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Plumber · State license

How to become a licensed plumber in South Dakota

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

Journeyman level 7,600 hours on the job + state exam What's a journeyman?

South Dakota licenses plumbers statewide through the State Plumbing Commission, part of the Department of Labor and Regulation. You start with an apprentice license while working for a plumbing contractor. After four years as an apprentice (at least 1,900 hours a year) you can take the plumber's exam, the state's journeyman-level license. A plumbing contractor license takes six years of experience and a harder exam. [1][2][3][4]

New to the trade?

Starting from zero in South Dakota

In South Dakota, get hired by a licensed plumbing contractor and apply to the State Plumbing Commission for an apprentice license ($20 application; the application names the contractor you'll work under). You'll work under the immediate, personal supervision of a plumber or contractor for at least two years. You can also apply to the union apprenticeship (UA Local 300 in Sioux Falls covers eastern South Dakota) or start with a one-year plumbing program at a technical college. [2][3][5][14][15][16][17][24]

  • High school diploma or GED

    Not in the state rules we read: the apprentice license rule and the commission's apprentice application don't mention education. Programs set their own: UA (United Association, the plumbers' and pipefitters' union) Local 300's apprenticeship requires a high school diploma or GED (General Educational Development test). [5][15][24]

  • Minimum age

    The state apprentice application asks for your date of birth and age We found no minimum age in the state rules. UA Local 300 requires apprentices to be 18. [15][24]

  • Apprentice license

    Mail the Apprentice License Application with the $20 fee. Once approved, you get an email with the license fee due ($20 for the first year), and the license is issued when you pay. Incomplete applications expire after 30 days. [2][11][24]

  • Helper jobs

    State law defines a plumber's apprentice as an employee of a plumbing contractor working under the immediate and personal supervision of a plumbing contractor or plumber while learning and assisting with plumbing. [3]

  • Physical work, drug test and transportation

    UA Local 300 says apprentices must be able to do the physical work, may have to pass a physical exam and drug test before employment, and must provide their own transportation to jobs and classes. [15]

  • Pay while you learn

    UA Local 300 posts apprentice wage scales by year that rise as a percentage of the journeyman rate (for example, 55% in the first year on one of its posted scales effective August 1, 2026). [15]

  • Credit for school or military

    Graduates of an accredited trade school with at least a 9-month, 1,020-hour plumbing program, or of a 3-year accredited association apprenticeship, may take the plumber's exam after 3 years (5,700 hours). Military plumbing earns one year of credit for every two years served, up to five years. [4][18]

  • Still in high school?

    Start Today SD (Department of Labor and Regulation) supports youth apprenticeships, usually for juniors and seniors, with paid work and classes that often earn high school and college credit. The Department of Education's Architecture and Construction cluster lists Construction Trades courses and a Youth Apprenticeship capstone. Southeast Tech offers dual credit to juniors and seniors at $80.37 a credit hour. We found no state rule that counts high school hours toward a plumbing license The trade school credit rule covers 9-month, 1,020-hour programs. [18][28][29][30]

Where to apply in South DakotaHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs

Licensing office South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (Department of Labor and Regulation) · (605) 773-3429 [1]

South Dakota plumbing license at a glance

Who issues licenses
South Dakota State Plumbing Commission, Department of Labor and Regulation, Pierre [1]
Apprentice license
$20 application License $20 the first year, rising to $50 a year by the fourth year; you work for a plumbing contractor under immediate, personal supervision [3][5][9][11]
Plumber (journeyman) experience
Four years as an apprentice with at least 1,900 hours a year (7,600 hours) Three years (5,700 hours) for approved trade school or apprenticeship graduates [2][4][18]
Plumber exam
Three parts: code questions with the code (2 hours), without the code (2 hours), and pipe-sizing drawings (1 hour) 70% to pass; $100 [6][10]
Third-year apprentice
After 2 years (3,800 hours) and a $50 exam, you may work without supervision on single-family homes [2][5][10]
Contractor experience
Six years, at least two as a plumber or contractor, 1,900 hours a year Exam pass mark 80% [4][6]
Fees
Plumber: $50 application, $100 exam, $105 a year. Contractor: $50 application, $100 exam, $275 a year [9][10][11]
Renewal and CE
Plumber and contractor licenses expire December 31 every year 4 hours of continuing education a year [1][3][13]
Plumbing code
2024 Uniform Plumbing Code (IAPMO), as adopted by the commission [3]
Reciprocity
Case by case: license earned by exam in a state with similar laws and an equal or stricter code No published list of states [3][20]
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 and school 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 Plumber

    • $20 application + $20 license (first year)
    • Yearly: $30 the second year, $40 the third, $50 after that

    Your entry license. You work as an employee of a plumbing contractor under the immediate and personal supervision of a plumbing contractor or plumber. The application names the contractor you will work under. [3][5][9][11][24]

  2. 2

    Third-Year Apprentice Plumber

    • 3,800 hours on the job
    • 2 years of experience
    • Yes: state exam, $50
    • $20 application
    • Yearly; 4 hours CE

