Get ready for the SCDMV knowledge test with 40 free questions on road signs, South Carolina speed limits, the hands-free law and teen driving rules. Choose an answer and the explanation appears right away.
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Forty questions in four rounds of 10, mixing South Carolina signs with the rules on right-of-way, speed, parking, DUI, phones and teen drivers. A short explanation follows every answer.
This SPEED LIMIT 40 sign stands beside a paved country road. Even with no sign at all, South Carolina law holds one kind of road to 40 mph. Which one?
Correct answer: Unpaved roads
Why
South Carolina caps unpaved roads at 40 mph, because loose dirt and gravel give your tires far less grip. Without a sign, other highways default to 55 mph and urban districts to 30. A posted sign like this one sets the limit for that stretch.
You roll past a red-and-white triangle pointing down without stopping and hit a car crossing in front of you. How does South Carolina law view that crash?
Correct answer: As evidence that you failed to yield
Why
That’s a YIELD sign: slow down, stop if you have to, and let cross traffic go first. Under South Carolina law, a collision after driving past one without stopping counts as evidence that you didn’t yield. Approach every yield sign ready to stop.
In Greenville, you and a pickup reach a four-way stop at the same moment. The pickup is on the road to your right. Who should go first?
Correct answer: The pickup on your right
Why
When two vehicles arrive together, South Carolina has the driver on the left yield to the driver on the right, so the pickup goes first. If one car clearly stopped first, that car has the turn. A wave is friendly, but wait until you’re sure what the other driver will do.
There’s an open space along the curb near a fire hydrant. What’s the closest you may legally park to it in South Carolina?
Correct answer: 15 feet
Why
Leave at least 15 feet between your car and a fire hydrant in South Carolina, so fire crews can hook up hoses without delay. The other two numbers are rules too: an intersection crosswalk needs 20 feet, and a stop sign needs 30 on the approach.
A 19-year-old is pulled over after a party, and a breath test shows a blood alcohol concentration of 0.03%. What happens in South Carolina?
Correct answer: A license suspension of at least 3 months
Why
Drivers under 21 face a 0.02% limit in South Carolina, so 0.03% means losing the license for 3 months, or 6 months with a prior offense. Refusing the test brings 6 months. Under 21, the only safe plan is no drinks at all before you drive.
What following distance does the South Carolina Driver’s Manual recommend behind the car ahead in normal conditions?
Correct answer: At least 4 seconds
Why
Watch the car ahead pass a landmark such as a mailbox, then count until you reach the same spot: anything under four seconds is too close. The manual asks for more room on slick roads, in bad weather and behind trucks or buses, and at least one extra second at night.
You’re 15 with a beginner’s permit and want to practice at 9 p.m. Who can ride along as your supervisor?
Correct answer: A licensed driver 21 or older with at least a year of driving experience
Why
From 6 a.m. to midnight, a permit holder needs a supervisor who holds a license, is 21 or older and has driven for at least a year, sitting in the seat beside them. From midnight to 6 a.m., only a licensed parent, guardian or another qualified adult on the state’s list will do.
A minor crash leaves $1,500 in damage, nobody is hurt, and no police officer comes to investigate. What does South Carolina law require?
Correct answer: A written report sent to SCDMV within 15 days
Why
If a crash hurts or kills someone, or does $1,000 or more in damage, and police don’t investigate it, the driver or owner owes SCDMV a written report within 15 days. If anyone is hurt, call local police, the sheriff or the Highway Patrol right away. Swapping insurance details is smart, but it doesn’t replace the report.
A South Carolina driver is ticketed for going 12 mph over the limit. How many points go on the record?
Correct answer: 4 points
Why
South Carolina scores speeding by how far over you were: up to 10 mph over is 2 points, more than 10 but under 25 over is 4, and 25 or more is 6. Points drop by half one year after the violation, but reaching 12 or more leads to a suspension.
