South Carolina DMV Handbook 2025

In South Carolina, all new drivers, regardless of age, must obtain a beginner’s permit before applying for a driver’s license. The requirements for a permit include passing a vision test and a beginner’s permit knowledge test on driving theory. You must take the permit test at a South Carolina DMV office, not online. If you’re under 18, you must provide signed consent from a parent, guardian, or other adult who is responsible for your care.

Before you can apply for a license, you must hold your beginner’s permit for at least 180 days if you’re under 18, or at least 30 days if you’re 18 or older. If you’re under 18, you have additional requirements to meet: You must provide signed consent from a parent, guardian, or other adult who is responsible for your care (as you did for your beginner’s permit). You must show that you are enrolled in or have graduated from high school or homeschool. You must show that you have satisfactorily completed a driver’s education course. Finally, you must prove that you have practiced driving for an additional 40 hours (including 10 hours at night) while supervised by a licensed driver at least 21 years of age.

All questions on the beginner’s permit knowledge test are based on the official South Carolina DMV driver’s 2025 handbook (South Carolina DMV Handbook (SC Driver's Manual) 2025). We have made this manual available (in PDF format) for easy download from this webpage.

We have also created an audiobook of the official driver’s manual. It’s formatted as a downloadable series of eleven MP3 files, one for each section of the handbook: The Driver’s License, State Laws and Rules of the Road, Be in Shape to Drive, and so on. The longest section is Section 1: The Driver’s License, whose running time is 32 minutes and 12 seconds. The total running time of this audiobook is approximately 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 34 seconds, so you should be able to listen to the entire audiobook in a day or two. Try listening to an audiobook file while you follow along with the text of the PDF version. This technique can help you concentrate on the material.

What about the day of the permit knowledge test? Worried you might freeze up or forget an important document? That’s why we also offer our own permit test study guide (available elsewhere on this website) with last-minute tips for the big exam day. It covers how to prepare your mind and body, what documents to take with you, fees you may have to pay, and frequently missed test questions.