South Carolina Permit Test Cheat Sheet (2026)
The South Carolina rules and numbers to know for the DMV knowledge test, on one page. Every line was checked against the official South Carolina driver's handbook. It is a study sheet: you cannot use notes during the real test.
The South Carolina test at a glance
- Questions on the test
- Not published by the DMV
- To pass
- a pass mark the DMV does not publish (our practice tests use 70%)
- Time limit
- We found no published time limit for the South Carolina knowledge test.
- Minimum permit age
- 15 years old
- Hold the permit for
- 180 days (must hold beginner's permit at least 180 days before full licensure, 56-1-50)
- Alcohol limit under 21
- 0.02% BAC
South Carolina rules and numbers
From the official South Carolina handbook; PDF page numbers in brackets.
Road signs
Rules of the road
- South Carolina beginner's permit: drive 6 a.m.-midnight with a licensed adult 21+. [p.8]
- South Carolina restricted license: two passengers under 21 unless an adult 21+ rides. [p.11]
- South Carolina permit: always drive with a licensed adult 21+ in the front seat. [p.8]
- South Carolina: park no more than 18 inches from the curb or pavement edge. [p.86]
- Disability spaces: only when the placard's named person drives or rides along. [p.85]
- Uphill with no curb: turn the front wheels to the right. [p.88]
- South Carolina: signal at least 100 feet before turning, changing lanes or merging. [p.102]
- Four-lane road: oncoming traffic need not stop for a school bus; traffic behind must. [p.85]
- SC golf carts: daytime, within 4 miles, on roads posted 35 mph or less. [p.31]
- In South Carolina a driver does not have to sign a traffic ticket. [p.122]
- Single-lane bridge: the first driver to arrive generally has the right-of-way. [p.130]
- Pedestrian with a guide dog or white cane: come to a complete stop. [p.110]
- Work zones: follow the posted signs until you see End Road Work. [p.129]
- South Carolina: children 7 and younger ride in a car seat in the back seat. [p.50]
- Hands-Free Act: $100 first offense; $200 and 2 points for later offenses. [p.36]
- SC drivers 17+: license suspended at 12 or more points. [p.23]
- Skills test retest waits: 2 business days, then 7, then 30 calendar days. [p.17]
- New South Carolina residents: get an SC license within 45 days. [p.17]
Safe driving & emergencies
- South Carolina: no reading, writing, or sending texts or emails while driving. [p.35]
- South Carolina Move Over: slow down and change lanes away from stopped emergency cars. [p.124]
- South Carolina: keep a following distance of at least 4 seconds. [p.99]
- Dim high beams when an oncoming vehicle is 500 feet or more away. [p.126]
- Night: add 1+ second of following distance; 2+ seconds on unfamiliar roads. [p.127]
- Breakdown: place flares about 200 to 300 feet behind the vehicle. [p.108]
- Stuck gas pedal (SC order): turn off the engine, then shift to neutral. [p.108]
- Brakes and parking brake both fail: turn off the engine, stop safely off the road. [p.107]
- Front tire blowout: the car pulls sharply toward the side of the blowout. [p.107]
- ABS: press hard and hold; pumping the brakes deactivates ABS. [p.104]
- Stuck on a railroad track: call the emergency number on the blue sign. [p.66]
- Loaded truck at 55 mph: at least 335 feet to stop. [p.118]
- Truck rear No Zone: can extend up to 200 feet behind it. [p.118]
- Two feet of moving water can carry away most vehicles; six inches can stall a car. [p.97]
Alcohol & drugs
- Under 21 with BAC 0.02+: suspended at least 3 months (refusal: 6 months). [p.38]
Rules learners miss most
The rules behind the most-missed questions on our practice tests. Some details, such as parking distances, can differ by state - your handbook has the final word.
- At 60 mph a car travels about 88 feet per second.
- Measure following distance in seconds, counted from a fixed roadside object.
- Most states: no parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.
- A yellow curb signals a stopping or parking limit - check signs and local rules.
- Uncontrolled T-intersection: the terminating road yields to the through road.
- Uphill with a curb: turn wheels away from the curb; downhill: toward it.
- Most states: no parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant (a few use 10 feet).
- KEEP RIGHT: pass to the right of the island, median or obstruction.
- Point of no return: past it you cannot stop safely on yellow, so proceed.
- Zipper merge: use both lanes up to the merge point, then alternate.
- In heavy rain use low beams, slow down and increase following distance.
- Parallel park close to and parallel with the curb, within your state's limit.
- Yellow pennant on the left side of the road: a no-passing zone begins.
- Car with skid marks: the road is slippery when wet.
- Diamond-shaped signs are warning signs.
- 4-way stop tie: the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
- ABS keeps wheels from locking in hard braking so you can still steer.
- A round yellow sign warns of a railroad crossing ahead.
- Merging onto a highway: yield to traffic already on the highway.
- An upward-pointing pentagon marks a school zone or school crossing.
- Steady yellow: the light is about to turn red - stop if you can do so safely.
- Basic speed law: never drive faster than is safe for conditions, even under the limit.
- Use high beams on open roads; dim them for oncoming or followed vehicles.
- Arrows pointing up and down warn of two-way traffic ahead.
- Orange diamond signs warn of construction and work zones.
- Adult (21+) BAC limit is 0.08% in most states.
- Implied consent: by driving you agree to chemical tests if arrested for DUI.
Now test yourself
Reading rules is a start; answering questions is what makes them stick.