You’re cruising in the far-left lane of a South Carolina interstate when a faster driver comes up behind you. What does state law expect?
Correct answer: Move right, since that lane is meant for passing
Why
On controlled-access highways, South Carolina reserves the far-left lane for passing, and lingering there without passing can bring a $25 fine, with exceptions such as heavy traffic. SCDOT posts signs telling slower traffic to keep right. Finish your pass, signal and move back over.
An orange diamond reading ROAD WORK AHEAD leads into a zone where one lane is coned off and a crew is working in it. If you drive through that closed lane while the workers are there, what fine does South Carolina law set, even if no one gets hurt?
Correct answer: A fine of $500 to $1,000
Why
Orange signs announce a work zone. South Carolina treats driving in a closed lane or ignoring work-zone traffic controls while crews are present as endangering a highway worker, and the fine runs $500 to $1,000 with no injury required. Slow down early and merge where the signs tell you to.
You’re waiting to turn left at a green light with no arrow, and an oncoming car is close to the intersection. What does South Carolina law require?
Correct answer: Let it pass, then turn when there’s a safe gap
Why
A left turn cuts across oncoming lanes, so you give way to oncoming vehicles that are inside the intersection or near enough to be a hazard. A solid green light only lets you enter; it doesn’t give you the right-of-way over traffic coming straight at you. Look hard for motorcycles too, since they’re easy to miss in oncoming traffic.
On which kind of South Carolina road can a 70 mph speed limit be posted?
Correct answer: Interstates and other freeways
Why
70 mph is the state’s highest limit, and it belongs to interstates and similar freeways where signs show it. Multilane divided primary highways can be posted up to 60 mph, and most other highways are 55. Whatever the sign says, slow down when rain, traffic or darkness calls for it.
You want to park on the approach to a corner with a stop sign. How far back from the sign must your car be?
Correct answer: At least 30 feet
Why
South Carolina keeps parked cars at least 30 feet back from a stop sign, yield sign, flashing beacon or traffic signal at the roadside. A car parked closer can hide the sign from the drivers who need to see it. For an intersection crosswalk, the gap is 20 feet.
Arrested for DUI for the first time, a driver refuses a breath test. What does South Carolina’s implied consent law do to the license?
Correct answer: A 6-month suspension
Why
By driving in South Carolina, you’ve already agreed to breath, blood or urine testing if you’re arrested for DUI. A first refusal takes your license for 6 months, while a test result of 0.15% or more brings a 1-month suspension. Refusing never shortens the penalty.
Under South Carolina law, which of these situations requires your headlights to be on?
Correct answer: Midday in steady rain, with the wipers running
Why
Headlights are required whenever rain, sleet or snow has your wipers going, at night from 30 minutes past sunset until 30 minutes ahead of sunrise, and any time you can’t make out people and vehicles 500 feet away. Ten minutes after sunset is still inside that first half hour, though switching them on early never hurts.
You’re 22 and just passed the knowledge test for your first beginner’s permit. How long must you hold it before taking the road test?
Correct answer: 30 days
Why
Since November 13, 2024, permit holders 18 and older wait just 30 days, so you can apply on day 31. Drivers 17 and younger must hold the permit for 180 days. Either way, the permit stays valid for up to 12 months and can be renewed.
A motorcyclist is stopped at a red light that won’t turn green. What does South Carolina law allow the rider to do?
Correct answer: Go through with care after a complete stop of 120 seconds
Why
South Carolina lets a motorcycle, moped or bicycle proceed through a stuck red light after a full stop of 120 seconds, treating it like a stop sign and going only when it’s safe. As a driver, expect this at quiet intersections. Give motorcycles a full lane and at least 4 seconds of following room.
On a rural South Carolina road you pass a small route marker showing the letter S followed by two numbers. What do those numbers stand for?
