South Dakota Contractor License Fees
The 21 verified whole-dollar state fees South Dakota publishes — split across the two commissions and the state's single bond. Every figure below was machine-read from official dlr.sd.gov pages or from the two official PDFs: DLR's Wiring Bulletin (the full SDCL ch. 36-16 + ARSD 20:44 reproduction) and the Commission's LRC-approved ARSD 20:53 rule package (fee chapter effective 7/2/2025). Municipal permit fees are not state fees — no South Dakota city rate was opened — and the DOR excise page publishes no application fee.
01 State fees vs bond vs local fees
- Electrical — $60 application, $200/$100/$80 licences — ARSD 20:44:16:04 sets the $60 application for every class; ARSD 20:44:16:15 prices the biennial licences (electrical contractor $200, Class B $100, journeyman $80). The statutory caps in § 36-16-17 are $200/$200/$80. S-SD-WIRING-BULLETIN
- Plumbing — $275 contractor, $105 plumber/installer, annual — ARSD 20:53:12:03 prices the "initial license fee and annual license renewal fee" at the same figure, so initial and renewal are both $275 for a plumbing contractor. S-SD-PLUMBING-DEFAULT
- One bond only — the $10,000 electrical undertaking (§ 36-16-20) with its $50 fund deposit; there is NO plumbing bond and no other state bond. S-SD-ELEC-UNDERTAKING
- Local fees — no South Dakota municipal code or permit schedule was opened; every city rate stays LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED.
02 State Electrical Commission — application, licences, permit (machine-read)
| Fee | Amount | Kind | Charged by | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical contractor — biennial licence fee ARSD 20:44:16:15 (machine-read): 'Electrical contractor: $200'. SDCL 36-16-17 sets the same $200 as the statutory MAXIMUM. Payable at initial licensure and each biennial renewal (June 30 even-numbered years). | $200 | license | South Dakota State Electrical Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-WIRING-BULLETIN |
| Class B electrician — biennial licence fee ARSD 20:44:16:15 (machine-read): 'Class B electrician: $100' — the rule sets $100 where SDCL 36-16-17(3) allows up to $200. The $60 application fee applies separately. | $100 | license | South Dakota State Electrical Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-WIRING-BULLETIN |
| Journeyman electrician — biennial licence fee ARSD 20:44:16:15 (machine-read): 'Journeyman electrician: $80' — equals the SDCL 36-16-17(2) statutory cap. A temporary journeyman licence is $10 (ARSD 20:44:16:16). | $80 | license | South Dakota State Electrical Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-WIRING-BULLETIN |
| Apprentice electrician — biennial registration fee ARSD 20:44:16:17 verbatim (machine-read): 'The biennial registration fee for an apprentice electrician is $20. The fee must accompany the application for initial registration or the application for renewal.' SDCL 36-16-21: 'Biennial fee requirements apply in even-numbered years.' A REGISTRATION, not a licence — apprentices are registered and supervised. | $20 | license | South Dakota State Electrical Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-WIRING-BULLETIN |
| Lapsed electrical licence — reinstatement fee (within one year) ARSD 20:44:16:18 verbatim (machine-read): 'A person who fails to renew a license may apply for reinstatement of the license within one year from the expiration date and pay a reinstatement fee of $50. The reinstatement fee and license fee must accompany the application.' SDCL 36-16-38 caps reinstatement at $100. AFTER one year the amount was not read → NOT_VERIFIED. | $50 | miscellaneous | South Dakota State Electrical Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-WIRING-BULLETIN |
| New house inspection, 0–200 amps (1 rough-in + 1 final) Commission fee schedule (machine-read): new houses 0–200 A $208; 201–400 A $390; 401 A+ $390 plus circuits; circuits $65 each; apartment buildings $150 per unit; mobile homes $100 first unit; RV parks $25 per unit. These are STATE inspection fees (SDCL 36-16-30), separate from the wiring permit. | $208 | miscellaneous | South Dakota State Electrical Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-ELEC-FEES |
| Electrical licence — application fee (every class) ARSD 20:44:16:04 verbatim (machine-read 2026-10-09): 'Application fees are as follows: (1) Electrical contractor: $60; (2) Class B electrician: $60; (3) Journeyman electrician: $60 … The application fee, whether the application is approved or disapproved, is nonrefundable.' (SDCL 36-16-13 caps application fees at $100; the rule sets $60.) | $60 | application | South Dakota State Electrical Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-WIRING-BULLETIN |
| Wiring permit (each) — schedule effective July 1, 2025 Commission fee schedule verbatim (machine-read 2026-10-09): 'Effective July 1, 2025 — Wiring Permits are $20 each or a book of 20 for $400.' CONFLICT-SD-001 preserves the statutory seam beside this figure ($15 rule cap in SDCL 36-16-27 vs $20 in SDCL 36-16-30(9)). Administrative fees: late permit $250, failure to correct $250, failure to notify $100, not posting permits $250; minimum inspection fee $150; reinspections $150/hour. | $20 | miscellaneous | South Dakota State Electrical Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-ELEC-FEES |
