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South Dakota Permit Hours: Requirements, Night Rules, and Tracking
Getting your license in South Dakota means logging 50 supervised driving hours — 40 during the day and 10 after dark. Most families take 9 months to finish. Some do it faster. Here’s what you need to know.
South Dakota permit requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Total supervised hours | 50 |
| Daytime hours | 40 |
| Night hours | 10 |
| Bad weather hours | 10 |
| Minimum permit age | 14 |
| Minimum hold period | 9 months |
| Supervisor minimum age | 21 |
| Driver education required | No |
Night driving rules in South Dakota
South Dakota uses fixed hours for the night driving window: 10 PM to 6 AM. No need to look up sunset times. Any driving during that window counts toward your 10 night hours.
This makes planning straightforward. Pick two weeknights a week, drive for 45 minutes to an hour during the window, and you’ll knock out your 10 night hours in about 7 weeks.
Supervisor requirements
Your supervising driver must be at least 21 and hold a valid license.
They need to sit in the front passenger seat, stay alert, and be ready to grab the wheel if needed. No scrolling, no napping, no backseat supervising. If you get pulled over and your supervisor doesn’t meet the requirements, that session might not count — and you could both get a citation.
Bad weather driving
You need 10 hours in bad weather. Rain, snow, sleet, fog, or heavy wind all qualify. You can’t control the weather, so don’t skip practice just because it’s drizzling — that’s actually exactly when you should go out.
Don’t manufacture dangerous conditions either. A steady rain is fine. A blizzard with zero visibility isn’t practice — it’s a risk. Use common sense, and let weather come to you naturally over your permit period.
Curfew restrictions
Permit holders in South Dakota can’t drive between 10 PM and 6 AM. This is enforced. Getting caught driving during restricted hours with a learner’s permit can mean a ticket and could push back your license date.
Plan your night driving sessions to end well before the curfew kicks in. You don’t want to be rushing home right at the cutoff.
How to plan your 50 hours
You have a 9-month hold period in South Dakota. If you spread your hours evenly, that’s about an hour a week. Totally doable.
Here’s what a realistic schedule looks like:
| Timeline | Sessions per week | Session length | Total time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relaxed (25 weeks) | 2 | 1 hour | ~25 weeks |
| Moderate (13 weeks) | 3-4 | 1 hour | ~13 weeks |
| Aggressive (9 weeks) | 5-6 | 1 hour | ~9 weeks |
Most families land somewhere in the moderate range. The key is consistency. Two sessions a week for six months beats cramming 10 hours into a single weekend. You learn more, retain more, and your supervisor won’t burn out.
Night hours are 20% of your total. Don’t save them all for the end. Mix in one evening session per week from the start and you’ll have them done well before the rest of your hours.
How South Dakota compares to other states
South Dakota’s 50-hour requirement puts it right around the middle of the pack. The most common requirement across all states is 50 hours (30 states use it).
Rhode Island requires the same 50 hours. Tennessee requires the same 50 hours.
See all state requirements for a complete comparison.
Tracking your driving hours
Nobody enjoys tracking driving hours on paper. Entries get missed, pages get lost, and at the end of six months you’re guessing how many night hours you actually have. Moda tracks every session automatically — start time, end time, day vs. night, weather conditions, distance driven. When you’re done, it generates your state’s DMV form so you don’t have to fill anything out by hand.
Calculate your remaining hours or estimate your night hours to see where you stand.
How many supervised driving hours does South Dakota require?
South Dakota requires 50 total supervised driving hours. 10 must be at night and 40 during the day.
What counts as night driving in South Dakota?
Night driving in South Dakota is defined as 10 pm to 6 am. You need 10 hours of night driving to qualify for your license.
How long do I need to hold my permit in South Dakota?
You must hold your learner’s permit for at least 9 months in South Dakota before you can take your road test.
How old do you have to be to get a learner’s permit in South Dakota?
You can apply for a learner’s permit in South Dakota at age 14.
Who can supervise a permit driver in South Dakota?
Your supervising driver must be at least 21 years old with a valid license.
Does South Dakota accept a digital driving log?
Most DMV offices accept printed driving logs. Moda generates a PDF in South Dakota’s required format that you can print and bring to your road test appointment.
How long does it take to finish 50 driving hours?
At 2-3 sessions per week, most families finish in 17 to 25 weeks. Some move faster with daily sessions, but spreading practice out leads to better skill retention.
Calculate your remaining hours
Enter the hours you've already completed to see what's left.