Correct answer: The county number, then the road number
Why
South Carolina labels its state secondary roads with S markers: the first number after the S identifies the county, and the last one is the road itself. Note the marker as you drive, so you can tell a 911 dispatcher exactly where you are on a back road.
You’re behind a school bus on a two-lane road when it stops, flashes its red lights and swings out its stop arm. How long must you stay stopped?
Correct answer: Until the bus moves again or its red lights are turned off
Why
In South Carolina you wait for a bus showing flashing red lights until it pulls away or the red lights go dark. You also may not pass a bus once its amber warning lights come on. Illegally passing a stopped school bus brings a fine of at least $500 (or up to 30 days in jail) and 6 points.
A road crosses train tracks marked only by a white X-shaped RAILROAD CROSSING sign with a YIELD sign beneath it, and a train is coming. Where does South Carolina law say to stop?
Correct answer: 15 to 50 feet short of the closest rail
Why
The crossbuck marks the crossing itself, and the YIELD sign under it means the train always goes first. With a train approaching, keep your front bumper 15 to 50 feet back from the closest rail, then wait until the last car has gone by. Where a crossing has gates, never drive around one that is down.
Stopped at a red light, you’d like to turn left. In South Carolina, when is that allowed after a full stop?
Correct answer: Only if the street you’re on and the one you’re turning onto both run one way
Why
A red light still lets you turn left in South Carolina, but only when both streets carry one-way traffic, you’ve come to a complete stop and no sign prohibits it. Right on red is allowed in more places, again after a full stop and after giving way to pedestrians and cross traffic.
Thick fog settles over I-26 where the posted limit is 70 mph. You’re doing 65. Can you still be ticketed for speeding?
Correct answer: Yes, because your speed must be reasonable and prudent for the conditions
Why
South Carolina’s basic speed law bars any speed that isn’t reasonable and prudent under the conditions and hazards you face. The number on the sign is a ceiling for good weather, not a goal. In fog, drop well below it, use your low beams and open up the gap to the car ahead.
Parking near a railroad crossing in South Carolina, how much room must you leave to the closest rail?
Correct answer: At least 50 feet
Why
Parking any closer than 50 feet is illegal, so train crews and drivers can see each other and nobody gets boxed in near the tracks. Don’t mix it up with the stopping rule: when a train is coming, you stop 15 to 50 feet from the rail. Never stop or park on the tracks themselves.
Under South Carolina’s Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act, which of these may a driver do while the car is moving?
Correct answer: Talk on a voice call through an earpiece
Why
Since September 1, 2025, South Carolina drivers may not hold or support a phone with any part of the body, read or send texts, or watch videos. Earpieces and wrist devices for voice calls are allowed, and so is hands-free navigation. Set your route and music before you shift into drive.
At night you’re following another car with your high beams on. Within what distance of it must you switch to low beams in South Carolina?
Correct answer: 200 feet
Why
Dim your high beams within 200 feet of a vehicle you’re following and within 500 feet of one coming toward you. Bright lights in a mirror can dazzle the driver ahead just as badly as oncoming glare.
Before a 15- or 16-year-old in South Carolina can get a license, how many hours of supervised practice must they log?
Correct answer: At least 40 hours, 10 of them at night
Why
Teens 15 and 16 need 40 hours of practice, 10 of them after dark, with a licensed parent or guardian-type supervisor. They also finish driver’s education: 8 hours in class and 6 behind the wheel. It all goes on Form PDLA from the school or driver ed program, which you bring to SCDMV.
On a highway with two lanes going your way, a police car is stopped on the right shoulder with its lights flashing. What does South Carolina’s move-over law require?
Correct answer: Slow down and, if it’s safe, move to the lane farther from the police car
Why
When you approach a stopped police, fire, ambulance, rescue, recovery or tow vehicle with flashing lights, slow down a lot, and on a highway of four or more lanes with two or more going your way, move to a lane not next to it. If moving over isn’t safe, hold a safe, reduced speed. Fines run $300 to $500.
