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Plumbing license · South Dakota

How to get a plumbing license in South Dakota: the official requirements

The Plumber license, the experience and training it takes, the exam and how to apply, from the South Dakota Plumbing Commission.

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Updated Nov 9, 2026 · Requirements: each state's plumbing licensing authority or its rules
Quick answer

In South Dakota, the state plumbing license for individual plumbers is issued by the South Dakota Plumbing Commission. The plumber's license from the South Dakota Plumbing Commission, which licenses all qualified plumbers in the state. Apprentice or trainee registration: Start with an apprentice license: fill out the apprentice application and send it with the application fee. Approved apprentices receive an email stating the license fee due, and the license is issued once that fee is paid. Experience and training: Four years of experience as an apprentice plumber, with at least 1,900 hours in each of those years. Military plumbing earns one year of credit for each two years in the military, up to five years of credit. Experience must be verified or signed off by a licensed plumbing contractor you worked under; you cannot verify your own experience. Licensing exam: The state plumber exam, administered by the Commission. Your application and exam fees must be submitted and you must be approved before you schedule it; exams are held in Pierre by appointment and in Sioux Falls and Rapid City when enough applicants sign up. How to apply: Fill out the plumbing license application (license by exam, with experience verification), print and sign it, and mail it to the Commission in Pierre or fax it, with the application fee and the required documentation.

Requirements

South Dakota plumbing license requirements

Data
South Dakota plumbing license requirements (South Dakota Plumbing Commission)
RequirementSouth Dakota
License you apply forThe plumber's license from the South Dakota Plumbing Commission, which licenses all qualified plumbers in the state.
Apprentice or trainee registrationStart with an apprentice license: fill out the apprentice application and send it with the application fee. Approved apprentices receive an email stating the license fee due, and the license is issued once that fee is paid.
Experience and trainingFour years of experience as an apprentice plumber, with at least 1,900 hours in each of those years. Military plumbing earns one year of credit for each two years in the military, up to five years of credit. Experience must be verified or signed off by a licensed plumbing contractor you worked under; you cannot verify your own experience.
Classroom hoursNot stated in the official source we read. Check with the South Dakota Plumbing Commission.
Licensing examThe state plumber exam, administered by the Commission. Your application and exam fees must be submitted and you must be approved before you schedule it; exams are held in Pierre by appointment and in Sioux Falls and Rapid City when enough applicants sign up.
How to applyFill out the plumbing license application (license by exam, with experience verification), print and sign it, and mail it to the Commission in Pierre or fax it, with the application fee and the required documentation.
Background checkThe application asks whether you have ever been convicted of, or pled guilty or nolo contendere to, a crime of violence; if yes, you provide the court documents and any evidence of rehabilitation.
State feesPlumber application: $50. Plumber exam (and re-exam): $100. Apprentice application: $20. All fees are non-refundable.
License termOne year; plumbing licenses expire every December 31 and must be renewed by that date.
Continuing educationAt least four hours of plumbing continuing education in the previous calendar year to renew, two of them on code.

Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.

This page covers the plumbing license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.

Steps

How to get licensed in South Dakota

Data
  1. Apply to the Commission for an apprentice plumber license with the $20 application fee.
  2. Work four years as an apprentice plumber, at least 1,900 hours each year.
  3. Get your experience verified by the licensed plumbing contractor you worked under.
  4. Mail or fax the plumbing license application with the application fee and documentation.
  5. Once approved and your exam fee is paid, schedule and take the exam.
  6. Renew every year by December 31 with four hours of continuing education.
Next

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FAQ

Questions people ask

How do I get a plumbing license in South Dakota?
In South Dakota, the state plumbing license for individual plumbers is issued by the South Dakota Plumbing Commission. The plumber's license from the South Dakota Plumbing Commission, which licenses all qualified plumbers in the state. Apprentice or trainee registration: Start with an apprentice license: fill out the apprentice application and send it with the application fee. Approved apprentices receive an email stating the license fee due, and the license is issued once that fee is paid. Experience and training: Four years of experience as an apprentice plumber, with at least 1,900 hours in each of those years. Military plumbing earns one year of credit for each two years in the military, up to five years of credit. Experience must be verified or signed off by a licensed plumbing contractor you worked under; you cannot verify your own experience. Licensing exam: The state plumber exam, administered by the Commission. Your application and exam fees must be submitted and you must be approved before you schedule it; exams are held in Pierre by appointment and in Sioux Falls and Rapid City when enough applicants sign up. How to apply: Fill out the plumbing license application (license by exam, with experience verification), print and sign it, and mail it to the Commission in Pierre or fax it, with the application fee and the required documentation.
How many hours of experience do I need for a South Dakota plumbing license?
Four years of experience as an apprentice plumber, with at least 1,900 hours in each of those years. Military plumbing earns one year of credit for each two years in the military, up to five years of credit. Experience must be verified or signed off by a licensed plumbing contractor you worked under; you cannot verify your own experience.
Is there an apprentice or trainee license in South Dakota?
Start with an apprentice license: fill out the apprentice application and send it with the application fee. Approved apprentices receive an email stating the license fee due, and the license is issued once that fee is paid.
Do I need to pass an exam for a South Dakota plumbing license?
The state plumber exam, administered by the Commission. Your application and exam fees must be submitted and you must be approved before you schedule it; exams are held in Pierre by appointment and in Sioux Falls and Rapid City when enough applicants sign up.
How long is a South Dakota plumbing license good for?
One year; plumbing licenses expire every December 31 and must be renewed by that date.
How much does a South Dakota plumbing license cost?
Plumber application: $50. Plumber exam (and re-exam): $100. Apprentice application: $20. All fees are non-refundable. Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
Method

How this page is built

Each fact on this page comes from the South Dakota Plumbing Commission (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the South Dakota Plumbing Commission's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 10, 2027).

What this page can't tell you
  • Not legal advice.
  • Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
  • Fees shown are the licensing authority's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, schools, apprenticeship programs, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
  • This page covers the plumbing license issued by the state. Cities and counties can have their own registration, permit or license rules; ask the local building department where you will work.
  • This page covers the individual license named above. Master, contractor, specialty, residential, limited and out-of-state (reciprocity) licenses have their own rules.
Sources
  1. South Dakota Plumbing Commission (Department of Labor and Regulation), Licensing Requirements, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  2. South Dakota Plumbing Commission, Licensing Examinations, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  3. South Dakota Plumbing Commission, Applications & Forms, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  4. South Dakota Plumbing Commission, Plumbing License Application (Rev. 02/2026), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  5. South Dakota Plumbing Commission, Apprentice License Application (Rev. 02/2026), official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  6. South Dakota Plumbing Commission, home page, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.
  7. South Dakota Plumbing Commission, Continuing Education, official source, read Nov 9, 2026.