License eligibility — South Dakota Permit Test

You must be at least 14 years of age to obtain a South Dakota driver license or permit; persons under 14 cannot get one.

A child too young to judge speed and distance can freeze or panic when a car or deer appears.

Are at least 14 years of age

An applicant under the age of 18 needs parent or guardian consent, and it is required for every application completed.

A parent who never signed may not know their teen has moved up a step and is now driving alone.

Have parent/guardian consent if under the age of 18 (required for every application completed)

To get a driver license you must have no unpaid fines for moving traffic violations.

A driver who ignores old tickets shows the state they will ignore the rules, so the license waits until they pay.

Have no unpaid fines for moving traffic violations

You cannot get a South Dakota license while your driving privileges are suspended, revoked or denied in South Dakota or any other state.

Without this, a driver banned for drunk driving in one state could just move and start driving again next door.

Do not currently have suspended, revoked, or denied driving privileges in South Dakota or any other state

When you apply for a South Dakota license, all existing driver licenses and ID cards, from South Dakota or out of state, must be surrendered at the time of application.

Two licenses let a driver hand an officer the clean one, hiding tickets that should cost them their license.

When applying for a South Dakota Driver License all South Dakota or out-of-state driver license(s) and/or ID(s) must be surrendered at the time of application.

A person who has accumulated child support arrearages of $1,000 or more cannot get a South Dakota driver license.

The state uses the license to make parents pay, so a child is not left without support while the parent drives.

Persons who have accumulated child support arrearages of $1,000 or more.

A person barred from a license by child support arrearages may be eligible for one 6-month temporary license.

Without any way to drive to work, a parent might never earn the money to pay what they owe.

(These people may be eligible for one 6-month temporary license.)

Persons determined to be medically or psychologically unfit to drive cannot get a South Dakota driver license.

A driver who blacks out or loses judgment at the wheel can run a car into anyone nearby.

Persons who have been determined medically or psychologically unfit to drive.

What is the youngest age at which you may get a South Dakota driver license or permit?

14 years old. A child too young to judge speed and distance can freeze or panic when a car or deer appears. South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.5: “Are at least 14 years of age”