Title 32 — MOTOR VEHICLES
55 chapters · 1,941 sections in this title.
SDCL § 32-17-17 Auxiliary driving lamps--Mounting--Lighting restricted
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Any motor vehicle may be equipped with up to three auxiliary driving lamps mounted on the front at a height not less than twelve inches nor more than twenty - four inches above the level surface upon which the vehicle stands, and every such auxiliary driving lamp or lamps shall m…
SDCL § 32-17-18 Turn light requirements--Visibility--Violation as petty offense
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If a motor vehicle is equipped with a signal lamp to comply with the provisions of § 32-26-23 , the signal lamp shall be so constructed and located on the vehicle as to give a signal, yellow or red in color, which shall be plainly visible in normal sunlight from a distance of one…
SDCL § 32-17-19 Spot lamps--Aiming and adjustment--Violation as misdemeanor
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Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed one spot lamp and every lighted spot lamp shall be so aimed and used upon approaching another vehicle that no part of the high intensity portion of the beam will be directed to the left of the prolongation of the extreme left s…
SDCL § 32-17-2 Repealed by SL 1984, ch 228 , § 2
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32-17-3
SDCL § 32-17-20 Adjustment of other lamps--Violation as misdemeanor
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Any device other than headlamps, spot lamps, or auxiliary driving lamps, which projects a beam of light of an intensity greater than twenty - five candle power shall be so directed that no part of the beam will strike the level of the surface on which the vehicle stands at a dist…
SDCL § 32-17-21 Fire vehicles exempt when equipped with other approved devices
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Fire trucks and apparatus shall be exempt from the provisions of §§ 32-17-14 and 32-17-15 providing such fire trucks and apparatus are equipped with sirens or horns and red warning lights as provided for in §
SDCL § 32-17-22 United States mail vehicles--Warning lights--Color--Mounting and location--Visibility--Violation as petty offense
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Any vehicle, operated by a person authorized to carry United States mail, may be equipped with a single rotating beacon light or lamps to warn the operators of other vehicles of the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care in approaching, over…
SDCL § 32-17-23 Special lights for vehicles operated by persons with disabilities--Violation as petty offense
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Any vehicle owned and operated by a person authorized by the Department of Public Safety to display a special handicapped license plate may be equipped with not to exceed two flashing lights which shall emit an amber light without glare. One such lamp may be mounted on the front …
SDCL § 32-17-24 Headlamps on motorcycles--Violation as petty offense
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Every motorcycle shall be equipped with at least one and not more than two headlamps which shall comply with the requirements and limitations set forth in §§ 32-17-5 and
SDCL § 32-17-24.1 Headlamps on mopeds--Violation as petty offense
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A moped shall be equipped with a headlamp of a single beam type. The headlamp of the moped shall be of sufficient intensity to render clearly discernible a person or vehicle at a distance of not less than one hundred feet. A violation of this section is a petty offense. Source: S…
SDCL § 32-17-25 Bicycle lamps--Visibility and color--Violation as petty offense
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Every bicycle shall be equipped with a lighted lamp on the front thereof visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of at least three hundred feet in front of such bicycle and shall also be equipped with a reflex mirror or lamp on the rear exhibiting a yellow or …
SDCL § 32-17-26 Lights on other vehicles--Color and visibility--Violation as petty offense
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All vehicles not required in §§ 32-17-1 to 32-17-25 , inclusive, to be equipped with specified lighted lamps shall carry one or more lighted lamps or lanterns displaying a white light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of at least five hundred feet to the…