The biennial cycle (midnight June 30 of even-numbered years, 30-day renewal window) and the $50 one-year reinstatement come from SDCL 36-16-25 and ARSD 20:44:16:18; the $20 wiring permit is the current schedule under § 36-16-30(9) — the older § 36-16-27 text caps a rule at $15, which is CONFLICT-SD-001, resolved with method below. S-SD-ELEC-FEES
03 State Plumbing Commission — application, exams, licences, certificate (machine-read)
| Fee | Amount | Kind | Charged by | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing licence — application fee (plumber / installer / contractor) ARSD 20:53:12:01 verbatim (machine-read from the LRC-approved package): 'The initial license application fee is as follows: (1) For an apprentice license, twenty dollars; (2) For an installer and plumber license, fifty dollars; and (3) For a contractor license, fifty dollars. An application fee is non-refundable and must accompany the application.' | $50 | application | South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-PLUMBING-RULES-PDF |
| Apprentice licence — application fee ARSD 20:53:12:01(1) (machine-read): apprentice application fee twenty dollars — the lowest application fee in the chapter. | $20 | application | South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-PLUMBING-RULES-PDF |
| Plumbing exam / re-exam (plumber, installer or contractor) Commission exams page verbatim (machine-read 2026-10-09): 'Contractor exams and re-exams $100.00; Plumber/Installer exams and re-exams $100.00.' Corroborated by ARSD 20:53:12:02 (machine-read): plumber/installer/contractor initial exam and re-exam one hundred dollars each; fees are non-refundable and due before the exam. | $100 | miscellaneous | South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-PLUMBING-EXAMS |
| Third-year apprentice plumber exam / re-exam Commission exams page + ARSD 20:53:12:02(4) (both machine-read): 'For a third-year apprentice plumber licensed by examination, fifty dollars.' | $50 | miscellaneous | South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-PLUMBING-EXAMS |
| Plumbing contractor — initial licence and annual renewal ARSD 20:53:12:03(5) verbatim (machine-read): 'For a plumbing contractor license, two hundred seventy-five dollars' — 'The initial license fee and annual license renewal fee for each license is as follows', so initial and renewal are BOTH $275; licence expires December 31 annually. | $275 | license | South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-PLUMBING-RULES-PDF |
| Plumber — initial licence and annual renewal ARSD 20:53:12:03(2) (machine-read): 'For a plumber or installer license, one hundred five dollars' — initial AND annual renewal. | $105 | license | South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-PLUMBING-RULES-PDF |
| Specialty installer (incl. septic) — initial licence and annual renewal ARSD 20:53:12:03(2) (machine-read): the $105 'plumber or installer' rate covers every installer-tier licence including the individual and small on-site wastewater (septic) installer. | $105 | license | South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-PLUMBING-RULES-PDF |
| Specialty contractor — initial licence and annual renewal (appliance, MMH, irrigation, water conditioning) ARSD 20:53:12:03(3) (machine-read): 'For an appliance contractor, manufactured and mobile home contractor, underground irrigation contractor, or water conditioning contractor license, two hundred dollars' — initial and annual renewal. | $200 | license | South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-PLUMBING-RULES-PDF |
| Sewer and water contractor — initial licence and annual renewal ARSD 20:53:12:03(4) (machine-read): 'For a sewer and water contractor license, two hundred thirty-five dollars' — the highest plumbing specialty rate. | $235 | license | South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-PLUMBING-RULES-PDF |
| Apprentice licence — first-year annual fee (tiers $20/$30/$40/$50) ARSD 20:53:12:03(1) verbatim (machine-read): 'For an apprentice license, twenty dollars for the first year, thirty dollars for the second year, forty dollars for the third year, and fifty dollars for four or more years.' The published amount is the first-year tier; the ladder is in this note. An apprentice cannot renew past 7,600 hours (ARSD 20:53:03:05). | $20 | license | South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-PLUMBING-RULES-PDF |
| Homeowner Plumbing Installation Certificate Commission Homeowner Plumbing page verbatim (machine-read 2026-10-09): 'If approved, you will need to submit a $130 check or money order (made payable to the "State Plumbing Commission") … Certificates expire two years from the date the permittee signs and dates the permit.' Includes underground, rough-in and final inspections; extra inspections are $75 each. | $130 | certification | South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-PLUMBING-HOMEOWNER |
| Temporary plumbing licence ARSD 20:53:12:03 (machine-read): 'A temporary license may be issued only and expires three months from the date of issuance or when the license holder passes the examination required by SDCL 36-25 and article 20:53, whichever occurs first. A temporary license fee is fifty dollars.' | $50 | miscellaneous | South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-PLUMBING-RULES-PDF |
