Do you need a state license in South Dakota?
South Dakota does not issue a statewide general contractor license. Any license you need comes from the city or county where the job is, so the rules can change from one town to the next.
State law (SDCL 9-34-12) lets each city license, tax and regulate plumbers, electricians, residential contractors and HVAC contractors. Ask the building office in each city where you work what it requires.
How to get set up in South Dakota, step by step
- Apply online for a contractor's excise tax license with the Department of Revenue before starting work.
- Ask the building office in each city where you work whether it requires a contractor license.
- Use plumbers licensed by the State Plumbing Commission for plumbing work.
- Add the 2 percent contractor's excise tax into your bids.
What it costs in South Dakota
The board lists one fee for this license. These are the state's own numbers. Insurance, any bond, exam prep and your business registration come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Contractor's excise tax license | $0 |
Good to know in South Dakota
- Any person who contracts to build, install, repair or remodel real property must hold a contractor's excise tax license before starting work. There is no fee.
- The contractor's excise tax is 2 percent of gross receipts on prime contracts.
- Working without the tax license is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Once you are cleared to work
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for a contractor near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the South Dakota Department of Revenue (contractor's excise tax license) and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.