As a guardian, your consent is required for all driver license applicants under 18 years old.
To cancel the license or permit of a minor, the Department of Public Safety must receive a written request from the guardian who signed the minor's original application.
Instruction Permit - To obtain an Instruction Permit, you must be at least 14 years of age and pass the vision and knowledge test. The permit is valid for one year. Minors at least 14 years of age, but less than 18 years of age, must hold the valid permit continuously for 180 days (90 days if successful completion of an approved Department of Education driver education course) prior to upgrade of permit to a Restricted Minor's permit or Operator's License. If under 18 years of age and the Instruction Permit expires, a minor would be required to obtain another Instruction Permit for either the 90 or 180 day requirement.
An Instruction Permit holder is entitled to drive during the hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. if the motor vehicle is operated under the direction of a licensed driver 18 years of age or older with at least one year's driving experience. They must be present in the seat next to the person holding the Instruction Permit.. During the hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the permit holder must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is occupying a seat beside the driver.
Traffic Violations - If the Department receives record of a conviction for a traffic violation or a violation of the restricted permit for a minor under 16 years of age, the driving privileges shall be suspended for a period of thirty days or as otherwise required by law. A second conviction shall result in suspension of the driving privilege until the permit holder's sixteenth birthday, or for 90 days, whichever is longer. Receipt of a conviction for a Class 1 Misdemeanor of Felony will result in a suspension of the license until their 16th birthday or as required by law. If the department receives a conviction for a violation of the restrictions of the license for a minor 16 or 17 years of age, the driving privileges shall be suspended for 30 days for each convictions.
Restricted Minor's Permit - To obtain a Restricted Minor's Permit, you must be at least 14 years of age and pass the vision, knowledge, and driving test, complete the requirements of the Instruction Permit, and have not been convicted of a traffic violation during the past six months prior to obtaining the Restricted Minor's Permit. You must show all documents that were required for the Instruction Permit. An individual up to age 18 years of age may hold a Restricted Minor's Permit. The permit is valid for 5 years.
Restrictions: A Restricted Minor's Permit is issued to a minor 14 to 17 years old allowing them to operate a motor vehicle with parental permission during the hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and during the hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. if the minor's parent or legal guardian is occupying a seat beside the driver. Upon attaining age 18, permit converts to Operator's License.
Operator's License - To obtain an Operator's License, you must be at least 16 years of age and pass the vision, knowledge, and driving test If a minor is at least 16 years of age, but under 18 years of age, they must complete the requirements of the Instruction Permit and have not been convicted of a traffic violation during the past six months prior to obtaining the Operator's License. The license is valid for 5 years. To renew an Operator's License, you must pass the vision test.
Motorcycle Instruction Permit - To obtain a Motorcycle Instruction Permit, you must be at least 14 years of age and pass the vision, knowledge (car/truck and motorcycle) tests. Minors at least 14 years of age, but less than 18 years of age, must hold the valid permit continuously of 180 days (90 days if successful completion of an approved Department of Education & Cultural Affairs driver education course) prior to upgrade of the permit to a Motorcycle Restricted Minor's Permit or a person has successfully completed the nation motorcycle safety course, the Motorcycle Instruction Permit only needs to be held for 30 continuous days. The permit is valid for one year. If under 18 years of age and the Motorcycle Instruction Permit expires, the minor would be required to obtain another Instruction Permit for the required time.
Restrictions: The Motorcycle Instruction Permit holder may operate a motorcycle during the hours of 6a.m. to 8p.m. if accompanied by a licensed motorcycle operator who is a least eighteen years of age, who has at least one year of driving experience and who is driving another motorcycle along with the permit holder. No Motorcycle Instruction Permit holder may carry another person on the motorcycle.
Motorcycle Restricted Minor's Permit - To obtain a Motorcycle Restricted Minor's Permit, you must be at least 14 years of age and pass the vision, knowledge (car/truck and motorcycle) tests, and motorcycle drive test, complete the requirements of the Instruction Permit and have not been convicted of a traffic violation during the past six months prior to obtaining the Motorcycle Restricted Minor's Permit. An individual up to age 18 years of age may hold a Motorcycle Restricted Minor's Permit. The permit is valid for 5 years
Restrictions: Entitles the holder, while having the permit in his immediate possession, to operate a motorcycle during the hours of 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. if the motorcycle is being operated with the permission of the minor's parent of legal guardian.
Motorcycle Operator's License - To obtain a Motorcycle License, you must be at least 16 years of age and pass the vision, knowledge (car/truck and motorcycle) tests, and motorcycle driving test. If a minor is at least 16 years of age, but under 18 years of age, they must complete the requirements of the Instruction Permit and not have been convicted of a traffic violation during the past six months prior to obtaining the Motorcycle Operator's License. The license is valid for 5 years or on the same date as the expiration date on the valid documents authorizing the applicant's presence in the United States, whichever occurs first.
Duplicate License - When a duplicate license is obtained, your license will retain the original license expiration date. To obtain a duplicate license you must provide proof of identity, date of birth, and lawful status, proof of your social security number, and two proofs of your principal address. Our examiners may question any documents and request additional information for verification of identity.
Moped Operators — You must be in possession of a valid operator's license.
Identification Card — To obtain an Identification Card, you must provide a certified birth certificate. There is no age requirement.
Any driver license or non-driver identification card issued to any individual under 21 years of age with 5 years or less remaining until applicant’s 21st birthday will expire 30 days after individual's 21st birthday.
NOTE: Every licensee shall have his Operator's License in his immediate possession at all times when operating a motor vehicle and shall display the same upon demand of a judge or a court of record, a magistrate, a peace officer, or a field deputy, or inspector of the Department of Public Safety.
What is South Dakota GDL? South Dakota Graduated Driver Licensing is a system for phasing in on-road driving, allowing beginners to get their initial experience under conditions that involve lower risk and introducing them in stages to more complex driving situations.
Take some time to watch the Young Drivers video here. See if your teen likes this video. If they do, they will love our South Dakota graduated driver licensing program.
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Remember when we were trying to teach our new teenagers as if we were traveling on a two-lane dirt road at 35 MPH, when our average traveled speed in South Dakota exceeds 55 MPH on a six-lane highway? Most families had a single vehicle in the fifties and sixties, and then to two vehicles in the seventies. The days of driving on weekends with mom and dad for the first year or two is over. In today’s hectic schedules, we are not allowing ourselves time to protect our South Dakota teens and teach them to drive as we should be. Parents need to realize that as the times change we must keep pace with that change.
Our driving generation, 35 to 50 years old, will be remembered as the worse driving generation in the history of the vehicle. We average 40,000 fatalities per year. Our generation needs to change the way we think and teach South Dakota graduated driver licensing.
If you look closely, you'll realize we spend about 12 years on basic education, reading writing, math, history and physical education…and only 6 hours behind the wheel training in a vehicle.
We need to be remembered as the generation that created the best South Dakota drivers in history. The generation that did something about the way we think and teach driver training. We need help from every mom and dad to complete this goal. We need to invest our time in our teenagers and take the time needed to teach our children to drive better.
This could mean as much as 1 or two years of guidance. And to do this you will need the very best South Dakota curriculum and training videos available. You will need to allow South Dakota graduated driver licensing to become part of your families dinner conversation and sharing experiences on new intersections, changes on the interstate on ramps or maybe a lost of a fellow student friend.
South Dakota Driver education and training is no longer a project to hire out to the local driving school. Parents need to get involved and stay involved for at least two or three years. Placing driving restrictions and hours on when a new driver is allowed to drive and with whom. This, in essence, is South Dakota Graduated Driver Licensing.
