stop light or stop sign
  • Excessive speeding
  • Turning into an oncoming lane of traffic
  • Driving on the wrong side of the road
  • Anything that puts the public’s or the examiner’s safety at risk

Other fails follow the same retest rule as the knowledge test.

Sources: South Dakota Department of Public Safety and 3 more. Checked November 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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