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Electrician · State license

How to become a licensed electrician in South Dakota

State law and licensing-board sources · Last reviewed October 11, 2026

Journeyman level 8,000 hours on the job + state exam What's a journeyman?

South Dakota licenses electricians statewide through the South Dakota Electrical Commission, part of the Department of Labor and Regulation. You start as a registered apprentice electrician working for an electrical contractor or Class B electrician. After four years (8,000 hours) as a licensed apprentice you can take the journeyman exam, and two more years as a journeyman qualify you for the electrical contractor exam. [1][2][3][4]

New to the trade?

Starting from zero in South Dakota

In South Dakota, your first step is a job with a licensed electrical contractor (or Class B electrician) and a $20 apprentice registration with the South Dakota Electrical Commission. Your hours only count from the day the commission receives your application, so send it in when you start. You can look for work on your own or apply to the union program that covers most of the state, the Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship (IBEW/NECA). [3][17][18][27][28]

  • High school diploma or GED

    Not in the state rules we read: the apprentice statute and rules and the commission's apprentice application set no education requirement. Programs set their own. The Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship requires a high school diploma, a high school equivalency or GED (General Educational Development test) certificate, or a two-year associate degree or higher. [3][17][27]

  • Minimum age

    No minimum age appears in the state apprentice statute, rules or application. The Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship requires you to be 18 when you register, and you may apply at 17. [3][17][27]

  • Register before your hours count

    State law says an apprentice must register with the commission. Mail the Apprentice License Application with a $20 check or money order (or call to pay by card). Processing takes about 30 days, and experience starts on the date the commission receives your application. [3][27][28]

  • Helper jobs

    Anyone learning the trade under an electrician is an apprentice under state law and must register. On commercial jobs you must be personally supervised on site by a licensed electrician On other jobs you get daily personal supervision. [3][30]

  • Math and aptitude test

    The Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship requires one full credit of high school algebra (or a semester of post-high school algebra or the Electrical Training Alliance Tech Math course), and most applicants must pass an aptitude test before the interview. [17]

  • ID, transportation and physical work

    The Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship asks for a government-issued ID, the right to work in the U.S. with a Social Security number, a way to get to job sites in the local union's area, and the ability to climb ladders and lift 25 to 50 pounds regularly. Its FAQ (frequently asked questions) says most apprentices travel 100 to 200 miles within the Dakotas. [17][29]

  • Applying

    The Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship takes applications year-round through its applicant page and places selected apprentices with participating contractors, so you don't have to find a job first. Questions: (701) 297-5934. [17][29]

  • Pay while you learn

    Union apprentices are paid from the start, with raises at each step plus health and retirement benefits Rates are set by collective bargaining. [29]

  • Credit for school or military

    State rules give one month of credit for each month of an approved wiring school (the application caps school at 2,000 hours), two years for a BSEE (bachelor of science in electrical engineering) degree, two hours for each apprenticeship classroom hour, and one year for at least 24 months of military electrical work. Mitchell Technical College says its Electrical Construction and Maintenance graduates get 2,000 hours toward the journeyman license. [14][19][20]

  • Still in high school?

    South Dakota's Start Today SD program (Department of Labor and Regulation) supports youth apprenticeships, usually for juniors and seniors, that combine paid work with classes and often high school and college credit. The Department of Education's Architecture and Construction cluster lists Construction Trades courses and a Youth Apprenticeship capstone. Technical colleges such as Southeast Tech offer dual credit to juniors and seniors at $80.37 a credit hour. The Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship lets you apply at 17 and offers direct interview or entry for School-to-Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship graduates. We found no state rule that counts high school hours toward an electrician license. [17][31][32][33]

Where to apply in South DakotaHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs

Licensing office South Dakota Electrical Commission (Department of Labor and Regulation) · (605) 773-3573 [1]

