South Dakota Motorcycle Endorsement Guide

What a motorcycle endorsement is, who needs one, and how to add it to your South Dakota driver license.

What Is a Motorcycle Endorsement?

In South Dakota the motorcycle privilege is an endorsement added to your driver license rather than a separate license. The endorsement shows you have passed the motorcycle knowledge and skill tests and may operate a two-wheel motorcycle.

South Dakota also offers add-on endorsements for specific situations: a motorcycle passenger endorsement to carry a passenger, and a sidecar/trike endorsement to operate a three-wheel motorcycle or a motorcycle with a sidecar.

Endorsement vs. Motorcycle-Only License

	Endorsement	Motorcycle-Only License
Who it's for	Drivers who already hold a South Dakota license	Riders without a regular driver license
Added to	Your existing license	Issued as its own license
Knowledge test	Motorcycle knowledge test	Motorcycle knowledge test
Lets you drive a car	Yes — keeps your car privileges	No — motorcycle only

How to Add the Endorsement — Steps

Get a motorcycle instruction permit (age 14+) by passing a vision screening and the written knowledge test, then practice under the permit's daylight and supervision rules.
Study the Motorcycle Operator Manual and bring a properly registered, insured motorcycle for the on-cycle skill test.
Pass the on-cycle skill test — basic control plus crash-avoidance maneuvers such as stopping, turning and swerving.
To add a passenger endorsement, pass a knowledge test and a road skills test while carrying a passenger; for a sidecar or three-wheeler, test on that type of vehicle for the sidecar/trike endorsement.

MSF Course Waiver

Completing a state-approved Basic Rider Course within one year waives BOTH the written knowledge test and the on-cycle riding test at the driver licensing office — South Dakota's course waiver is broader than the skills-only waiver many states offer.

Cost & Renewal

The motorcycle instruction permit fee is $28, and converting the permit is also $28. The motorcycle endorsement is added to your South Dakota driver license and renews with it. Always confirm current fees with the Driver Licensing Program at dps.sd.gov.

Start With the Knowledge Test

Start the South Dakota Practice Test →

Get Your Permit Study Guide Test Tips FAQ

Source: Some test details are confirmed by the state agency; the rest reflect the consensus of major rider-education sources. dps.sd.gov states the written test must be passed at 80% or higher; the 25-question count is the third-party consensus. The manual is the standardized MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual, 18th Edition (June 2020), with a South Dakota DPS front section (Revised October 2020).