South Dakota driver license and ID card: first license, renewal, replacement and REAL ID

How to get a first South Dakota license or teen permit, move here with an out-of-state license, renew online, by mail or in person, replace a lost card, and what a federally compliant (gold star) card or state ID requires.

Guide · South Dakota · REAL ID · Driver licenses · Renewals · ID cards · updated October 29, 2026

South Dakota driver licenses, permits and non-driver ID cards are issued by the Driver Licensing Program of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety (DPS), at driver exam stations around the state. This guide covers the common cases in order: a first license (including teen permits), moving here with a license from another state, renewing, replacing a lost card, the federally compliant "gold star" card, and state ID cards. For booking a visit and the full document list, see the South Dakota DMV visit guide.

Your first South Dakota license

New drivers, first-time applicants and new residents must apply in person at an exam station. DPS lists these steps:

1. Complete the license application form and sign it by hand.
2. Bring the required identity, Social Security and address documents (listed in the visit guide).
3. Pay the application fee. The DPS fee table lists a driver license at $38.
4. Have your photo taken.
5. Pass a vision test. If you fail it, testing stops until DPS receives a statement from an optometrist or ophthalmologist.
6. Pass a knowledge test with a score of 80% or higher.
7. Pass a driving test with a score of 80% or higher, in a vehicle you provide.

All visits that include a test require an appointment. If you fail the knowledge or driving test, you can retake it on a different day, up to three combined attempts on one application and fee. After that, or if you reapply after six months, you pay the fee again. DPS says there is no sample test, but you can download the driver manual or pick up a printed copy at an exam station.

Teens: instruction permit, restricted permit and operator's license

• Instruction permit (from age 14). Apply in person with a certified birth certificate, your original Social Security card and two pieces of mail proving your physical address. You must pass a knowledge test, or have completed a state-approved driver education course; DPS says a driver education certificate can waive testing for one year from completion. You must drive with a parent, guardian or other adult who has a valid license and at least one year of driving experience, seated beside you.
• Holding period. You must hold the instruction permit for 275 days, or 180 days if you completed an approved driver education course.
• Supervised driving. You need at least 50 hours of parent- or guardian-supervised driving, including 10 hours at night and 10 hours in bad weather. A parent signs a Supervised Driving Affidavit when you upgrade.
• Restricted permit. After the holding period, and with no traffic convictions in the last 6 months, you pass a drive test at an exam station (unless you completed a state-approved driver education course). You may then drive alone (with a parent's or guardian's permission) from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. a parent or guardian must sit beside you, except on the most direct route to or from school, church, work or farm work. For the first 6 months you may carry no passengers outside your immediate family or household, and after that only one.
• Operator's license (from age 16). You must have held the restricted permit for at least 6 months, be free of traffic convictions for the last 6 months, and have your parent's or guardian's written approval.

Moving to South Dakota with an out-of-state license

New residents and transfers from another state apply in person at an exam station. You need proof of lawful status, proof of your Social Security number if your current license has no gold star, two documents showing your name and South Dakota physical address, and name change documents if they apply. DPS notes that once you have been issued a license or ID card in another state, any earlier South Dakota card becomes inactive and cannot be renewed online or by mail.

Renewing your license

DPS says a license is valid for five years and expires on your birthday, or 30 days after your 21st birthday if you are under 21. You can renew up to 180 days before it expires. If you are turning 21, you cannot renew before your birthday, but you can renew up to 30 days after it. The renewal fee is $38 for Class 1, 2 or 3 licenses.

Online or by mail. You may be eligible if all of the following are true:

• You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• You hold an unexpired, federally compliant license with a gold star in the upper right corner.
• You did not use the online or mail-in method for your last renewal. DPS allows it once every ten years.
• You do not wear bioptic lenses, and you are not changing your name, license class or endorsements.

You upload, email, fax or mail two documents less than one year old showing your name and physical address. If you are 65 or older, you also need a vision statement from an eye doctor, dated within one year. Online, DPS takes Visa or MasterCard and adds a $2.00 processing fee; your license arrives by mail in 4 to 6 weeks. By mail, send the signed application, documents, a check payable to the Department of Public Safety and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Driver Licensing Program, 118 West Capitol Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.

In person. Bring your current license, a completed application and two address documents. You pay the fee, have your vision tested and have your photo taken.

Expired more than 30 days. You must renew in person and pass the knowledge test, which needs an appointment. With a motorcycle endorsement you also take the motorcycle knowledge test.

Replacing a lost or stolen license

You can request a duplicate online or by mail once every ten years, or at any exam station. You need two documents showing your name and physical address. If your name has changed, you must apply in person. The fee is $20, which also applies to an address or name change. If your lost license had no gold star, check the DPS Required Documents page for the identity documents you need.

The gold star card (REAL ID)

DPS describes its card that meets federal standards as "federally compliant" and marks it with a gold star in the upper right corner; the DPS pages used for this guide do not use the term REAL ID itself. Several DPS services, including online and mail renewal, are only open to holders of a gold star card. The DPS Required Documents page lists what a new applicant or a transfer from another state must provide: proof of lawful status, proof of your Social Security number if your current license has no gold star, two address documents and any name change documents, as originals or certified copies. For background on where REAL ID is needed, see REAL ID explained and How can I tell if my license is REAL ID compliant?.

State ID cards

A non-driver ID card is for anyone who does not have a South Dakota driver license, and DPS says there is no age requirement. Apply at an exam station with an application and the required documents. The fee is $38 for a new card or a renewal and $20 for a duplicate. If you are under 21 and less than five years from your 21st birthday, the card expires 30 days after you turn 21. A replacement ID card can be requested online or by mail once every 10 years.

For vehicle paperwork, see the South Dakota vehicle registration guide. For exam stations near you, see the South Dakota office list.