SDCL § 32-17-27 Lights on parked vehicles--Color and visibility--Vehicles parked within municipality--Violation as misdemeanor
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Whenever a vehicle is parked or stopped upon a highway whether attended or unattended during the times mentioned in § 32-17-4 , there shall be displayed upon such vehicle one or more lamps projecting a white or amber light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distan…
SDCL § 32-17-27.1 Repealed by SL 1989, ch 255 , § 41
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32-17-28 Vehicles required to be equipped with portable flares, lights or reflectors--Visibility--Violation as misdemeanor. 32-17-29 Time during which flares must be displayed--Location and spacing of flares--Removal of vehicle--Violation as misdemeanor--Exceptions. 32-17-30 Subs…
SDCL § 32-17-28 Vehicles required to be equipped with portable flares, lights or reflectors--Visibility--Violation as misdemeanor
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Every motor truck, tractor, truck tractor, farm tractor, road tractor, or road patrol, or any and all combinations thereof, including trailers and semitrailers, and all vehicles exceeding a width at any point of eighty inches operated on the public highways of this state whether …
SDCL § 32-17-29 Time during which flares must be displayed--Location and spacing of flares--Removal of vehicle--Violation as misdemeanor--Exceptions
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Every operator of a motor truck, tractor, truck tractor, farm tractor, road tractor, or road patrol, or any combination thereof, including trailers and semitrailers, and all vehicles exceeding a width at any point of eighty inches, shall, immediately upon bringing his vehicle to …
SDCL § 32-17-3 Repealed by SL 1998, ch 189 , § 1
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32-17-4 Periods during which lamps must be lighted--Violation as misdemeanor. 32-17-4.1 Circumstances exempting law enforcement officers from use of motor vehicle lights. 32-17-5 Construction and adjustment of headlamps--Visibility distance--Four headlight system--High beam indic…
SDCL § 32-17-30 Subsequent violations of flare requirements--Revocation of license
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If a person violates § 32-17-28 or 32-17-29 more than once, the court may impose as an additional penalty the revoking of any permit or license, or both, which the person so convicted holds pertaining to ownership or operation of motor vehicles. Source: SDC 1939, § 44.9918; SL 19…
SDCL § 32-17-4 Periods during which lamps must be lighted--Violation as misdemeanor
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Each motor vehicle on a highway during the period from sunset to sunrise and at any other time when there is not sufficient light to render clearly discernible any person on the highway at a distance of two hundred feet ahead, shall be equipped with lighted front and rear lamps f…
SDCL § 32-17-4.1 Circumstances exempting law enforcement officers from use of motor vehicle lights
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The requirements of § 32-17-4 do not apply to a law enforcement officer, as defined in § 23-3-27 , while operating a motor vehicle owned, leased, or otherwise the property of the state or a political subdivision, in the performance of the officer's law enforcement duties if the o…
SDCL § 32-17-42 Blue lights on emergency vehicles--Driver duty and liability--Authorization to use lights--Penalty
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A motor vehicle may be equipped with blue lights if it is: (1) Authorized by the Department of Transportation; (2) A tow truck or wrecker as defined in § 32-17-10 ; or (3) Operated by: (a) A member of a fire department or search and rescue unit; or (b) An ambulance operator certi…
SDCL § 32-17-43 Exemption of towed highway maintenance vehicles
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A vehicle used primarily for the maintenance of highways and drawn by another vehicle equipped and operated with flashing yellow lights is exempt from the provisions of this chapter when operated during daylight hours. Source: SL 1985, ch 254 .
SDCL § 32-17-44 Command post vehicle to be equipped with green light
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Any vehicle used as a command post at the site of any accident or emergency incident involving any hazard may be equipped with one green rotating beacon light to be visible 360 degrees. Source: SL 1989, ch 269 .