Near Charleston you notice hurricane evacuation route signs along a highway. When do they matter most?
Correct answer: When a mandatory evacuation of the coast has been ordered
Why
These signs mark the roads South Carolina uses to move people away from the coast once a mandatory evacuation is ordered. Learn the route from your home or hotel before storm season. If an order comes, leave early and follow the signs instead of your usual shortcut.
You’re 16 with a Special Restricted license. In January, until what time may you drive without a licensed driver 21 or older in the car?
Correct answer: 6 p.m.
Why
Conditional and Special Restricted drivers may drive unsupervised only from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., stretched to 8 p.m. during daylight saving time; January runs on standard time, so 6 p.m. it is. Until midnight you need a licensed driver 21 or older with you, and after midnight a licensed parent or guardian-type supervisor. A waiver can extend solo driving to midnight for work or school.
On a two-lane road through South Carolina farm country, you catch up to a tractor with an orange triangle outlined in red on its back. What is that triangle warning you about?
Correct answer: It travels slower than 25 mph
Why
The orange-and-red triangle marks a slow-moving vehicle, one that travels under 25 mph, such as farm equipment or an animal-drawn wagon. At highway speed you close that gap fast, so slow down as soon as you see it. Pass only where a broken yellow line on your side and a long, clear view allow it.
On a highway with two lanes in each direction, a school bus going the other way stops with its red lights flashing. What should you do?
Correct answer: Keep going with care; oncoming traffic on a road this wide doesn’t have to stop
Why
South Carolina excuses drivers meeting a stopped bus from the opposite direction only on highways of four or more lanes, at least two each way. Drivers behind the bus must stop on every road, and on a two-lane road both directions stop. Ease off anyway and watch for children near the road.
You’re driving through an urban district in South Carolina and haven’t seen a speed limit sign in a while. What’s the maximum unless signs say otherwise?
Correct answer: 30 mph
Why
State law sets 30 mph in urban districts unless a different limit is posted. Outside them, other highways default to 55 mph, and unpaved roads cap out at 40. Near schools, look for a lower posted limit when its lights are flashing or children are around.
What’s the fine for a first violation of South Carolina’s hands-free law?
Correct answer: $100
Why
A first offense costs $100. A second or later one within three years costs $200 and puts 2 points on your record. Turning on Do Not Disturb or stowing the phone out of reach removes the temptation.
After dinner out, you take home a bottle of wine that’s been opened. Where can it ride legally in South Carolina?
Correct answer: In the trunk or luggage compartment
Why
South Carolina bans open containers of beer or wine in a vehicle on a public road unless they’re in the trunk or luggage compartment. Anywhere else in the car is off-limits, no matter who holds the bottle. Stow the bottle in the trunk before you start the car.
You plan to turn right at the next street. Under South Carolina law, how far ahead must your turn signal be on?
Correct answer: Starting 100 feet or more ahead of the turn
Why
State law wants the blinker on for 100 feet or more ahead of any turn, lane change or merge, and skipping it can cost a $25 fine. On faster roads, start sooner so the drivers behind you have time to react. Cancel the blinker once the turn is done so no one misreads it.
Cresting a hill on a two-lane road, you realize you missed your turn. When does South Carolina law rule out a U-turn on that hill?
Correct answer: When other drivers couldn’t see you within 500 feet
Why
Turning around near a hilltop or on a curve is illegal in South Carolina when traffic from either direction can’t spot your car within 500 feet. Drivers coming over the crest would have almost no time to stop. Keep going until you find a driveway or side street with clear sight lines.
You have a Conditional license and no licensed adult 21 or older is riding with you. How many passengers under 21 may you carry, not counting family or students heading to or from school?
Correct answer: Two
Why
South Carolina allows no more than two passengers under 21 unless a licensed driver 21 or older is along. Family members and students going to or from school don’t count toward the limit. Fewer friends in the car means fewer distractions while you’re new.