| Plumbing licence verification (per request) ARSD 20:53:12:04 verbatim (machine-read): 'The license verification fee is twenty dollars per request … License verification fees are non-refundable.' Public ROSTERS on the Consumer Information page remain free (machine-read). | $20 | miscellaneous | South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (within DLR) | S-SD-PLUMBING-RULES-PDF |
The $130 homeowner certificate is valid two years with underground, rough-in and final inspections (extras $75 each); the temporary licence ($50) expires three months from issuance or on passing the exam. S-SD-PLUMBING-HOMEOWNER
04 The one state bond and the liability insurance
| Instrument | Amount | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOND-SD-ELEC-001 | $10,000 | CONFIRMED (machine-read 2026-10-09 from SDCL 36-16-20 reproduced in the official Wiring Bulletin AND quoted verbatim on the Commission's Undertaking & Insurance page): every electrical contractor AND Class B electrician posts a $10,000 undertaking plus a $50 special-fund deposit at execution and biennially (waived at renewal once the fund exceeds $50,000). 'No electrical contractor or Class B electrician … need furnish any additional undertaking for municipal license.' The commission's bond application form is named on the official forms page. | S-SD-ELEC-UNDERTAKING |
| INS-SD-ELEC-CGL-001 | $100k / $300k | public liability for bodily injury and property damage: $100,000 per occurrence / $300,000 aggregate (or $25,000 per occurrence sublimits / $300,000 combined single limit as the statute allows) | S-SD-ELEC-UNDERTAKING |
Both are CONFIRMED — machine-read twice for the undertaking (the Wiring Bulletin's reproduction of § 36-16-20 and the Commission's own Undertaking & Insurance page quoting it verbatim). The $50 deposit is waived at renewal once the special fund exceeds $50,000, and "No electrical contractor or Class B electrician … need furnish any additional undertaking for municipal license." S-SD-ELEC-UNDERTAKING
05 CONFLICT-SD-001 — the wiring-permit fee cap
SDCL 36-16-27 (read 2026-10-09 from the official Wiring Bulletin): 'No rule specifying a wiring permit fee may exceed fifteen dollars each. No rule specifying a late wiring permit procedure fee and failure to renew permit fees may exceed seven hundred fifty dollars.' Read alone, a $20 wiring permit EXCEEDS the $15 rule cap this section sets.
SD Electrical Commission — Wiring Bulletin: SDCL ch. 36-16 + ARSD 20:44 (official reproduction)SDCL 36-16-30(9) of the SAME chapter (2021 amendment, machine-read): inspection fees may be set for 'Wiring permits, not to exceed twenty dollars'; and the Commission's official Fees for Inspections schedule effective July 1, 2025 (machine-read) charges verbatim 'Wiring Permits are $20 each or a book of 20 for $400', with a late wiring permit fee of $250 (within § 36-16-27's $750 cap).
SD Electrical Commission — Fees for Inspections (effective July 1, 2025)RESOLVED WITH METHOD — both texts are in force on their own terms and are published side by side: SDCL 36-16-30(9) is the LATER-ENACTED inspection-fee provision (2021) and expressly authorises wiring permits up to $20; the Commission's fee schedule effective 2025-07-01 charges exactly $20, inside that cap. SDCL 36-16-27's older $15 rule-cap sentence and its $750 late-fee cap remain quoted on the hub/fees page beside the current figure rather than hidden. The seeded fee (FEE-SD-ELEC-WIRING-PERMIT-001, $20) is the Commission's own published charge (machine-read); no fee above $20 or late fee above $750 is ever published, so the method cannot produce a figure outside either statutory boundary.
Analysis notes
Detected 2026-10-09 while seeding § 36-16-27 against the Commission's current fee schedule. A real seam inside ONE chapter (a 2009 cap vs a 2021 cap) — resolved by sequencing + the operative schedule, never by silently dropping the older text.
Both figures are machine-read from the same official chapter: § 36-16-27 says no rule may exceed $15, § 36-16-30(9) (2021 amendment) authorises up to $20, and the Commission's schedule effective July 1, 2025 charges $20. The later-enacted schedule plus the current published charge govern what is collected today; no fee outside both caps is ever published. S-SD-ELEC-FEES
06 Withheld on purpose — never guessed
- The actual electrical EXAM fee — § 36-16-13 caps it at $150 and ARSD 20:44:16:04 sets the $60 application, but no page read states the per-exam amount; NOT_VERIFIED.
- Plumbing reinstatement fee and electrical late-renewal fee after June 30 — the processes are named on official pages; the amounts were not read; NOT_VERIFIED.
- Excise tax licence application fee — not published on the DOR page read; no fee row is seeded. S-SD-DOR-EXCISE
- Class 2 misdemeanor fine/day range (SDCL 22-6-2) — not machine-read; the penalty class is published, the figures are not.
- Municipal permit, inspection and business-licence rates — no South Dakota city rate was opened; LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED.