PermitoSouth Carolina permit test
We have not yet confirmed the South Carolina question count with the agency. We have not yet confirmed the South Carolina pass mark with the agency. Check the agency’s page: dmv.sc.gov. Last reviewed October 20, 2026.
Test facts
| What | Number | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Questions on the test | Not yet confirmed with the agency | dmv.sc.gov | |
| Pass mark | Not yet confirmed with the agency | dmv.sc.gov |
South Carolina laws and handbook points
Points from South Carolina law and the South Carolina driver handbook, each taken from one of our South Carolina practice questions with its source. Practice material, not the state test.
Permits and graduated licensing
Which license can a 15-year-old receive after 180 days with a permit, driver's education and the road test?
Answer: A conditional license. A driver who is at least 15 but not yet 16 can earn a conditional license once the permit time, course, practice and road test are done. It has night and passenger limits.
Other choices: A route restricted license. A route restricted license follows certain suspensions, not teen licensing. A regular Class D license. A regular license comes after the teen restrictions end.
Sources: S.C. Code Ann. 56-1-175; Driver handbook, Section 1: The Driver's License.
Alcohol and drugs
What happens to an adult's license after refusing the breath test following a DUI arrest?
Answer: It is suspended for at least six months. A driver arrested for DUI does not have to take the test, but refusing suspends the license for at least six months. The refusal may also be used against the driver in court.
Other choices: It is revoked for life. A refusal brings a suspension of fixed length, not a lifetime ban. Nothing, since the test is voluntary. The choice is voluntary, but refusing still has a penalty.
Sources: S.C. Code Ann. 56-5-2950; S.C. Code Ann. 56-5-2951.
Insurance
Where must a South Carolina vehicle owner keep proof of insurance?
Answer: In the vehicle at all times. The owner must maintain proof of insurance in the vehicle at all times and display it when an officer asks. An electronic copy from the insurer is acceptable.
Other choices: At home, in a safe place. Proof must be in the vehicle, not only at home. With the insurance agent. The agent's file does not meet the duty to carry proof.
Sources: S.C. Code Ann. 56-10-225; Driver handbook, Section 1: The Driver's License.
Speed and following distance
You count three seconds between the car ahead and the sign it just passed. Are you following safely by the South Carolina manual?
Answer: No, four seconds is advised. The South Carolina manual advises a following distance of at least four seconds. If you pass the fixed point before counting to four, slow down and count again.
Other choices: No, you need ten seconds in good weather. Ten seconds is far more than the manual advises. Yes, any gap over two seconds is fine. Two seconds is shorter still than the advised four.
Sources: S.C. Code Ann. 56-5-1930; Driver handbook, Section 8: Safe Driving Tips.
Parking
What is the minimum distance from an intersection crosswalk for standing or parking?
Answer: At least 20 feet away from it. A driver may not stand or park within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, except briefly to load or unload passengers. This keeps pedestrians visible to drivers.
Other choices: At least 15 feet away. Fifteen feet is the clearance for a fire hydrant, not for a crosswalk. At least 30 feet away. Thirty feet is the distance for stop signs and signals, not for crosswalks.
Sources: S.C. Code Ann. 56-5-2530.
Right of way
Two vehicles reach an intersection from different roads at about the same time. Who yields?
Answer: The driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. At about the same time from different roads, the driver on the left gives way to the driver on the right.
Other choices: The driver on the right must yield to the driver on the left. This reverses the actual rule. The driver in the faster vehicle yields. Speed does not decide the right-of-way.
Sources: S.C. Code Ann. 56-5-2310; Driver handbook, Section 6: Rules of the Road.
Sharing the road
You drive toward a school bus stopped on a four-lane highway, two lanes each way, with red lights flashing. What must you do?
Answer: Continue with care. A driver need not stop for a school bus traveling the opposite way on a highway with four or more lanes and at least two in each direction. Traffic behind the bus must stop.
Other choices: Stop, as for any stopped school bus. Oncoming traffic on a divided or multilane road does not need to stop. Pull to the shoulder and wait. No stop or pullover is required for oncoming traffic on such roads.
Sources: S.C. Code Ann. 56-5-2770; Driver handbook, Section 7: General Driving.
Emergencies
What is true about a driver who fails to see or hear a police signal?
Answer: The driver is still in violation. Failure to see the light or hear the siren does not excuse a driver when the distance and road conditions make it reasonable to notice the signal.