You reach a red octagon at a corner where no white stop line and no crosswalk are painted on the road. Where should you stop?
Correct answer: At the spot nearest the intersection where you can see traffic on the cross road
Why
South Carolina sets an order: a painted stop line comes first; with no line, halt before the crosswalk; with neither, pick the point closest to the intersection that gives you a view of approaching traffic. Make it a complete stop, and look both ways again before you pull out.
Seen from above, a two-lane road has two solid yellow lines down the middle. What do they mean for passing?
Correct answer: Neither direction may pass
Why
Yellow center lines divide traffic heading opposite ways. A double solid yellow line bans passing from either side, while a broken yellow line on your side means you may pass when it’s safe. Even then, South Carolina wants you back in your lane before you come within 200 feet of an oncoming vehicle.
What to know before you head to an SCDMV branch.
South Carolina · Class D knowledge test
Aim for 80% or better.
Multiple choice · Signs and traffic laws80% is the passing score on SCDMV’s own practice exam
18 or older? Pass the vision and knowledge tests for a beginner’s permit, hold it at least 30 days, then take the road test in an insured, registered vehicle you provide. No driver’s ed or practice log required.
Study the South Carolina Driver’s Manual, the SCDMV handbook updated in 2026. State law says the test checks that you can read signs that regulate, warn and guide traffic and that you know South Carolina’s traffic laws. Start with these six areas.
Six figures from South Carolina law and the Driver’s Manual that are worth memorizing.
These 40 questions are just the warm-up. The app gives you 501 South Carolina practice questions, 36 short lessons and the why behind every answer.
South Carolina permit
Your South Carolina path is ready.
First lesson freeDownload on the App Store
Aim for 80% or better. SCDMV doesn’t publish a question count or pass mark for the knowledge test itself, but its free online practice exam, built from the agency’s own question bank, takes 80% to pass. Expect multiple-choice questions on road signs and South Carolina traffic laws, plus a vision test on the same visit.
You can try again: SCDMV doesn’t list a waiting period after a failed knowledge test, but each attempt costs $2. Branches stop giving knowledge tests at 4 p.m., so come early. SCDMV sets waits only for the road test: 2 business days after a first fail, 7 days after a second and 30 days after a third or later one.
No. The knowledge test is given in person at any SCDMV branch, no appointment needed, or, for first-time Class D applicants, by a driving school in the One Stop Driver Training and Testing Program. You can study online, though: SCDMV’s free practice exam serves up new questions every time you start.
SCDMV doesn’t say which languages the knowledge test comes in, and the South Carolina Driver’s Manual is published in English only, so ask your branch before test day. You can still prepare in Spanish: this practice test has a Spanish version, and so does the app.
15. Teens hold the beginner’s permit at least 180 days, complete driver’s ed (8 hours of class, 6 of driving) and log 40 practice hours, 10 at night. Next comes a Conditional license at 15½ or a Special Restricted license at 16: solo driving only 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (8 p.m. in daylight saving time) and no more than two passengers under 21 without a licensed adult 21+. The limits end at 17, or after a year with no violations or at-fault crashes.
$2.50, plus $2 for each knowledge test attempt. The permit is good for up to 12 months and can be renewed. Most driver’s licenses cost $25 and last eight years; you leave the branch with a temporary certificate, and the card arrives by mail in 7 to 15 business days.
Your Social Security number, proof of identity and citizenship such as a birth certificate, and proof of your South Carolina address (two for a REAL ID); SCDMV Form MV-93 lists the accepted documents for U.S. citizens. If you’re under 18, a parent or guardian signs for you at the branch and shows a photo ID. Leave notes and your phone outside: bringing them into the test area, talking or leaving early is an automatic fail.
Work through the South Carolina Driver’s Manual, then quiz yourself until 80% feels routine. The 40 questions on this page are a strong start; the app adds 501 South Carolina questions and 36 short lessons, each answer explained.