Licensing as an Adult in South Dakota

Who this applies to, and the course question

South Dakota wrote its drivers ed incentives for minors. In SDCL 32-12-12 a course matters only as a way for applicants younger than 18 to spend less time on the instruction permit, and the adult steps published by DPS never ask for a certificate. Clear the eye, written and road tests and you can be licensed with no formal training at all.

Even so, if you have hardly ever driven, a handful of professional lessons before test day can save you from a 30 day lockout. Some local drivers ed programs take adult students; the state coordinator's line, (605) 431-6520, can point you to ones near you.

Before you practice: the permit question for adults

The teen permit statute, SDCL 32-12-11, covers applicants from 14 up to 18. The DPS adult process jumps straight from the application to the three tests. Meanwhile SDCL 32-12-22 makes it illegal to drive on the state's highways without a valid license, apart from the exemptions it lists.

So if you are an adult who wants supervised road practice before testing, call DPS at (605) 773-6883 first. Ask what you are allowed to do and whether any permit is open to you. Do not borrow the teen rules, and stay off public roads until DPS has told you where you stand.

On test day: what the examiner checks

Both the written and road tests need 80 percent. The written questions come from the manual's chapters on road rules and safe habits, and the manual is available in English and Spanish. Wear your glasses or contacts for the eye test if you need them, and a corrective lens restriction will be printed on your license.

You supply the car for the road test, and it must be empty of passengers and pets. Every road test is by appointment. Fail any test and the earliest retry is the next working day, with three tries per fee inside six months.

SDCL 32-12-4 lays out what the exam measures: how well you see, whether you can read and make sense of road signs, what you know about the state's traffic laws, and whether you can actually handle a car on the road. The statute gives DPS 30 days from your application to offer an exam in or close to your county, though busy stations can still be booked weeks out.

If something goes wrong: errors that mean a 30 day wait

DPS keeps a list of road test errors that push your next attempt back 30 days. These are dangerous habits rather than nerves, and they are where inexperienced adults most often lose a month. A short course or a few sessions with a seasoned driver usually fixes them.

Drill complete stops, yielding and lane discipline until you do them without thinking. Here is the DPS list:

• Being in a crash on the test, unless the examiner rules you were not at fault
• Weaving between lanes or generally poor control of the car
• Not yielding to another vehicle or a pedestrian
• Going through a stop sign or a red light
• Driving far over the limit
• Turning into oncoming traffic or driving on the wrong side

Moving in with a license from another state

Live in South Dakota longer than 90 days and DPS expects you to carry its license; SDCL 32-12-26.1 counts that 90 day mark as residency for licensing purposes. Commercial drivers get only 30 days. You also need a physical address in the state, unless your home is an RV or camper year round or your job keeps you traveling full time.

Your old license is surrendered, since you cannot hold two. Expect an eye test, and DPS says the knowledge or drive test may also be required, so when you book, ask whether either one will be skipped in your case. DPS pulls your record from your previous state, and SDCL 32-12-62 folds those old convictions into your new South Dakota record.

Before you apply: which document list is yours

DPS uses two lists. The longer one is for first time applicants and anyone moving over a license that is not REAL ID compliant. It asks for one proof of identity, one proof of your Social Security number, and two proofs of where you physically live in South Dakota.

The shorter list is for people whose current out of state license is REAL ID compliant. Bring that card, even if it has expired, along with one citizenship document from the list below and the same two address proofs.

Whichever list you use, each address document needs your name and street address and a date within the past year. Copies and handwritten envelopes are rejected. If your name has changed since birth, bring certified marriage certificates or court orders linking each name to the next.

• Identity for U.S. citizens: a birth certificate certified by a state or county, a valid passport or passport card, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a naturalization or citizenship certificate
• Citizenship document for the REAL ID transfer list: a valid U.S. passport, a U.S. birth certificate, or a naturalization or citizenship certificate
• Non citizens: a Permanent Resident Card or Employment Authorization Card that has not expired, or an I-94 together with a valid passport from your home country

Full time RVers and mail forwarding addresses

Many full time RV owners make South Dakota their home state, and DPS has added steps for them. With a mail forwarding service you sign a notarized Residency Affidavit containing a perjury statement, show a receipt for one night of lodging in the state within the past year (a hotel, motel, campground or RV park all work), and show proof of your personal mailbox address. Virtual addresses do not qualify.

Planning to use the address of a friend or relative in the state? Bring the Consent for Use of Address form. Because some stations book weeks ahead, set your appointment to match the dates you will actually be in South Dakota.

After you pass: does a course lower your premium?

South Dakota once had a law, found at SDCL 58-11-58 through 58-11-61, that made insurers cut premiums for drivers aged 55 or more who passed an approved accident prevention class. It was repealed in 2011, and we found no current statute that guarantees a discount for any adult course.

Insurers can still offer one on their own terms. Before you pay for a class, ask your agent which courses qualify and how long the discount runs, and keep the answer in writing.