SDCL § 32-17-45 Red and blue lights authorized for law enforcement officers
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Any law enforcement officer may operate a police vehicle with a combination of red lights as provided by § 32-31-4 and blue lights as described in §
Warning light on certain slow - moving vehicles during darkness--Violation as misdemeanor
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No vehicle that is required to display a slow - moving vehicle emblem pursuant to § 32-15-20 may be operated during the period of day between one - half hour after sunset and one - half hour before sunrise on the following day on any public highway unless the vehicle has a flashi…
SDCL § 32-17-47 Flashing lights required on certain animal-drawn vehicles--Violation as misdemeanor
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Any animal-drawn vehicle operating on a highway during the period from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise and at any other time when there is not sufficient light to render the vehicle clearly discernible to any person on the highway at a distance of two hundr…
SDCL § 32-17-5 Construction and adjustment of headlamps--Visibility distance--Four headlight system--High beam indicator--Violation as misdemeanor
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The headlamps of motor vehicles shall be so constructed, arranged, and adjusted that, except as provided in § 32-17-7 , they shall at all times mentioned in § 32-17-4 and under normal atmospheric conditions and on a level road produce a driving light sufficient to render clearly …
SDCL § 32-17-6 Requirements respecting adjustment of headlamps--Violation as misdemeanor
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Headlamps shall be deemed to comply with the provisions of § 32-17-5 prohibiting glaring and dazzling lights, if none of the main bright portion of the headlamp beams rises above a horizontal plane passing through the lamp centers parallel to the level road upon which the loaded …
SDCL § 32-17-7 Circumstances under which headlamps must be dimmed--Violation as misdemeanor
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Whenever a motor vehicle, except a moped equipped with a single beam headlamp as provided in § 32-17-24.1 , is being operated upon a highway, or a portion thereof, which is sufficiently lighted to reveal a person on the highway at a distance of two hundred feet ahead of the vehic…
SDCL § 32-17-8 Rear lamps required--Visibility--Combination of vehicles--Height of mounting--Violation as petty offense
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Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer, except as otherwise provided in this section, and any other vehicle which is being drawn at the end of a combination of vehicles shall be equipped with at least two tail lamps mounted on the rear, which when lighted as …
SDCL § 32-17-8.1 Stop lamps required--Mounting--Visibility--Violation as petty offense
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Except for a vehicle equipped with a slow-moving vehicle emblem in compliance with §§ 32-15-20 and 32-15-21 , each motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer shall be equipped with at least two stop lamps with at least one on each side. The side stop lamps shall be mou…
SDCL § 32-17-9 Red lights on front of vehicle prohibited--Excepted vehicles--Misdemeanor
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Except for any authorized emergency vehicle as defined by § 32-14-1 , any person who drives or moves any vehicle upon a highway with any red light thereon visible from directly in front thereof, is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. Source: SDC 1939, § 44.9924; SL 1967, ch 208 , § …
SDCL § 32-18-1 Brakes required on particular vehicles--Violation as misdemeanor
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Every motor vehicle, as defined by subdivision § 32-14-1(17) and every trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer manufactured or sold in this state, and any combination of such vehicles operating upon a highway within this state shall be equipped with brakes in compliance with the r…
SDCL § 32-18-1.1 Certain farm vehicles exempt
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Any farm vehicle designed and used primarily for tillage or harvesting, or wagons and other implements of husbandry, drawn by another vehicle, if the use thereof is confined to agricultural purposes or to the conveyance of agricultural products and the transportation of farm prop…
SDCL § 32-18-1.2 Fertilizer and agricultural chemical trailers exempt--Exception for new vehicles
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Any vehicle designed and used primarily for the distribution and application of agricultural fertilizer or chemicals, when drawn by another vehicle shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter. However, vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of over twenty thousand pounds ma…
SDCL § 32-18-10 Single control device operating all service brakes--Violation as misdemeanor--Additional control devices
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Every motor vehicle described in § 32-18-1 , trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer, and every combination of such vehicles, except motorcycles and motor - driven cycles, equipped with brakes shall have the braking system so arranged that one control device can be used to operate…
SDCL § 32-18-11 Towing vehicles with air brakes--Application of trailer brakes--Automatic application--Manual application--Violation as misdemeanor
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Every towing vehicle, when used to tow another vehicle equipped with air controlled brakes, in other than driveaway or towaway operations, shall be equipped with two means for emergency application of the trailer brakes. One of these means shall apply the brakes automatically in …
SDCL § 32-18-12 Towing vehicles with vacuum brakes--Operation of towed vehicle brakes--Independent control system--Automatic application--Violation as misdemeanor
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Every towing vehicle used to tow other vehicles equipped with vacuum brakes, in operations other than driveaway or towaway operations, shall have, in addition to the single control device required by § 32-18-10 , a second control device which can be used to operate the brakes on …
SDCL § 32-18-13 Parking brakes--Violation as misdemeanor
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Every vehicle described in § 32-18-1 and combination of vehicles, except motorcycles and motor - driven cycles, shall be equipped with parking brakes adequate to hold the vehicle on any grade on which it is operated, under all conditions of loading, on a surface free from snow, i…
SDCL § 32-18-14 Capability of parking brake--Parking brake assisted by service brake
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The parking brakes shall be capable of being applied in conformance with the requirements of § 32-18-13 by the driver's muscular effort or by spring action or by equivalent means. Their operation may be assisted by the service brakes or other source of power provided that failure…
SDCL § 32-18-15 Continuing application of parking brake
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The parking brakes shall be so designed that when once applied they shall remain applied with the required effectiveness despite exhaustion of any source of energy or leakage of any kind. Source: SL 1967, ch 197 , § 1 (b); SL 1968, ch 178 , § 2.
