South Dakota Road Signs Cheat Sheet.
The night-before summary, built like the exam.

The numbers to remember

• Passing score: 80% or higher on both the knowledge test and the driving test.
• You get 3 test attempts per fee paid, within a 6-month window.
• Fail a test? You must wait until the next working day to retest.
• Testing is by appointment at a driver exam station — no walk-ins.
• There is no official sample test published by the state; study the manual and a built practice test instead.
• Instruction Permit: minimum age 14, fee $28, held for 275 continuous days (or 180 after driver's ed).
• 50 supervised hours required before the road test, including 10 after dark and 10 in bad weather.
• Restricted Permit minimum age: 16. Driver License fee: $38. CDL fee: $43. Duplicate license: $20.
• Motorcycle endorsement needs a separate motorcycle knowledge test in addition to the operator's test.
• Seatbelts are required for anyone under 18, front and back seats.

Sign shapes at a glance

• Red octagon = stop. Red/white triangle = yield.
• Yellow diamond = warning. Orange = construction/work zone.
• White rectangle = regulatory (speed limits, restrictions).
• Green rectangle = guide/directional. Blue = services. Brown = recreation.
• Fluorescent yellow-green = pedestrian/school/bike warnings.

Right-of-way in one breath

• First to arrive at a stop, first to go; simultaneous arrival, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
• Left turns yield to all oncoming traffic and pedestrians.
• Pedestrians in any crosswalk always have the right-of-way.
• Emergency vehicles with lights/sirens always get the right-of-way — pull right and stop.
• When unsure, yield. Yielding is never the wrong test answer.

Top traps

• Confusing warning (yellow) with regulatory (white) signs — warning signs advise, regulatory signs are legally binding.
• Assuming right-of-way is something you take — it's always given, never assumed.
• Forgetting that a failed test locks you out until the next working day, so rushing into test day underprepared is costly.
• Studying only sign shapes and skipping seatbelt, speed, and impairment rules — these show up just as often.
• Assuming a sample test exists — it doesn't, so a practice test built from the manual is your best substitute.