Beginning July 1, 2015 it will run you more to get a driver's license in South Dakota, thanks to House Bill 1041.

Driver’s license applications and renewals will jump from $20.00 to $28.00, while commercial driver’s license applications become $33.00, up from $25.00.

Along with these increases, come a hike to take the knowledge test for a commercial license, that will jump from $10.00 to $15.00. You will also start to pay more for duplicates and changes in names and addresses for either type of driver’s license starting on July 1.

The good news, some motorists in South Dakota will be able to avoid the increase if they renew their driver’s licenses early.

You can renew your license up to 180 days before the expiration date in South Dakota according to Tony Mangan, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety.

“We totally understand nobody likes increasing fees,” Jenna Howell, a lawyer for the department, said at a Jan. 30 hearing before the House Appropriations Committee. “The driver’s license program is entirely self-funded.”

According to Howell the program would have finished $875,000 in the red during 2016 without the new round of increases this year.

Howell says, the new fee increase will help balance costs through 2024. She said the only alternative would be “drastic cuts” to personnel and services, “which is something we do not want to do.”

The previous increases came in 2009, when the price to get a driver's license went from $8.00 to $20.00, while the price for a commercial driver’s license went up to $25.00 from $15.00.

Source: Aberdeen News

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