Is the South Dakota Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics)
South Dakota ranks 31st of 51 on knowledge-test difficulty. The state has some of the most dangerous roads in the country.
Across the 51 jurisdictions, more lenient knowledge tests tend to pair with deadlier roads. South Dakota sits on the riskier side, near the bottom of the chart.
Source: DMV IQ Driving Index. FARS 2023 · FHWA 2024 · CDC BRFSS 2023 · IIHS 2025.
The test
The DPS asks 25 questions and requires 80% correct — at least 20 right answers. That leaves a margin of 5 wrong. That places South Dakota near the middle of the national distribution on test difficulty.
South Dakota hands out permits earlier than most
South Dakota permits driving instruction as early as 14 — earlier than the 16-year-old norm most states use. The intermediate license follows at 14½, with a full unrestricted license at 16.
- Learner's permitAge 14held 6 months, none required by state law
Earlier than the 16-year-old norm.
- Full licenseAge 16all restrictions lift
50 hours behind the wheel, with a parent watching.
South Dakota requires 50 supervised hours — above the national mean of 45.2, short of the IIHS-recommended 70.
On South Dakota's roads.
For every 100,000 licensed drivers aged 19 and under in South Dakota, 13.0 die in a crash each year. The U.S. average is 16.8; South Dakota ranks 18th lowest of 51.
Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 ÷ FHWA DL-22 2024.
Across all drivers, South Dakota's road network sees 1.34 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles travelled. The U.S. average is 1.25.
Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 ÷ FHWA VM-2 2024.
What South Dakota bans behind the wheel.
South Dakota scores 4.0 of 6 on our distracted-driving rubric (rank 27th of 51). The state prohibits texting and manual data entry for all drivers and applies a total cellphone ban to teen and novice drivers. South Dakota's seat-belt law is secondary enforcement — an officer cannot stop a vehicle for an unbuckled driver unless another violation is present. Self-reported belt use is 87%.
On two wheels.
South Dakota's motorcyclist fatality rate is 1.97 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles — well below the 6.87 U.S. average. South Dakota's helmet law is partial — typically required only for younger riders.
Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 · FHWA MV-1 2024.
DPS's motorcycle knowledge test is 25 questions, with a 80% pass mark. Completion of the South Dakota Motorcycle Safety Education Program waives the DPS road test. Required for riders under 18.
On bigger rigs.
The South Dakota CDL knowledge test is federally standardised — 50 questions, 80 percent to pass, the same content in every state. The CDL knowledge-test fee in South Dakota is $10. Other fees and endorsement processing run through the DPS.
Pass the DPS test before you take it.
Free South Dakota practice questions with instant explanations. Score 90 percent on three runs in a row and the real thing tends to look familiar.
Free South Dakota practice testNearby in the index.
Six more state pages — neighbours first, then the closest matches on road safety.