Parallel parking — South Dakota Permit Test

Parallel parking on the South Dakota permit test — 5 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.

The rules

To parallel park, signal, then stop even with the vehicle in the space ahead and about 2 feet away from it.

Stopping too far out leaves you backing in at a wide angle that ends up far from the curb.

Stop even with the vehicle in the parking space ahead and about 2 feet away from it.

South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.44

Parallel parking, turn the wheels right and back slowly; as your front door passes the back bumper of the vehicle ahead, straighten the wheels and keep backing.

Holding the right turn too long puts your back wheel up on the curb.

As the front door passes the back bumper of the vehicle in the space ahead, straighten the wheels and continue to back straight.

South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.44

Parallel parking, once you are clear of the vehicle ahead, turn the wheels sharply to the left and back slowly toward the vehicle behind.

Turning left too soon hooks your front corner into the back of the parked car ahead.

When clear of the vehicle in the space ahead, turn the wheels sharply to the left and back slowly toward the vehicle in the space behind.

South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.44

When a parallel park is finished, the vehicle should be within 12 inches of the curb or edge of the road.

A car left far from the curb sticks into the lane where a passing car can clip it.

When the maneuver is finished, the vehicle should be within 12 inches of the curb or edge of the road, and at least 2 feet away from the parked vehicles.

South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.44

When a parallel park is finished, the vehicle should be at least 2 feet away from the parked vehicles.

Parking right against the next car leaves neither driver room to pull out without bumping.

When the maneuver is finished, the vehicle should be within 12 inches of the curb or edge of the road, and at least 2 feet away from the parked vehicles.

South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.44

On the test

To begin parallel parking, where do you stop?

Even with the car ahead, about 2 feet away. Stopping too far out leaves you backing in at a wide angle that ends up far from the curb. South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.44: “Stop even with the vehicle in the parking space ahead and about 2 feet away from it.”

How this works

Most practice tests hand you a bank of questions and leave the manual somewhere else. This one puts them together.

You read one law and the reason behind it, then answer a question on that law while it is still fresh. Get it right and you move on; get it wrong and you have found the gap while it is cheap to fix, not on the morning of the exam.

Learning one rule at a time, and proving it immediately, is what turns a manual you skimmed into something you actually know — and it makes studying feel like getting somewhere rather than like waiting to find out.

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Where these come from

Every rule here is checked against South Dakota Driver License Manual, published by the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-10-04.