SDCL § 32-18-16 Use of same braking mechanism for service and parking brakes
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The same brake drums, brake shoes, and lining assemblies, brake shoe anchors, and mechanical brake shoe actuation mechanism normally associated with the wheel brake assemblies may be used for both the service brakes and the parking brakes. On vehicles manufactured or sold after J…
SDCL § 32-18-17 Trailers with air or vacuum brakes--Automatic continuing operation--Violation as misdemeanor
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Every trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer equipped with air or vacuum actuated brakes and every trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer with a gross weight in excess of three thousand pounds, manufactured or assembled after July 1, 1967, shall be equipped with brakes acting on …
SDCL § 32-18-18 Brakes on towing vehicle in case towed vehicle breaks away--Violation as misdemeanor
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Every motor vehicle manufactured or assembled after July 1, 1967, and used to tow a trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer equipped with brakes, shall be equipped with means for providing that in case of breakaway of the towed vehicle, the towing vehicle will be capable of being s…
SDCL § 32-18-19 Buses and trucks with air brakes--Reservoir--Violation as misdemeanor
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Every bus, truck, or truck tractor with air operated brakes shall be equipped with at least one reservoir sufficient to ensure that, when fully charged to the maximum pressure as regulated by the air compressor governor cut - out setting, a full service brake application may be m…
SDCL § 32-18-2 Wheels on which brakes must act--Particular vehicles
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Every vehicle described in § 32-18-1 shall be equipped with brakes acting on all wheels except as provided by §§ 32-18-3 to 32-18-6 , inclusive. Source: SL 1967, ch 197 , § 1 (c); SL 1968, ch 178 , § 3.
SDCL § 32-18-20 Buses and trucks with air brakes--Warning signal for low air pressure--Pressure gauge--Violation as misdemeanor
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Every bus, truck, or truck tractor using compressed air for the operation of its own brakes or the brakes on any towed vehicle, shall be provided with a warning signal, other than a pressure gauge, readily audible or visible to the driver, which will operate at any time the air r…
SDCL § 32-18-21 Multiaxle trucks equipped with vacuum assistor brakes--Vacuum reservoir--Violation as misdemeanor
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Every truck with three or more axles equipped with vacuum assistor type brakes and every truck tractor and truck used for towing a vehicle equipped with vacuum brakes shall be equipped with a reserve capacity or a vacuum reservoir sufficient to ensure that, with the reserve capac…
SDCL § 32-18-22 Low vacuum warning signal--Violation as misdemeanor
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Every truck tractor and truck used for towing a vehicle equipped with vacuum operated brakes and every truck with three or more axles using vacuum in the operation of its brakes, except those in driveaway or towaway operations, shall be equipped with a warning signal, other than …
SDCL § 32-18-23 Combined air and vacuum power warning signal devices--Gauge not considered adequate
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When a vehicle required to be equipped with a warning device is equipped with both air and vacuum power for the operation of its own brakes or the brakes on a towed vehicle, the warning devices required by §§ 32-18-20 and 32-18-22 may be, but are not required to be, combined into…