    An optional step: after two years (3,800 hours) under a plumbing contractor and a passing score on the state exam, you may work without supervision during your third and fourth years, but only on single-family homes. [2][5][10][12][21]

  3. 3

    Plumber (journeyman level)

    • 7,600 hours on the job
    • 4 years of experience
    • Yes: three parts (open-code, closed-code, pipe-sizing drawings), 5 hours total, 70% to pass, $100
    • $50 application + $105 license
    • Yearly by December 31, $105; 4 hours CE

    Lets you install plumbing while working for a plumbing contractor. You need four years as an apprentice with at least 1,900 hours a year. State law calls for 8 hours of code training (potable water and drainage-waste-vent) in your first year of licensure. [3][4][6][9][10][11][13]

  4. 4

    Plumbing Contractor

    • 6 years of experience
    • Yes: three parts, code allowed on the drawings part, 80% to pass, $100
    • $50 application + $275 license
    • Yearly by December 31, $275; 4 hours CE

    Lets you contract for plumbing and run a plumbing business. You need six years as an apprentice, plumber or contractor, with at least two of those years as a plumber or contractor and at least 1,900 hours each year. [3][4][6][9][10][11]

Who needs a license in South Dakota

State law requires a Plumbing Commission license for plumbing work on property connected to a public water or sewer system. No license is needed for plumbing on your own home, on a single-family home you are building to live in, or for plumbing repair work on your own property or where you are employed to do repairs. Repair work means things like replacing faucets and fixing leaks, not cutting into or extending lines.

The commission also licenses related specialty trades: sewer and water, appliance installation, water conditioning, underground irrigation, manufactured and mobile homes, and on-site wastewater (septic) installers. In rural areas and towns under 1,500 people, the commission may issue restricted licenses. [1][3]

The license ladder: apprentice to contractor

New plumbers and contractors must get 4 hours of training on potable water systems and 4 hours on drainage, waste and vent systems in their first year of licensure. Compare states on the plumber hub and in what is a journeyman. [2][3][4][5][6]

The exam

The commission writes and grades its own exams. The plumber exam has three parts: questions on the state plumbing code with the code book (2 hours), questions without the code (2 hours), and drawings where you size all stacks, wastes and vents without the code (1 hour). Plumbers need 70%; contractors need 80% and may use the code on the drawings. You can sit for the same exam only once every three months.

Exams are held in Pierre at any time by appointment, and in Sioux Falls and Rapid City when 8 to 10 applicants sign up. As of October 2026, the commission lists sessions in Rapid City on October 23, 2026 and Sioux Falls on October 30, 2026. Your application and exam fees must be in and approved before you schedule; retake fees are due at least 2 weeks before a session. South Dakota uses the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code. [3][6][7][8]

Fees, renewal and continuing education

Application fees are $20 for an apprentice and $50 for a plumber or contractor. Exam fees are $100 for plumber and contractor exams and $50 for the third-year apprentice exam. Yearly license fees are $105 for a plumber and $275 for a plumbing contractor; the apprentice license is $20 the first year, $30 the second, $40 the third and $50 after that. These fees took effect July 2, 2025.

Plumber and contractor licenses expire December 31 every year; an expired license can be renewed up to six months later. Plumbers, contractors and third-year apprentices licensed by exam need 4 hours of continuing education each year. [3][9][10][11][12][13]

Union and school routes in South Dakota

You can earn your hours with any licensed plumbing contractor. UA Local 300 (Plumbers and Pipefitters, North Dakota and eastern South Dakota) has a Sioux Falls office at (605) 334-8351; its joint apprenticeship committee requires age 18, a diploma or GED, and a complete application by the deadline.

Technical colleges: Southeast Technical College (Sioux Falls) and Western Dakota Technical College (Rapid City) offer plumbing diplomas. State rules let graduates of a 9-month, 1,020-hour accredited plumbing program test after 3 years instead of 4.

State program: Start Today SD is the Department of Labor and Regulation's registered apprenticeship program. See how to get an apprenticeship and union vs. non-union. [14][15][16][17][18][19]

If you're licensed in another state

South Dakota doesn't publish a list of reciprocal states for plumbers. The commission may license you without an exam if you were licensed by exam in a state with similar licensing laws and a plumbing code equal to or stricter than South Dakota's. You pay the usual fees and need 4 hours of continuing education first. If you tested on the IPC (International Plumbing Code) or another code, the commission asks for license and experience verification so you can be approved to take South Dakota's exam. If your state didn't license plumbers, send work experience verification and proof that no license was required.