South Dakota electrician license at a glance

Who issues licenses
South Dakota Electrical Commission, Department of Labor and Regulation, Pierre [1]
Apprentice registration
Required by state law $20, renewed every two years; your hours count only from the day the commission receives your application [3][13][27][28]
Journeyman experience
Four years (8,000 hours) as a licensed apprentice under a licensed electrical contractor or Class B electrician [2][4][6]
Journeyman exam
Written exam on the National Electrical Code and state law and rules 70% to pass; 2023 NEC since December 2, 2024 [8][10]
Classroom hours
None required by the rules Each hour of apprenticeship classroom instruction counts as two hours of experience [4][19]
Contractor experience
Two years as a journeyman (4,000 hours, at least 2,000 commercial) or one year of commercial work as a Class B electrician [2][3]
Fees
$60 application for journeyman, Class B or contractor Licenses every two years: journeyman $80, Class B $100, contractor $200 [11][12][14]
Renewal and CE
All licenses expire June 30 of even-numbered years 16 hours of continuing education every two years, at least 8 on the code [2][14][15]
Reciprocity
Agreements with AK, AR, CO, IA, ID, MN, MT, ND, NE, NH, NM, OK, TX and WY License earned by exam and held at least one year [24]
On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. Starting from zero
  3. The license pathway
  4. Who needs a license in South Dakota
  5. The license ladder: apprentice to contractor
  6. The exam
  7. Fees, renewal and continuing education
  8. Union, school and other routes in South Dakota
  9. If you're licensed in another state
  10. City licenses in South Dakota
  11. Steps to get licensed
  12. Where to get the hours
  13. Licensed in another state?
  14. Questions people ask

The license pathway in South Dakota

  1. 1

    Apprentice Electrician

    • $20 registration
    • Every two years (even-numbered years), $20; 16 hours CE

    Your entry license. You learn the trade while employed by an electrical contractor, journeyman or Class B electrician, and you may not work on an installation without personal supervision. Experience counts only from the day the commission receives your application. [3][13][15][27][28]

  2. 2

    Journeyman Electrician

    • 8,000 hours on the job
    • 4 years of experience
    • Yes: written, NEC and state law and rules, 70% to pass
    • $60 application + $80 license
    • Every two years, $80; 16 hours CE (at least 8 code hours)

    You qualify after four years of licensed experience under a licensed electrical contractor or Class B electrician, including study of the NEC, commercial wiring, residential or farm wiring, motor installation, motor controls and blueprint reading. [2][3][4][8][11][12][14]

  3. 3

    Class B Electrician

    • 2 years of experience
    • Yes: written, 70% to pass
    • $60 application + $100 license
    • Every two years, $100; 16 hours CE

    A license that lets you contract for farm and residential wiring. You need at least two years as a licensed journeyman under a Class B electrician or electrical contractor, with at least one year in residential or farm wiring, plus a bond and liability insurance. [3][4][8][11][12]

  4. 4

    Electrical Contractor

    • 4,000 hours on the job
    • 2 years of experience
    • Yes: written, 70% to pass
    • $60 application + $200 license
    • Every two years, $200; 16 hours CE

    The top license: it lets you contract for any electrical work. You need two years as a licensed journeyman under an electrical contractor (at least one year commercial), or one year of commercial work as a Class B electrician, plus a $10,000 bond and public liability insurance. [2][3][4][8][11][12]

Who needs a license in South Dakota

State law requires a license from the Electrical Commission for anyone who, for pay, plans, lays out, supervises, installs or repairs wiring, apparatus or equipment for electric lights, heat or power. Only an electrical contractor (or, for farm and residential wiring, a Class B electrician) may contract for electrical work. Apprentices must register.

Some work is exempt. You don't need a license to wire your own home or farmstead, a single-family home you are building to live in, or your own non-habitable property that isn't used for business, though that work is still subject to inspection and fees. Utility, telephone, alarm and low-voltage communications workers, appliance repair departments and some others are also exempt; check the full list in SDCL chapter 36-16.

Cities, rural electric cooperatives and utilities may set stricter requirements. Sioux Falls, for example, requires apprentices to hold both a state and a city license to work inside city limits. [3][5]

The license ladder: apprentice to contractor

The state counts one year of experience as 2,000 hours. Other licenses include the 501(d) electrician (for wiring on 501(d) religious community properties after two years as an apprentice), the electrical inspector and the maintenance electrician license, which goes to an employer for maintenance work on its own property.

Compare South Dakota with other states on the electrician hub and in journeyman vs. master. [2][3][4][6][7]

The exam

The exam is written, with questions drawn from the National Electrical Code (NEC, the national wiring rulebook) and South Dakota's statutes and rules. Since December 2, 2024, all tests use the 2023 NEC. The passing score is 70% for journeyman, Class B, 501(d) and contractor exams (80% for inspectors).

You must apply first and get written approval; the commission then sends details on where to sit for the exam, and you have 90 days to do so. If you fail, you can retest after 30 days; if you fail the retest, you must wait 90 days. After passing, finish the license process within 90 days or the exam is forfeited. State law caps the exam fee at $150; the commission's pages we read don't list the current exam fee, so ask the commission. [1][3][8][9][10]

Fees, renewal and continuing education

The application fee is $60 for journeyman, Class B, contractor and inspector licenses. License fees, paid every two years, are $80 for a journeyman, $100 for a Class B electrician and $200 for an electrical contractor. Apprentice registration is $20 every two years.

