South Dakota motorcycle permit test numbers to know

Distances, speeds, limits, fines and deadlines are the questions people miss most, because they have to be memorized. Here are 21 South Dakota numbers, grouped and cited, with a free quiz and flashcards to lock them in.

Numbers quiz

12 questions a round from the 14 number questions in our South Dakota bank. Questions you miss come back more often in later rounds.

Free and unlimited. Your answers count toward your readiness and mistake review.

Numbers flashcards

14 cards: the question on the front, the number and its source on the back. Swipe right if you knew it.

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Each deck starts with 20 free cards. Swipe right if you knew it, left to see it again.

See 3 of the cards

Alcohol & drugs
On a long ride, how often should you stop and get off the motorcycle to rest?
At least every two hours
Riding a motorcycle is more tiring than driving a car, so stop and get off at least every two hours.
South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, page 34
Speed limits
On a two-lane South Dakota highway you approach a stopped tow truck using amber lights. How much must you slow down?
To at least twenty miles per hour below the posted speed limit
On two-lane highways, at least three hundred feet before such a vehicle, you must slow to at least twenty mph below the posted limit (or to five mph where the limit is twenty mph or less).
South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, page 2
Distances & following gaps
On a South Dakota interstate, a stopped vehicle ahead is using amber warning lights. What must you do?
Merge into the farthest lane at least three hundred feet before reaching it
On roads with two or more lanes in your direction, you must move to the lane farthest from a stopped vehicle using amber, yellow or blue lights at least three hundred feet before it.
South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, page 2

Every South Dakota motorcycle number, by topic

Official South Dakota laws come first in each group, then the numbers from our handbook questions. Tap a source to read the exact words it comes from.

Alcohol & drugs

6 numbers

Number	What it’s about	Source
0.08%	Legal BAC limit for adult drivers	sdlegislature.gov Quote There is 0.08 percent or more by weight of alcohol in that person's blood as shown by chemical analysis of that person's breath, blood, or other bodily substance;
0.02%	BAC limit for drivers under 21	sdlegislature.gov Quote It is a Class 2 misdemeanor for any person under the age of twenty-one to drive, operate, or be in actual physical control of any vehicle: (1) If there is physical evidence of 0.02 percent or more by weight of alcohol in the person's blood
0.04%	BAC limit in a commercial vehicle	sdlegislature.gov Quote No person may drive or be in actual physical control of a commercial motor vehicle while there is between 0.04 and 0.08 percent or more, by weight of alcohol in that person's blood
1 year, $2,000	Drunk driving (DUI)Class 1 misdemeanor (up to 1 year in jail and/or a $2,000 fine)	sdlegislature.gov Quote Class 1 misdemeanor: one year imprisonment in a county jail or two thousand dollars fine, or both;
two hours	On a long ride, how often should you stop and get off the motorcycle to rest?Answer: At least every two hours	South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, page 34 Quote Take frequent rest breaks — Stop and get off the motorcycle at least every two hours.
6 hours	How do the effects of eaten cannabis differ from smoked cannabis?Answer: Onset can be delayed over an hour and last more than 6 hours	South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, page 34 Quote when cannabis is eaten, the onset of effects could be delayed for more than an hour and the duration of the “high” could be more than 6 hours.

Speed limits

1 number

Number	What it’s about	Source
twenty miles per hour	On a two-lane South Dakota highway you approach a stopped tow truck using amber lights. How much must you slow down?Answer: To at least twenty miles per hour below the posted speed limit	South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, page 2 Quote On two lane highways, at least three hundred feet before the vehicle, motorists must slow to a speed that is at least twenty miles per hour less than the posted speed limit

Distances & following gaps

3 numbers

Number	What it’s about	Source
three hundred feet	On a South Dakota interstate, a stopped vehicle ahead is using amber warning lights. What must you do?Answer: Merge into the farthest lane at least three hundred feet before reaching it	South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, page 2 Quote merge into the lane farthest from the vehicle at least three hundred feet before the vehicle and proceed with caution
Two seconds	What is the minimum following distance the manual recommends in normal conditions?Answer: Two seconds	South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, page 16 Quote Normally, a minimum of two seconds distance should be maintained when following a vehicle.
one second	In a staggered group formation, where does the second rider ride?Answer: In the right side of the lane, at least one second behind the leader	South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, page 29 Quote the second rider stays at least one second back and rides in the right side of the lane.

