South Dakota Tickets, Points and Defensive Driving

First question: can a course wipe out the ticket?

Not as a right. Some states let you trade a course for a dismissal; South Dakota has no such law. The court system's public guidance on tickets talks about fines, payment plans and paying online, and never mentions traffic school. If a website promises to get a South Dakota ticket dismissed when you finish its course, be skeptical and check with the court.

What exists instead is a judge's discretion. SDCL 23A-27-12.2 allows a judge, once you have pleaded or been found guilty of a misdemeanor and you agree to it, to hold the sentence in suspension and place you on probation under terms the court writes. Meet them, and SDCL 23A-27-14 lets the court discharge you and dismiss the case without ever entering a finding of guilt. It is a once in a lifetime option for misdemeanors, so many people hold it in reserve for something bigger than speeding.

Commercial drivers cannot use it at all. SDCL 32-12A-64 bars the state from masking, deferring judgment on, or diverting a traffic conviction for anyone holding a CDL or commercial learner's permit, no matter what vehicle they were driving. Parking violations are the only exception.

How points get added to your record

SDCL 32-12-49.1 attaches points to moving convictions, and DPS posts them to your record. Under administrative rule 61:18:02:03 there are no points at all for parking tickets, equipment problems, seat belt citations, or size and weight offenses. If one stop leads to several convictions, rule 61:18:02:02 has DPS count just the most expensive one in points.

The statute's two point bucket for miscellaneous moving violations carves out speeding by name. So a speeding conviction does not fall into that two point group, but it is still on your record, and insurers do look. Ask DPS how your particular conviction is handled.

Tickets from other states count as well. ARSD 61:18:02:04 has DPS charge points to a resident for a conviction elsewhere if South Dakota would have charged points for the same thing. In-state courts have 10 days to report a conviction to DPS, under SDCL 32-12-54.

• DWI: 10 points
• Reckless driving: 8 points
• Eluding or trying to elude police: 6 points
• Drag racing: 6 points
• Failing to yield, passing improperly, or wrong side of the road: 4 points
• Running a stop sign or a stop light: 3 points
• Other moving violations, excluding speeding: 2 points

If points pile up: suspension lengths

SDCL 32-12-49.2 puts your license at risk when you collect 15 points inside a 12 month stretch, or 22 inside a 24 month stretch. Rule 61:18:02:10 sets the time off the road: 60 days for the first suspension, six months for the second, one year for the third and any after that.

DPS may mail a warning once you reach half the suspension total, under rule 61:18:02:06. SDCL 32-12-49 has DPS act only after offering you a hearing, so answer any notice that arrives. Depending on your record, a restricted license for work or school may be possible under SDCL 32-12-49.4 and the DPS rules, though a repeat point suspension inside two years usually closes that door.

Can a defensive driving class lower your points?

We looked and found nothing in state law or DPS rules that takes points away for completing a course. The statutes and the Article 61:18 rules spell out how points are assessed, added up and enforced, and none of them gives course credit.

Your real protection is avoiding new convictions, because suspension is judged only over a sliding one year and two year lookback. If you are near the limit, get advice from the court or a lawyer licensed in South Dakota before you plead to another moving violation.

When a judge orders a driving course

A judge can make a course a condition of probation or of a suspended imposition of sentence. Because the court writes the conditions, the court also decides which course counts, when it must be finished and how proof gets filed. Ask the Clerk of Courts to put those details in writing.

For younger drivers, DPS lists Alive at 25, a classroom defensive driving program built for people under 25, as a safety resource for teens. That listing is no guarantee a judge will accept it, so confirm with your court before you sign up.

After the ticket: insurance and course discounts

South Dakota used to make insurers build a rate cut into their filings for drivers 55 and up who took an approved accident prevention class. Lawmakers struck SDCL 58-11-58 through 58-11-61 from the books in 2011, and state law no longer guarantees that discount.

An insurer can still reward a course voluntarily. Before you pay, ask your agent if a discount exists, which formats count, whether an online class qualifies, and for how many years it applies. Remember that an insurance course leaves your driving record exactly as it was.

Paying, asking for time, or contesting

The legislature sets maximum fines, and judges set the fine in cases that go to court. When no appearance is required, the ticket should show the scheduled amount. The money is owed by the ticket's date, or by sentencing if you had to go to court.

You can pay by card on the UJS ePay site, with a $25 minimum unless you owe less, but give a fresh case as long as two weeks before it shows up online. Not paying a fine or not complying with a citation is a ground for suspension by itself under SDCL 32-12-49, so request an extension instead of letting the date slide.

What a speeding ticket costs in fiscal 2027

The UJS schedule for fiscal 2027 has applied since July 1, 2026. On ordinary roads, from interstates and state highways to county roads and city streets, the amount you can mail in climbs with how fast you were going. Every total folds in $78.50 of Class 2 misdemeanor court costs on top of the fine; that sum covers liquidated costs plus two surcharges, one for court automation and one for victim compensation.

School zones and construction zones cost more. Careless driving, missing a stop sign, or tailgating each total $132.50, and handling a mobile electronic device behind the wheel totals $178.50. Some charges have no mail in amount and need a court appearance, so read your own ticket.

• Up to 5 mph over: $97.50 due, of which $19 is the fine
• 6 to 10 mph over: $117.50 due, of which $39 is the fine
• 11 to 15 mph over: $137.50 due, of which $59 is the fine
• 16 to 20 mph over: $157.50 due, of which $79 is the fine
• 21 to 25 mph over: $177.50 due, of which $99 is the fine
• 26 mph over or faster: $232.50 due, of which $154 is the fine

Common moves that do not help

• Buying online traffic school as a dismissal tool, when the state has no dismissal program
• Taking a course only for an insurance discount and expecting points or convictions to change
• Paying a ticket you meant to fight, since payment usually closes the case with no hearing
• Counting on a second suspended imposition, when misdemeanors allow only one per person
• Letting a fine deadline pass, which can trigger a suspension on its own