All licenses expire June 30 of even-numbered years. To renew, you need 16 hours of approved continuing education (CE) per two-year cycle, with at least 8 code hours; only 8 hours may be pre-approved online courses. Apprentices need CE too. If you get licensed in the second year of a cycle, the CE requirement starts with your second renewal.

As of October 2026, the commission's online portal has been offline since October 21, 2025, and it asks you to fill out, print and mail the forms with a check or money order. [2][7][11][12][13][14][15]

Union, school and other routes in South Dakota

You can earn your hours with any licensed electrical contractor or Class B electrician who employs and supervises you.

Union: the Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship, run by the IBEW (electricians' union) and NECA (contractors), covers North Dakota and nearly all of South Dakota, with sites in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. It is a four-year program with classes and an annual access fee for courseware. Its minimum qualifications include age 18 (apply at 17), a diploma or GED, and algebra. Veterans with at least three years of active duty and an honorable discharge within the last five years, people with 2,000 hours in electrical construction, and pre-apprenticeship or School-to-Apprenticeship graduates may qualify for direct entry or interview.

Technical college: state rules credit time in an approved wiring school month for month. Mitchell Technical College and Southeast Technical College both offer electrician programs.

State program: Start Today SD is the Department of Labor and Regulation's registered apprenticeship program. See also electrician apprenticeships, union vs. non-union and the aptitude test. [3][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]

If you're licensed in another state

The commission lists reciprocal agreements with 14 states. For both journeyman and contractor or master licenses: Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. For journeyman only: Alaska, Colorado and New Mexico. You must have earned the license by exam and held it in active status for at least one year. Reciprocal licenses cost $80 for a journeyman and $200 for a contractor, plus the $60 application fee.

South Dakota also has a licensure-by-endorsement law for Title 36 occupations, which includes electricians: the board must license you if your current out-of-state license comes from a state with substantially equivalent requirements, you show competency, and you're in good standing. Confirm with the commission before you move. More in our reciprocity guide. [14][24][25][26]

City licenses in South Dakota

State law lets cities set stricter requirements. Sioux Falls says that if you do any electrical work in the city, you must also carry a City of Sioux Falls license. Apprentices need both a state and a city license: you must have your state apprentice card before applying, and the city application needs a fee, a copy of the state license and photo ID. The city uses one application form for journeyman and apprentice licenses, and its licenses renew every two years. Contact Sioux Falls licensing at (605) 367-8672. [3][5]

Steps to get licensed in South Dakota

  1. Get hired and register as an apprentice

    Find work with a licensed electrical contractor or Class B electrician (or join an apprenticeship), then mail the Apprentice License Application with $20. Your experience counts from the day the commission receives it. [3][27][28]

  2. Work four years under supervision

    Build four years (8,000 hours) of licensed experience covering the NEC, commercial and residential or farm wiring, motors, motor controls and blueprint reading. Classroom hours in an apprenticeship program count double. [2][4][19]

  3. Keep up continuing education

    Apprentices, like licensed electricians, need 16 hours of commission-approved continuing education every two-year cycle to renew. [7][15]

  4. Apply for the journeyman exam

    Mail the Electrician License Application with the $60 application fee and your experience record. You may not take the exam without the commission's written approval. [10][11][14]

  5. Pass the exam and get licensed

    After approval you have 90 days to sit for the exam; you need 70%. Finish the license process (the $80 license fee) within 90 days of passing. [8][9][10][12]

  6. Move up to Class B or contractor

    After two years as a journeyman (at least 2,000 hours commercial for the contractor route), apply for the electrical contractor or Class B exam and file the bond and insurance. [2][3][4]

Where to get the hours

Programs that train electricians in or for South Dakota, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.

Licensed in another state?

  • Journeyman and Electrical Contractor (master): AR, IA, ID, MN, MT, ND, NE, NH, OK, TX, WY

    The commission lists agreements covering both the journeyman license and the contractor or master electrician license with these states. Your license must have been earned by exam and held in active status for at least one year. Partner states may require more. [24]

  • Journeyman only: AK, CO, NM

    The commission lists journeyman-only agreements with Alaska, Colorado and New Mexico; it shows no contractor equivalent for these states. The same exam and one-year rules apply. [24]

  • Any license (licensure by endorsement)

    South Dakota's licensure-by-endorsement law covers occupations licensed under Title 36, which includes electricians. If you hold a current license from another state whose requirements the board finds substantially equivalent, you show competency as the board decides, are in good standing and pay the fees. [3][26]

Also listed by: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Wyoming (their own boards list South Dakota as a partner; check both sides before you move).