Other choices: The driver is always excused for missing the signal. Not noticing does not excuse a driver who should have noticed. The driver is excused if the radio was loud. A loud radio does not erase the duty to notice a siren a reasonable driver would hear.
Sources: S.C. Code Ann. 56-5-750; Driver handbook, Section 10: Sharing the Road.
Turns and lanes
Who must a driver yield to before turning right on a red light?
Answer: Pedestrians and cross traffic. After stopping, a driver turning right on red gives way to pedestrians in the crosswalk beside the car and to other cars in the intersection.
Other choices: Nobody, since the turn is allowed. The permission to turn comes with a duty to yield. Only vehicles already waiting behind you. Cars behind you have no right-of-way over cross traffic.
Sources: S.C. Code Ann. 56-5-970; Driver handbook, Section 6: Rules of the Road.
Safe driving
It is noon and rain is falling hard enough that you need your wipers. What must you do?
Answer: Turn on your headlights. Headlights are required from half an hour after sunset until half an hour before sunrise, and whenever windshield wipers are in use because of rain, sleet or snow.
Other choices: Use your hazard flashers while driving. Hazard flashers are for a disabled vehicle, not for rain. Use your parking lights only. Parking lights are too dim and do not meet the headlight requirement.
Sources: S.C. Code Ann. 56-5-4450; Driver handbook, Section 8: Safe Driving Tips.
- Questions in this list were last updated .
What the South Carolina question bank covers
Questions in Permito’s South Carolina bank, by topic. The counts describe the bank, not the state test.
| Topic | Questions in the bank |
|---|---|
| Road signs | 359 |
| Safe driving | 66 |
| Permits and graduated licensing | 52 |
| Sharing the road | 50 |
| Alcohol and drugs | 48 |
| Right of way | 46 |
| Turns and lanes | 40 |
| Speed and following distance | 36 |
| Pavement markings | 32 |
| Traffic signals | 25 |
| Emergencies | 23 |
| Parking | 16 |
| Insurance | 13 |
Where these numbers come from
We print a number only after seeing it on the agency’s own page, so until then this state shows none.
Practice
- Try the South Carolina practice questions. Questions with the answer, the explanation and the source.
- Compare all states
Road signs
Sign questions are part of the South Carolina bank too. The road sign reference shows every sign Permito teaches, with its name and what it means. See all road signs.
Common questions
How many questions are on the South Carolina permit test?
We have not yet confirmed the question count with the agency, so we do not list one. The agency’s page is dmv.sc.gov.
What score do I need to pass the South Carolina permit test?
We have not yet confirmed the pass mark with the agency, so we do not list one. Check dmv.sc.gov.
Why does Permito not show every number other sites list?
Numbers copied from site to site are often out of date, so we show only numbers seen on the agency’s own page.
Are the practice questions on Permito from the South Carolina test?
No. They are our own practice questions, written from the South Carolina driver handbook and vehicle code. Permito is not affiliated with any DMV or government agency.
Which violation costs 4 points in South Carolina?
Following too closely. These cost 4 points: following too closely, failing to yield, ignoring signals and passing illegally. Small slips like backing cost 2. Sources: S.C. Code Ann. 56-1-720.
A driver blows 0.06 percent but weaves across lanes and fails field tests. Can the driver be charged with DUI?
Yes, if driving is impaired. A driver can be convicted of DUI whenever alcohol or drugs materially and appreciably impair driving, even below 0.08. Weaving and failed field tests are common evidence. Sources: S.C. Code Ann. 56-5-2930; Driver handbook, Section 3: Be in Shape to Drive.
What kind of crime is driving an uninsured car in South Carolina?
A misdemeanor offense. Driving an uninsured car is a misdemeanor. The DMV suspends the owner's license and plates until a fee is paid. Sources: S.C. Code Ann. 56-10-520.
What following gap does the South Carolina manual advise?
4 seconds or more. Count at least four seconds from when the car ahead passes a fixed object. Allow more room on slippery roads, at night and behind big trucks. Sources: S.C. Code Ann. 56-5-1930; Driver handbook, Section 8: Safe Driving Tips.
What is the minimum parking distance from a railroad crossing's nearest rail?
50 feet. Do not park within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing, unless you are actively loading or unloading. Sources: S.C. Code Ann. 56-5-2530.
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