South Dakota Speed Limits practice test

Practice limits and how to adjust your speed: 23 questions based on the South Dakota Driver's License Manual, 10 of them on South Dakota's own rules.

Key South Dakota facts: Speed Limits

  • No person may drive on the interstate system faster than 80 mph, except where a lower limit is set. SDCL 32-25-4
  • Except on the interstate or where a speed zone is set, no person may drive faster than 65 mph. SDCL 32-25-1.1
  • Driving below 40 mph on the interstate is a Class 2 misdemeanor unless the vehicle has a permit. SDCL 32-25-5
  • In urban areas that are not zoned or posted, the maximum lawful speed is 25 mph. SDCL 32-25-12
  • When passing a school during recess or while children are arriving or leaving, the maximum lawful speed is 15 mph. SDCL 32-25-14

Sample Speed Limits questions

Off the interstate, what is South Dakota's general maximum speed on a highway, unless a different limit is set or posted?

  • 75 mph
  • 55 mph
  • 70 mph
  • 65 mph
Show the answer

65 mph

The Transportation Commission can set lower limits on state highways.

Source: SDCL 32-25-1.1, SDCL 32-25-1.1

Who may set a maximum speed lower than the statewide limit on a state highway?

  • The county treasurer's office
  • The Governor, by executive order
  • The Highway Patrol by itself
  • The Transportation Commission
Show the answer

The Transportation Commission

The Department of Transportation posts signs at the beginning and end of the zone.

Source: SDCL 32-25-7, SDCL 32-25-7

What is the lowest speed allowed on a South Dakota interstate, apart from permits and highway equipment?

  • 25 mph
  • 30 mph
  • 45 mph
  • 40 mph
Show the answer

40 mph

Driving unreasonably slowly is also a violation anywhere.

Source: SDCL 32-25-5, SDCL 32-25-5

You are within 50 feet of a railroad crossing and your view of the track is blocked. What is the maximum speed?

  • 15 mph
  • 10 mph
  • 35 mph
  • 25 mph
Show the answer

15 mph

A view is blocked if you cannot see 400 feet of track each way at some point in the last 200 feet.

Source: SDCL 32-25-13, SDCL 32-25-13

What is the maximum speed in an urban area that is not zoned or posted?

  • 20 mph
  • 35 mph
  • 15 mph
  • 25 mph
Show the answer

25 mph

Posted speed zones take the place of the default limit.

Source: SDCL 32-25-12, SDCL 32-25-12

On certain divided four-lane rural state highways, what maximum may the Transportation Commission set?

  • 55 mph
  • 60 mph
  • 75 mph
  • 70 mph
Show the answer

70 mph

Signs show where the 70 mph limit applies.

Source: SDCL 32-25-7.1, SDCL 32-25-7.1

What is the maximum lawful speed when passing a school during recess, or while children are going to or leaving school?

  • 20 mph
  • 10 mph
  • 25 mph
  • 15 mph
Show the answer

15 mph

Posted school zones may also have traffic control devices you must obey.

Source: SDCL 32-25-14, SDCL 32-25-14

What is the highest speed allowed on South Dakota interstate highways, unless a lower limit is posted?

  • 75 mph
  • 70 mph
  • 80 mph
  • 65 mph
Show the answer

80 mph

Signs can set a lower limit on parts of the interstate.

Source: SDCL 32-25-4, SDCL 32-25-4

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About these questions

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.