Open the reciprocity map · How reciprocity works

AlaskaAK MaineME VermontVT New HampshireNH WashingtonWA IdahoID MontanaMT North DakotaND MinnesotaMN IllinoisIL WisconsinWI MichiganMI New YorkNY Rhode IslandRI MassachusettsMA OregonOR NevadaNV WyomingWY South DakotaSD IowaIA IndianaIN OhioOH PennsylvaniaPA New JerseyNJ ConnecticutCT CaliforniaCA UtahUT ColoradoCO NebraskaNE MissouriMO KentuckyKY West VirginiaWV VirginiaVA MarylandMD DelawareDE ArizonaAZ New MexicoNM KansasKS ArkansasAR TennesseeTN North CarolinaNC South CarolinaSC District of ColumbiaDC OklahomaOK LouisianaLA MississippiMS AlabamaAL GeorgiaGA HawaiiHI TexasTX FloridaFL
SD Listed here (agreement or endorsement) Lists SD

Questions people ask

How long does it take to become a journeyman electrician in South Dakota?

Four years (8,000 hours) as a licensed apprentice working for a licensed electrical contractor or Class B electrician, then a passing score (70%) on the state exam. School, apprenticeship classroom hours and military electrical work can shorten the time. [2][4][8][19]

Do I need a license to be an electrician's helper in South Dakota?

Yes. Anyone learning the trade under an electrician is an apprentice, and state law requires apprentices to register with the Electrical Commission ($20). Your hours count only from the day the commission receives your application. [3][13][28]

Does South Dakota accept out-of-state electrician licenses?

The commission lists agreements with Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. Your license must have been earned by exam and held at least a year. A state endorsement law may also help if your state's requirements are substantially equivalent. [24][26]

Do I need a high school diploma to become an electrician in South Dakota?

The state apprentice rules we read don't require one, but the Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship (IBEW/NECA) requires a diploma, GED or associate degree and one credit of high school algebra. [3][17][27]

Sources (33)
  1. South Dakota Electrical Commission, South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  2. Licensing & Renewals, South Dakota Electrical Commission. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  3. SDCL Chapter 36-16, Electricians and Electrical Contractors, South Dakota Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  4. ARSD 20:44:16:08, Electrical experience for advancement, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  5. Electrical Apprentice, City of Sioux Falls. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  6. ARSD 20:44:16:06, Experience time, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  7. License Applications and Other Forms, South Dakota Electrical Commission. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  8. ARSD 20:44:16:03, Examination for wiring license, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  9. ARSD 20:44:16:01, Application for wiring license, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  10. Exams, South Dakota Electrical Commission. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  11. ARSD 20:44:16:04, Application fees, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  12. ARSD 20:44:16:15, Biennial fees for licenses, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  13. ARSD 20:44:16:17, Biennial apprentice electrician registration fee, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  14. Electrician License Application (Rev 10/2025), South Dakota Electrical Commission. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  15. ARSD 20:44:17:01, Continuing education requirements, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  16. Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship, Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship (IBEW/NECA). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  17. Applicants, Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship (IBEW/NECA). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  18. Geographical Areas Covered, Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship (IBEW/NECA). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  19. ARSD 20:44:16:09, Units of time allowed for schooling or other experience, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  20. Electrical Construction & Maintenance, Mitchell Technical College. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  21. Electrician, Southeast Technical College. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  22. Apprenticeship (Training Opportunities for Individuals), South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  23. For Career Seekers, Start Today SD (South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  24. Reciprocal Licensing Agreements, South Dakota Electrical Commission. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  25. ARSD 20:44:16:11, Biennial reciprocity fee, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  26. SDCL Chapter 36-1D, Licensure by Endorsement, South Dakota Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  27. Apprentice License Application (Rev 10/2025), South Dakota Electrical Commission. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  28. ARSD 20:44:16:10, Apprentice electrician's experience, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  29. Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship FAQs, Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship (IBEW/NECA). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  30. ARSD 20:44:16:05, Supervision of an apprentice electrician, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  31. Youth Apprenticeship, Start Today SD (South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  32. CTE Career Cluster: Architecture and Construction, South Dakota Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  33. Dual Credit, Southeast Technical College. Accessed October 11, 2026.