The state's licensure-by-endorsement law for Title 36 occupations also covers plumbers. See the reciprocity page and our reciprocity guide. [3][20][21][22]

City licenses in South Dakota

State law lets cities adopt their own plumbing ordinances if they meet the state code, and a state-licensed person may work in a city for six months after applying for a local permit or license. Sioux Falls requires its own plumbing license and exam; you need the state license before applying for the city exam. Call Sioux Falls licensing at (605) 367-8672. [3][23]

Steps to get licensed in South Dakota

  1. Get hired and apply for an apprentice license

    Find a job with a licensed plumbing contractor, then mail the Apprentice License Application with the $20 fee. Pay the license fee when the commission emails you. [2][5][24]

  2. Work under supervision and log your hours

    Work at least 1,900 hours a year under a plumbing contractor or plumber. Renew your apprentice license every year. [3][4][11]

  3. Optional: test as a third-year apprentice

    After 3,800 hours, pass the $50 state exam to work unsupervised on single-family homes during your third and fourth years. [2][5][10]

  4. Apply for the plumber's exam

    After four years, send the Plumbing License Application ($50) with an experience verification signed by the plumbing contractor you worked under, then pay the $100 exam fee. [10][21][25]

  5. Pass the exam and get licensed

    Exams are given in Pierre by appointment and in Sioux Falls and Rapid City when enough people sign up. You need 70%, and you can retake the exam once every three months. Then pay the $105 license fee. [6][8][11]

  6. Renew every year

    Plumber licenses expire December 31. Complete 4 hours of continuing education each year to renew. [3][13]

Where to get the hours

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

Licensed in another state?

  • Plumber and Plumbing Contractor

    The commission may license a nonresident without examination if their state's regulation of plumbers is substantially equivalent. Under the rule you must have been licensed by exam, your state must have similar licensing laws, and its plumbing code must equal or exceed South Dakota's. You pay the application, exam and license fees and complete 4 hours of CE before the license is issued. The commission publishes no list of partner states. [3][20][21]

  • Any license (licensure by endorsement)

    South Dakota's licensure-by-endorsement law covers occupations licensed under Title 36, which includes plumbers. You need a current license from a state whose requirements the board finds substantially equivalent, proof of competency as the board decides, good standing, and the fees. [3][22]

Also listed by: Alaska, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Utah (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 plumber in South Dakota?

Four years as an apprentice with at least 1,900 hours a year, then a passing score (70%) on the plumber's exam. Graduates of an approved 9-month trade school program or a 3-year association apprenticeship can test after 3 years. [4][6][18]

Is there a journeyman plumber license in South Dakota?

Yes, it's called the plumber's license; state law also uses the term journeyman plumber. It comes after four years as an apprentice and the exam. The next step is the plumbing contractor license. [2][3]

Can an apprentice plumber work alone in South Dakota?

Only after two years (3,800 hours) and passing the third-year apprentice exam, and only on single-family homes. Otherwise apprentices work under the immediate, personal supervision of a plumber or contractor. [2][3][5]

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

Case by case. You must have been licensed by exam in a state with similar laws and an equal or stricter code, and pay the fees and complete 4 hours of CE. No list of partner states is published. [3][20]

Sources (30)
  1. South Dakota Plumbing Commission, South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  2. Licensing Requirements, South Dakota Plumbing Commission. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  3. SDCL Chapter 36-25, Plumbers, South Dakota Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  4. ARSD 20:53:03:02, Experience required for testing, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  5. ARSD 20:53:03:05, Plumber's apprentice license, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  6. ARSD 20:53:03:07, Examination requirements, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  7. ARSD 20:53:02:08, Testing, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  8. Licensing Examinations, South Dakota Plumbing Commission. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  9. ARSD 20:53:12:01, Initial application fees, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  10. ARSD 20:53:12:02, Examination and reexamination fees, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  11. ARSD 20:53:12:03, License and renewal fees, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  12. ARSD 20:53:11:03, Required of all licensees, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  13. ARSD 20:53:11:05, Hours required, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  14. United Association Local 300 - Home, United Association Local 300 (Plumbers and Pipefitters). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  15. Apprentices, United Association Local 300 (Plumbers and Pipefitters). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  16. Plumbing Technology, Southeast Technical College. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  17. Plumbing Technology, Western Dakota Technical College. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  18. ARSD 20:53:03:04, Trade school credit, South Dakota Legislature (Administrative Rules of South Dakota). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  19. For Career Seekers, Start Today SD (South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  20. Reciprocity, South Dakota Plumbing Commission. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  21. Plumbing License Application (Rev. 02/2026), South Dakota Plumbing Commission. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  22. SDCL Chapter 36-1D, Licensure by Endorsement, South Dakota Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  23. Mechanical Contractor, City of Sioux Falls. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  24. Apprentice License Application (Rev. 02/2026), South Dakota Plumbing Commission. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  25. Applications & Forms, South Dakota Plumbing Commission. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  26. Join, United Association Local 300 (Plumbers and Pipefitters). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  27. Apprenticeship (Training Opportunities for Individuals), South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  28. Youth Apprenticeship, Start Today SD (South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation). Accessed October 11, 2026.
  29. CTE Career Cluster: Architecture and Construction, South Dakota Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  30. Dual Credit, Southeast Technical College. Accessed October 11, 2026.