Driving Tests

South Dakota Restricted Permit: Hours, Passengers and How to Qualify

informational·how to guide·Published June 17, 2026

When can a teen drive alone with a South Dakota restricted minor's permit?

In South Dakota, a teen 14 to 17 with a restricted minor's permit may drive alone from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a parent's or guardian's permission. From 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., a parent or guardian must sit beside the teen, except on direct trips to or from school, worship, work or farm work. For the first six months, only family or household members may ride.

Where the South Dakota restricted permit facts come from

The hours, passenger rules, vehicle limits and penalties come from South Dakota Codified Laws (SDCL), mainly SDCL 32-12-12, and from sections 32-12-2, 32-12-6, 32-12-11, 32-12-12.3, 32-12-12.4, 32-12-12.5, 32-12-13, 32-12-14, 32-12-14.1, 32-12-15, 32-12-15.1 and 32-12-16. The steps, the drive test and the documents come from the South Dakota DPS teen drivers page, the DPS fees and permit upgrade pages, the DPS teen driver pamphlet (effective July 1, 2025), the current South Dakota Driver License Manual and the 2025 action log of House Bill 1121. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the South Dakota Department of Public Safety (dps.sd.gov) before you drive.

South Dakota restricted minor's permit at a glance

South Dakota restricted minor's permit at a glance
Rule	What applies
Who can get it	A minor at least 14 and under 18 who has met the instruction permit requirements
Driving alone	6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a parent's or guardian's permission
10 p.m. to 6 a.m.	A parent or guardian in the seat beside you, unless the trip is an exception
Passengers, first 6 months	Only immediate family or household members
Passengers after 6 months	At most one passenger under 18 who is not family or household
Phone	No wireless communication device of any type
Fee	$38
When the limits end	At age 18

How to qualify for a restricted minor's permit in South Dakota

1
Hold the instruction permit long enough
Hold it at least 275 days. If you pass an approved driver education course, 180 continuous days is enough. These counts apply to permits issued after July 1, 2020.
2
Drive 50 supervised hours
Log 50 hours with a parent, a legal guardian or a licensed driver over 18 who has at least one year of driving experience. 10 of the hours must be in bad weather and at least 10 at night.
3
Stay clear of traffic convictions
You must not have a conviction for a traffic violation in the past six months.
4
Get the parent's written statement
A parent or legal guardian must attest in writing that you met the instruction permit requirements. At the exam station, the parent signs the Supervised Driving Affidavit. The parent gives consent in person there or with a notarized Parental Consent Form.
5
Book the drive test and pay the fee
Book the drive test for the 276th day or later, or the 181st day or later after driver education. DPS says you skip the drive test if you passed an approved driver education course in the last year. Bring a street-legal vehicle. The $38 fee covers up to three attempts within six months.

What is the earliest age for a South Dakota restricted permit?

The age depends on when the instruction permit starts. A teen can get the instruction permit at 14. By our own math, a teen who gets it on the 14th birthday and passes driver education reaches the 180-day mark at about 14 and a half. Without the course, the 275 days end at about 14 years and 9 months. The teen also needs the 50 hours and six months with no traffic conviction.

Can my teen drive at night on a restricted permit?

It is between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Your teen may drive alone with the permission of a parent or guardian.

It is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

A parent or guardian must sit in the seat beside your teen. A 15-year-old who wants to drive home alone from a friend's house at 10:45 p.m. is not allowed to. Try our free question on driving home after 10 p.m..

The trip is the most direct route to or from school or a school event

The time limit does not apply.

The trip is the most direct route to or from religious worship or a meeting of a religious organization

The time limit does not apply.

The trip is the most direct route to, from or in connection with a job, employment or farm-related work

The time limit does not apply. It also does not apply when your teen drives a self-propelled agricultural machine that is not subject to registration.

Which passengers can a teen with a restricted permit carry?

In the first six months, the only passengers allowed are members of the driver's immediate family or household. After six months, the limit is one passenger under 18 who is not family or household. The limit does not apply when a parent or guardian is in the car. It also does not apply to a passenger who is 18 or older, has one year of driving experience and lives in the same household. A teen who is 15, two months into the permit, cannot drive two classmates alone. See our free question on restricted permit passengers. A 2025 bill to change this rule failed in the Senate.

What a South Dakota restricted permit does not allow

Use of a wireless communication device of any type while driving on public roads.
Driving a vehicle over 20,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.
Driving a vehicle with a sawmill mounted on it, or one that carries mining or logging products.
Driving a vehicle used to build roads and highways.
Driving a vehicle used to build stock water dugouts, dams or other soil and water conservation projects, unless the work is on the farm or ranch of the parent or guardian.

What happens if a teen breaks the permit rules?

A conviction for breaking the conditions of a restricted minor's permit leads to a 30-day suspension. For a violation before the 16th birthday, a second permit conviction brings a suspension for 180 days or until age 16, whichever is longer. A suspension is still possible after age 18 for a violation before the 18th birthday. A parent or guardian may also cancel the permit with a written request.

When do the limits end, and how do you get a full license at 16?

The restrictions end when the teen turns 18, and the manual says the permit then converts to an operator's license. To get an operator's license earlier, at 16, the teen needs six months on the restricted permit, no traffic conviction in the six months before applying and a parent's written approval. The teen can upgrade online or by mail with no eyesight test. DPS says this route needs a federally compliant permit. For the full steps, read our guide to getting your South Dakota operator's license at 16.

Key takeaways

A teen who is 14 to 17 may drive alone from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a parent's permission. From 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., a parent or guardian must sit beside the teen, except on school, worship, work and farm trips.
For the first six months, only family or household members may ride along. After that, one passenger under 18 who is not family or household is allowed.
To qualify, hold the instruction permit 275 days (180 with approved driver education), drive 50 supervised hours and have no traffic conviction for six months. The fee is $38.
No wireless device of any type is allowed. Breaking a permit condition brings a 30-day suspension.
Practice the permit rules on the free South Dakota operator license practice test.

South Dakota restricted minor's permit: common questions

What do we bring to the exam station for the restricted permit?

Bring the instruction permit, the driver's ed certificate if your teen has one, and two pieces of mail that prove your home address. The mail can be in the teen's name or the parent's name. A parent or guardian gives consent in person at the exam station, or with a notarized Parental Consent Form. The parent also signs the Supervised Driving Affidavit for the 50 hours.

Does my teen have to carry the restricted permit while driving?

Yes. The law lets the holder drive only while the permit is in the teen's immediate physical possession, so keep it on the teen, not at home. The driver license manual says the permit is valid for 5 years, or until the end date of the documents that allow the holder to be in the U.S., if that date comes first.

Can my teen drive younger siblings to school on a restricted permit?

Yes. Members of the teen's immediate family or household may ride from the first day of the permit. After six months, the limit is one passenger under 18 who is not family or household, so siblings do not count toward it. The 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. limit does not apply on the most direct route to or from school or a school event.

Can my teen drive a farm truck or tractor on a restricted permit?

Any vehicle over 20,000 pounds gross vehicle weight is not allowed. That weight limit does not apply to a self-propelled agricultural machine that is not subject to registration, and such a machine also has no time limit. Trips on the most direct route for farm-related work are allowed after 10 p.m. without a parent.