StateLicensed

Plumber License Requirements in South Dakota

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
7600 hrs
Upfront cost
$150
Exam
Plumber/Installer Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 1 year
Issuing board
South Dakota Plumbing Commission, SD Department of Labor and Regulation

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Pass a criminal background check. No minimum age is stated on the Commission's licensing page or application form. The application requires applicants to disclose any conviction or guilty/nolo contendere plea to a "crime of violence" as defined under SDCL 22-1-2, and if so, submit a copy of the criminal complaint or indictment, sentencing order, and evidence of rehabilitation — this is a disclosure-and-documentation requirement rather than a Commission-run background-check pull, but is recorded here as backgroundCheck=true given the mandatory criminal-history disclosure. [3]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 7600 hours of training. Applicants for the Plumber (journeyman) license must complete 4 years of experience as an apprentice plumber, with at least 1,900 hours per year (4 x 1,900 = 7,600 hours, recorded here). No approved training program is mandatory — completion of a plumbing trade school/program can be documented for consideration but isn't required, and military plumbing service counts toward the apprenticeship at a rate of 1 year of credit for every 2 years served, capped at 5 years total credit. [1]

  3. 3

    Plumber/Installer Examination

    Pass the Plumber/Installer Examination (fee: $100). Administered by appointment in Pierre, and periodically in Sioux Falls and Rapid City when enough applicants register; based on the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) as adopted by South Dakota; passing score is 70% The $100 fee covers the exam and re-exams; it is separate from the $50 application fee recorded under fees. Application and exam fees must both be submitted before a first-time examinee is scheduled. [2]

  4. 4

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to South Dakota Plumbing Commission, SD Department of Labor and Regulation with the $50 application fee. [3]

  5. 5

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, South Dakota Plumbing Commission, SD Department of Labor and Regulation issues your Plumber License (Journeyman) for South Dakota.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [3] $50
License fee [3] None specified
Renewal fee [3] None specified
Plumber/Installer Examination [2] $100
Plumbing Contractor application fee [3] $50
3rd Year Apprentice Plumber application fee [3] $20

Per the Commission's current (Feb. 2026) Plumbing License Application form, the application fee is $50 for a Plumber (journeyman) license (also $50 for Plumbing Contractor, $20 for 3rd Year Apprentice Plumber); all fees are non-refundable and an application expires 30 days after receipt if not completed. This $50 is separate from the $100 exam fee recorded on the exam entry. License fee and renewal fee are left null: the Commission's licensing and renewal pages describe the process (license issued after passing exam and paying the required fee) but do not publish the dollar amount on the pages reviewed during this research.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 1 year. 4 continuing education hours required per cycle.

All South Dakota plumbing licenses (contractor, restricted plumbing contractor, plumber, restricted plumber, and 3rd-year apprentice plumber) expire annually on December 31. Licensees who obtained their license through examination must complete at least 4 hours of plumbing-trade continuing education during the previous calendar year, at least 2 of which must be code-related, and provide verification to the Commission before renewal is processed; an out-of-state CE course may be accepted if it meets or exceeds South Dakota's requirements.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

The Commission's reciprocal-agreements page does not list specific partner states; instead it evaluates each nonresident applicant case by case. Registration without examination is available if the applicant's home state's plumbing-licensing requirements are "substantially equivalent" to South Dakota's: the applicant must have been licensed by examination (not by reciprocity) in that state, that state's licensure laws must be similar to South Dakota's, and that state's plumbing code must equal or exceed South Dakota's. Reciprocity applicants must also submit proof of license by exam, license verification, and proof of completing 4 hours of continuing education. No interstate compact covers plumbing licensure.

2 state-approved training providers in South Dakota — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $50
  • $100
Total$150

Frequently asked questions

How much apprenticeship experience does South Dakota require for a Plumber license?

4 years as an apprentice plumber, with at least 1,900 hours per year (7,600 hours total). Military plumbing service counts at a rate of 1 year of credit for every 2 years served, up to 5 years of total credit.

Who administers the South Dakota plumber exam, and what does it cost?

The South Dakota Plumbing Commission itself administers the exam (no third-party vendor), by appointment in Pierre and periodically in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. The exam fee is $100, separate from the $50 application fee, and the exam is based on the Uniform Plumbing Code with a 70% passing score.

How often do I need to renew my South Dakota plumbing license, and is continuing education required?

All South Dakota plumbing licenses expire annually on December 31. Licensees who tested for their license must complete at least 4 hours of continuing education (2 of which must be code-related) in the prior calendar year to renew.

Can I transfer my out-of-state plumbing license to South Dakota?

Possibly, without retesting, if the Commission determines your home state's plumbing-licensing requirements are substantially equivalent to South Dakota's — you must have been licensed by exam (not reciprocity) there, and that state's plumbing code must meet or exceed South Dakota's. There's no fixed list of partner states; each case is evaluated individually.

Sources

  1. [1] dlr.sd.gov/plumbing/licensing.aspx — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] dlr.sd.gov/plumbing/exams.aspx — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] dlr.sd.gov/plumbing/forms/Plumbing-Application.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  4. [4] dlr.sd.gov/plumbing/continuing_education.aspx — accessed 2026-07-12
  5. [5] dlr.sd.gov/plumbing/reciprocal_agreements.aspx — accessed 2026-07-12