South Dakota Road Signs Test 2

5 out of 5 (96 votes)
80% Passing score
20 Questions
4 Mistakes allowed
A South Dakota road signs practice test is not just a quick look at sign shapes, even though, yes, sign shapes matter more than people like to think. Road sign questions are part of the main South Dakota knowledge test, not a separate little road-sign-only exam for a standard noncommercial license. That means your sign knowledge gets judged alongside the rest of the rules-of-the-road material: traffic signals, pavement markings, right-of-way, speed control, school buses, sharing the road, and all the small driving decisions that seem simple until the answer choices start sounding a little too similar. The official South Dakota knowledge test has 25 questions, and you need 20 correct answers to pass. That is an 80% score, with only 5 misses available before things go sideways. Road sign mistakes count toward that same limit, so treating signs as “easy points” can be a mistake. Sometimes they are easy. Sometimes they are only easy after you have practiced them enough that your brain stops guessing and starts recognizing what the sign actually requires you to do. This South Dakota DMV practice test focuses on the road sign portion of that larger exam. You will see multiple-choice questions on warning signs, regulatory signs, informational signs, speed-related signs, yielding instructions, lane-use signs, and the everyday traffic-control symbols South Dakota drivers are expected to understand. It keeps the subject narrow enough to study efficiently, but not so narrow that it turns into empty memorization. There is a difference between knowing what a sign is called and knowing how to respond to it on the road, and the real test is more interested in the second part. The built-in study help is there for a reason. A hint can nudge you when a question feels close but not obvious, and the explanation after a missed answer helps clean up the confusion instead of letting you carry the same bad guess into the next round. Use this SD road signs test before your DMV appointment, after reading through the manual, or when you just need to sharpen the part of the exam that tends to get brushed aside. It is focused practice, and for South Dakota’s 25-question knowledge test, focused practice is exactly the point.
FREE DMV Practice Test App
Study for your South Dakota permit test or driver’s license with the NextDoorDriving app. 700+ DMV questions and answers, 100% free!
Download on the App Store

Sample South Dakota Permit Test Questions

Question 1

A steady red signal is displayed with a green arrow. What may a driver facing the arrow do?

  1. A Proceed in any direction if the intersection appears open
  2. B Cautiously make only the movement shown by the arrow, yielding as required
  3. C Turn without checking for pedestrians or other traffic
  4. D Remain stopped until the green arrow goes out

Correct answer: B – Cautiously make only the movement shown by the arrow, yielding as required

Under South Dakota law, a driver facing a steady red light with a green arrow may cautiously enter the intersection only for the movement shown by the arrow. The driver must still yield to pedestrians lawfully in a crosswalk and other traffic lawfully using the intersection. A green arrow does not eliminate the duty to check that the path is clear.

Source: SDCL § 32-28-5 – Meaning of steady red light with green arrow--Vehicular traffic--Pedestrians

Question 2

When may you use the left half of a two-way roadway to pass another vehicle?

On a two-way highway, you are allowed to drive on the left half of the roadway when:
  1. A Whenever the vehicle ahead is below the speed limit
  2. B When a no-passing sign is posted
  3. C When passing is permitted and the left side is clear for a safe distance
  4. D While approaching a curve that blocks your view

Correct answer: C – When passing is permitted and the left side is clear for a safe distance

South Dakota generally requires vehicles to use the right half of a two-way highway, with an exception for lawful passing. Before crossing the centerline, the left side must be clearly visible and free of oncoming traffic for enough distance to pass safely. Passing remains prohibited in a marked no-passing zone.

Source: SDCL § 32-26-1 – Use of right half of highway required--Slow-moving vehicles--Overtaking and passing excepted--Violation as misdemeanor, SDCL § 32-26-34 – Passing by crossing highway center line when vision is obscured--Violation as misdemeanor, SDCL § 32-26-37 – Passing in no-passing zone--Violation as misdemeanor

Question 3

Which pictured regulatory sign directs traffic to pass to the right of an island or obstruction?

  1. A Divided-highway-ends.jpg
  2. B Keep-right.jpg
  3. C Sharp-left-turn.jpg
  4. D Lane-ends-ahead.jpg

Correct answer: B – Keep-right.jpg

The KEEP RIGHT sign directs drivers to travel to the right of a traffic island, median, or other roadway obstruction. It is a regulatory sign and must be obeyed. Do not confuse it with warning signs that announce a curve, a lane ending, or the end of a divided highway.

Source: South Dakota Driver License Manual — Traffic Signs, “Regulatory Signs”

Question 4

What must you do when a traffic signal is completely unlighted?

When a traffic signal light is not working, you should:
  1. A Stop only when another vehicle is present
  2. B Slow down but continue through without stopping
  3. C Stop as you would at a stop sign, then proceed when permitted and safe
  4. D Drive through as though the signal were green

Correct answer: C – Stop as you would at a stop sign, then proceed when permitted and safe

South Dakota treats a completely unlighted traffic signal like a stop sign. Make a full stop at the proper location, yield as required, and proceed only when it is safe. The statute separately permits cautious movement when a malfunctioning signal continues to display green or yellow, so not every malfunction is treated identically.

Source: SDCL § 32-28-8.2 – Procedure when traffic lights malfunctioning, SDCL § 32-29-2.1 – Action required at stop sign--Place of stopping--Violation as misdemeanor

Question 5

A steady yellow traffic signal warns that which signal will appear immediately afterward?

  1. A A flashing yellow signal
  2. B A steady green signal
  3. C A red or stop signal
  4. D A flashing red signal

Correct answer: C – A red or stop signal

Under South Dakota law, a steady yellow signal warns that a red or stop signal will be displayed immediately afterward. Stop if you can do so safely before entering the intersection. Do not accelerate merely to beat the red signal, and do not enter after the red signal is displayed.

Source: SDCL § 32-28-3 – Meaning of steady yellow light--Vehicular traffic--Pedestrians, South Dakota Driver License Manual — Traffic Signals, “YELLOW”

Question 6

A steady red signal is displayed with a green arrow. What may a driver facing the arrow do?

  1. A Proceed in any direction if the intersection appears open
  2. B Cautiously make only the movement shown by the arrow, yielding as required
  3. C Turn without checking for pedestrians or other traffic
  4. D Remain stopped until the green arrow goes out

Correct answer: B – Cautiously make only the movement shown by the arrow, yielding as required

Under South Dakota law, a driver facing a steady red light with a green arrow may cautiously enter the intersection only for the movement shown by the arrow. The driver must still yield to pedestrians lawfully in a crosswalk and other traffic lawfully using the intersection. A green arrow does not eliminate the duty to check that the path is clear.

Source: SDCL § 32-28-5 – Meaning of steady red light with green arrow--Vehicular traffic--Pedestrians

More South Dakota DMV Practice Tests