Ages, permits & the test

7 numbers

Number	What it’s about	Source
80%	Passing score	sd.gov Quote To learn to operate your motorcycle, you may apply for an instruction permit by completing the vision test and knowledge test. The permit is valid for one year and allows the driver to operate a motorcycle between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. ... Pass a knowledge test with a score of 80% or higher.
$38	Fee	sd.gov Quote Instruction Permit $38
90 days	A new resident must hold a South Dakota driver license after living in the state for how long?Answer: More than 90 days	South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, page 4 Quote You are required to have a South Dakota driver license if you live here for more than 90 days.
6-month	In South Dakota, how many chances does one paid fee give you to pass a licensing test?Answer: Three attempts within a 6-month period	South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, page 6 Quote For testing purposes, the fee allows you three attempts to pass a test within a 6-month period.
One year	How long is a South Dakota motorcycle instruction permit valid?Answer: One year	South Dakota Department of Public Safety, Driver Licensing Program website Quote To learn to operate your motorcycle, you may apply for an instruction permit by completing the vision test and knowledge test. The permit is valid for one year
80%	What score do you need to pass the South Dakota motorcycle knowledge test?Answer: 80% or higher	South Dakota Department of Public Safety, Driver Licensing Program website Quote Pass a knowledge test with a score of 80% or higher.
at least 45	Railroad tracks run parallel to your path and you need to cross them. What should you do?Answer: Move far enough away to cross at an angle of at least 45 degrees	South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, page 25 Quote move far enough away from tracks, ruts, or pavement seams to cross at an angle of at least 45˚.

Seat belts, lights & equipment

3 numbers

Number	What it’s about	Source
under 18	HelmetsOperators and passengers under 18	sdlegislature.gov Quote No person under eighteen years of age may operate or ride upon a motorcycle on the public streets or highways of this state unless the person wears a protective helmet of a type meeting Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218
Three times	Compared with riders who wear no helmet, how likely are helmeted riders to survive head injuries in a crash?Answer: Three times more likely	South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, page 10 Quote helmeted riders are three times more likely to survive head injuries than those not wearing helmets
under 18	Under South Dakota law, who must wear a helmet meeting federal safety standard 218 when riding a motorcycle on public roads?Answer: Operators and passengers under 18	South Dakota Department of Public Safety, Driver Licensing Program website Quote No person under eighteen years of age may operate or ride upon a motorcycle on the public streets or highways of this state unless the person wears a protective helmet of a type meeting Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218

Other numbers

1 number

Number	What it’s about	Source
70%	About how much of your total stopping power does the front brake provide?Answer: 70% or more	South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, page 15 Quote The front brake is more powerful and can provide 70% or more of your total stopping power.

Memory tips

How to study them (our advice, not official rules):

Learn the number with its unit and its place. “15 feet from a hydrant” sticks; “15” on its own gets mixed up with 15 mph.
Say the answer before you look. Recalling the number yourself is harder than spotting it among four options, and it is what makes it stick.
Come back to the ones you miss. The quiz above brings missed questions back more often. Short rounds over several days beat one long session.

Questions about the numbers

What numbers do I need to know for the South Dakota motorcycle permit test?

Mostly distances (how close you may park to a hydrant or crosswalk, when to signal, when to dim your high beams), speed limits, blood-alcohol limits, and the ages, hours and deadlines for your permit and license. This page lists 21 of them for South Dakota, each with its source.

Why focus on numbers?

A California DMV study of its own knowledge test found that many of the hardest questions “are numerical and have correct answers that must be learned by rote memorization.” Numbers are easy to mix up under pressure, so they are worth drilling on their own.

Where do these numbers come from?

Each one is quoted from the South Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, South Dakota statutes or DPS pages. Our build checks that every number on this page appears word for word in the quote it cites.

Is the numbers drill free?

Yes. The table and the numbers quiz are free and unlimited, and so are the first 20 flashcards.