Practice lane markings, turns, passing and merging: 36 questions based on the South Dakota Driver's License Manual, 11 of them on South Dakota's own rules.
Slowly reduce speed once the road is clear and passing is legal
Braking hard to scare a tailgater only raises the risk of being hit.
The left lane or other lanes marked for left turns
Check the signs and arrows before you enter to pick the correct lane.
No, you must not cross the median
If you miss your exit, go on to the next one.
Source: South Dakota Driver License Manual (revised 11/2024), General Driving, Intersections, Proper Driving Techniques on the Interstate, PDF p. 42; SDCL 32-26-9, SDCL 32-26-9
Just one
Pass on the left and do not linger in the passing lane.
Source: South Dakota Driver License Manual (revised 11/2024), Safe Driving Tips, Cushion of Space, Space to Pass, PDF p. 53; SDCL 32-26-26, SDCL 32-26-26
About 10 seconds
You also need a gap of that length in oncoming traffic.
On a narrow two-lane road, when a U-turn is not possible
It should only be used on a two-lane roadway.
The right lane
Avoid unnecessary lane changes and keep pace with traffic.
Drive to the end of the acceleration lane and stop
Stopping at the end leaves no room to get up to speed, and drivers behind may not expect it.
The left-most part of the lane
A right turn is made from the right-most part of the lane.
Source: South Dakota Driver License Manual (revised 11/2024), General Driving, Turning and Turnabouts, PDF p. 38; SDCL 32-26-18, SDCL 32-26-18
Passing slower vehicles
Never pass on the shoulder, paved or not.
We wrote these practice questions from the facts in the South Dakota Driver's License Manual (Driver's License Manual (English), South Dakota Department of Public Safety, Driver Licensing Program; 72 PDF pages, the last page says 'REVISED 11/2024' (PDF file metadata: created 2025-12-02, modified 2026-06-30); linked as 'Driver's License Manual - English' on the DPS page South Dakota Driver License and Motorcycle Manuals (https://www.sd.gov/dps?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0043733), read 2026-11-10. Page numbers cited are PDF pages, which equal the printed page numbers. PDF pp. 15-16 (blood stem cell and organ donor pages) and 69-70 (office lists) were not used. The manual has no speed-limit, insurance-minimum or crash-reporting-threshold sections, so those rules come from South Dakota Codified Laws read on sdlegislature.gov on 2026-11-10 (Titles 22, 32, 35 and ARSD 61:06:01:06); the section lists showed no amendment after SL 2025. Handbook statements that differ from or go beyond current law and how they were handled: (1) rural-highway parking (PDF p. 43: 15 feet of road width, visible 500 feet) differs from SDCL 32-30-2 (20 feet clear width, clear view from 200 feet); not tested, and the owner may want to note it; (2) first-offense DWI penalty text (PDF p. 20: fine $300-$1,000, 15-365 days in jail, license loss 90-365 days) differs from SDCL 32-23-2 (Class 1 misdemeanor, court must revoke at least 30 days, up to one year in jail and $2,000); questions use the statute and the 30-day minimum the manual also gives; (3) zero tolerance (PDF p. 20: 'second or subsequent' 180 days) differs from SDCL 32-23-21 (one year for a third or later offense); only first and second offenses are tested; (4) phones (PDF p. 19 lists texting, reading texts and social networking) is narrower than SDCL 32-26-47.1 (any mobile electronic device, Class 2 misdemeanor, exceptions for calls, emergencies, navigation and hands-free use); questions follow the statute; (5) the instruction permit section (PDF p. 8) omits the SDCL 32-12-11 rule that between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. a parent or guardian must sit beside the holder; a question uses the statute; (6) the restricted permit section (PDF p. 8) omits the SDCL 32-12-12.5 limit of one non-family passenger under 18 after six months; questions use the statute and the DPS teen page; (7) school buses (PDF p. 43 says always stop for red lights) omits SDCL 32-32-6 details (stop at least 15 feet away, amber lights mean 15 mph or less on roads with fewer than two lanes each way, no stop for a bus on the other side of a road with two or more lanes each way); questions use the statute; (8) following distance is a minimum of 4 seconds in the manual (PDF p. 51) but the DPS teen page tip says to teach the three-second rule, so following_seconds uses the manual and is noted; (9) large-truck stopping distance is 290 feet (PDF p. 62) and 335 feet (PDF p. 63), so it is not tested; (10) the 200-foot distance behind snowplows (PDF p. 67) and the 500-foot U-turn sight distance (PDF p. 39) were not found in the statutes read, so they are not tested; (11) the manual is silent on left turn on red, which SDCL 32-28-4.1 leaves to city ordinance for one-way-to-one-way turns; a question uses the statute. Fees (PDF p. 7), points (PDF p. 14), window tint (PDF p. 24) and move-over (PDF p. 2) match the statutes. edition) and from official sources on road signs. Every answer links to its source, so you can check it and read more.
DMV Decoded is an independent guide, not a government agency. This practice test is not connected to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, Driver Licensing Program, and your actual test will have different questions. Study the handbook, and check the agency's website for current rules.