South Dakota · plumber licensing · verified July 2026

South Dakota plumber license requirements

Do you need a license to work as a plumber in South Dakota?

South Dakota licenses plumbers statewide, so one credential is valid across the whole state.

No fixed list of reciprocity states: the commission may register, without examination, nonresidents licensed by exam in states it determines have substantially equivalent requirements and a plumbing code equal to or exceeding South Dakota's; reciprocity applicants must show proof of license by exam plus 4 hours of continuing education. License fee amounts (as opposed to application and exam fees) are quoted by the commission at approval and are not published on the pages read; renewal fee amount also not published there. Specialty licenses exist for sewer/water, appliance, wastewater, mobile home, underground irrigation, and water conditioning work.

What licenses does South Dakota issue?

The South Dakota Plumbing Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation) issues the credentials below for this trade. Boards often list further classes for specialties and business licenses; these are the ones this page covers.

Hours are what each class asks for on its own terms. Where a senior class shows fewer than a journeyman, the board is counting time served after the earlier license rather than from the start; the prerequisite column says which.

Source: South Dakota Plumbing Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation) (dlr.sd.gov). Verified July 2026.

Third-Year Apprentice Plumber: Two years' experience as an apprentice plumber at >=1,900 hours per year

Plumber: Four years as an apprentice plumber, >=1,900 hours/year

Plumbing Contractor: Six years in the trade (>=1,900 hrs/yr), at least two years as a plumbing contractor or plumber

What exam does South Dakota require?

Plumbing Contractor / Plumber examination (state-administered). Administered by South Dakota Plumbing Commission (offered in Pierre by appointment; Sioux Falls and Rapid City sessions when enough applicants). Exam fee $100.

Third-Year Apprentice Plumber examination. Administered by South Dakota Plumbing Commission. Exam fee $50.

Source: examination page (dlr.sd.gov). Verified July 2026.

How much does a South Dakota plumber license cost?

South Dakota sets its fees per license class rather than as one figure for the trade, so no single total would be true of every applicant. The published items are below exactly as the board sets them.

• Application feeset per license class
• Exam feeset per license class

How often do you renew, and what continuing education is required?

Renewal period: 1 year (all plumbing licenses expire annually on December 31)

Continuing education: Minimum 4 hours per calendar year relating to the plumbing trade, 2 of which must cover code; applies to plumbing contractors, restricted plumbing contractors, plumbers, restricted plumbers, and third-year apprentice plumbers licensed by exam. Proof required before renewal is processed.

Source: renewal requirements (dlr.sd.gov). Verified July 2026.

How does the apprenticeship route work?

Apprentices must hold an apprentice license ($20 application). Time as a licensed apprentice at >=1,900 hours/year is the qualifying experience for every higher tier: 2 years (3,800 hrs) qualifies for the third-year apprentice exam, 4 years for the plumber exam, and apprentice years also count toward the 6-year plumbing contractor requirement.

Which states does South Dakota have license reciprocity with?

South Dakota appears in 2 published reciprocal licensing agreements for this trade, covering Montana, North Dakota. Boards write these as agreements between two states rather than as a one-way list, and some publish the list while their counterpart does not, so this counts every agreement naming South Dakota from either side. Recognition is never automatic: the board you apply to decides, and most require the original license to have been earned by examination and to be in good standing.

Source: reciprocity agreement (dlr.sd.gov). Verified July 2026.

How does South Dakota compare to neighboring states?

Requirements stop at the state line, which matters if you live near one or expect to move. Here is what the neighboring states ask of the same trade.

Source: state licensing boards. Verified July 2026.

Sources and verification

Other states with published requirements for this trade: Tennessee, Texas, Utah.

Price the whole path with the license cost estimator, or weigh earning against paying for school with the apprenticeship comparison. Back to plumbers overview.

Licensing requirements change between our verification sweeps. This page is informational only, so confirm current requirements with South Dakota Plumbing Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation) before making decisions. Not legal advice.