Correcting a South Dakota Instruction Permit Error: Steps and Current $20 Change or Replacement Fee

Check your permit the moment it arrives. Report errors within 10-30 days.

How to Correct an Error on a South Dakota Instruction Permit

Bring the incorrect permit and supporting proof to South Dakota Driver Licensing. The current SD DPS fee schedule lists $20 for a duplicate/replacement driver license and $20 for a name or address change.

1. Check the permit against your source documents. Note the exact name, birth-date, address, or restriction error.
2. Bring proof of the correct information. Use the original or certified document required for that field.
3. Contact or visit Driver Licensing for the correction. The current published fee schedule does not state a separate blanket rule that every DPS-caused error is free.
4. Use the current fee schedule. Duplicate/replacement driver licenses and name/address changes are listed at $20.

Verify the fee for your exact correction type on the current SD DPS fee page.

Found a permit error after 30 days? Contact Driver Licensing as soon as you discover it. Explain when you noticed the error, and have the incorrect permit and proof of the correct information ready. Ask which correction procedure and fee apply to your case.

How Long Does the South Dakota Permit Correction Take?

Corrections made in person at a state exam station are issued on the spot the same day. Do not drive while your permit shows incorrect personal details - it may be treated as an invalid document.

• Same-day issuance:Corrected plastic card issued at the exam station counter
• County office alternative:If you apply at a county location, a corrected card mails within 4-6 weeks - a temporary paper permit covers you in the interim
• [NO] Driving with an incorrect permit:Do not drive while your permit has wrong personal details. Law enforcement may treat it as an invalid document.

Most Common South Dakota Permit Errors and How to Prevent Them

Name misspellings, wrong addresses, and incorrect restriction codes are the most common SD permit errors. Copy your name exactly from your certified birth certificate - no nicknames.

• Name misspelling:Copy your name exactly from your certified birth certificate onto the application - do not abbreviate or use nicknames
• Wrong address:Your permit mails to the address on the application. Update it immediately if you move before the card arrives - one Brookings applicant's permit mailed to an old apartment after a move and required in-person reissue
• Restriction code error:If your permit shows the wrong restriction (e.g., no corrective lens restriction when you passed wearing glasses), return immediately - driving without the required restriction noted is a compliance issue

For the full South Dakota permit correction process, fee schedule, and exam station locations, see the South Dakota Learner's Permit guide on shoro.ai.