South Dakota Low Voltage License Requirements (2026)

South Dakota licenses low-voltage work through the South Dakota Electrical Commission under SDCL Chapter 36-16 and ARSD 20:44. The Commission issues an Alarm System Contractor license for burglar alarm, fire alarm, CCTV, and access-control businesses, plus a Limited Electrical Contractor license covering low-voltage systems operating at 50 volts or less including structured cabling, sound, and intercom. Both licenses require a designated qualifying party holding the corresponding Alarm System Technician or Limited Electrician credential with two years of supervised experience. Fire alarm acceptance testing falls under the South Dakota State Fire Marshal Office per SDCL Chapter 34-29A. The Electrical Commission also issues a project contractor excise tax license through the Department of Revenue for any project valued above $100,000.

Regulatory Body Profile

South Dakota Department of Revenue — Business Tax Division (contractor's excise tax) and trade-specific commissions (SD DOR) is the statutory authority responsible for issuing and enforcing this license under SDCL Title 10 Chapter 10-46A (contractor's excise tax); SDCL Title 36 Chapters 36-16 (plumbers) and 36-26 (electricians). South Dakota does not issue a state general contractor license. The Department of Revenue issues every contractor a contractor's excise tax license under SDCL 10-46A, while the State Electrical Commission and State Plumbing Commission license the electrical and plumbing trades. HVAC and general building work are not licensed at the state level.

Official portal: https://dor.sd.gov/businesses/taxes/contractors-excise-tax/
Address: 445 East Capitol Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: (605) 773-3311

The Eligibility Audit

Eligibility begins with two baseline checks: the applicant must be 18 or older and must provide a valid Social Security Number. No South Dakota residency requirement.

Good moral character

The Electrical Commission conducts a fitness review on every applicant. Felony convictions are reviewed individually under SDCL §36-16-22 and may result in denial.

Background investigation

Mandatory criminal history disclosure on the application. Alarm System Contractor applicants additionally require fingerprint-based DCI and FBI clearance.

Experience and Education Standards

The experience bar is two years (4,000 hours) of supervised low-voltage installation experience under a licensed South Dakota Limited Electrical Contractor or Alarm System Contractor for the qualifying party credential, and it must be backed by verifiable records — typically payroll, tax, project, or supervisor documentation covering the claimed period.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

SD Electrical Commission Experience Affidavit signed by each supervising licensed contractor
W-2 statements or 1099 records covering the qualifying period
NICET Fire Alarm Systems Level II certificate
Approved apprenticeship program completion certificate

Education substitution

An accredited two-year electronics or electrical engineering technology associate degree substitutes for one year of the experience requirement under ARSD 20:44:03:02.

The Exam Syllabus

The exam, administered by Block and Associates under contract to the South Dakota Electrical Commission, breaks into the parts shown below — all must be passed before licensure:

SD Limited Electrical / Alarm System Contractor Examination — NEC Articles 725/760/770/800, NFPA 72, SD rules, business and law — 80 questions, 180 minutes, passing score 75%

Examination fee: $70 examination fee paid to Block and Associates on registration.

Retake policy: Failed examinations may be re-taken after 30 days by paying a new $70 fee. Each application remains valid for one year.

Bonding, Insurance & Financial Security

No statewide contractor license surety bond is required for this credential in the cited sources. Project-specific, permit, or public-works bonds may still apply, so confirm bonding before bidding a given job.

General liability

The Electrical Commission requires Alarm System and Limited Electrical Contractors to carry a minimum $300,000 commercial general liability certificate under ARSD 20:44:05:01. Commercial owners contractually require $1,000,000/$2,000,000.

Workers' compensation

Workers' compensation is mandatory for any South Dakota employer with one or more employees under SDCL Title 62.

Additional financial requirements

No financial statement required for Limited Electrical or Alarm System classifications.

Schedule of Fees

Fee	Amount
Application (non-refundable)	$160
Examination	$70
Initial license	$160
Renewal (every year)	$160

Renewal and Continuing Obligations

The South Dakota Electrical Commission Alarm System Contractor / Limited Electrical Contractor runs on a year renewal cycle. The current renewal fee is $160. SD Electrical Commission licenses renew annually by January 1. Lapsed licenses carry a $50 late fee within 30 days; beyond 90 days, retesting may be required.

Continuing education: Eight hours of SD Electrical Commission-approved continuing education each annual cycle, including a code-update course covering the current NEC adoption.

Downloadable Asset

2026 South Dakota Low Voltage License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Out-of-State Reciprocity

For this classification, South Dakota does not recognize the NASCLA Accredited Examination.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
North Dakota	Trade exam waived	Bilateral SD-ND reciprocity for active electrical contractors with one year active status.
Minnesota	Trade exam waived	Bilateral SD-MN reciprocity for Power Limited Technician and Technology Systems Contractor credentials.
Iowa	Trade exam waived	Bilateral SD-IA reciprocity for Class A Special Electrician (Sound and Communication) credentials.
Wyoming	Trade exam waived	Bilateral SD-WY reciprocity for active electrical contractor licenses.

South Dakota Electrical Commission maintains regional reciprocity with North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wyoming. Reciprocal applicants must hold the equivalent classification active and in good standing and must pass the SD statute portion.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares Low Voltage license requirements in every state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

The Application Roadmap

Register as Apprentice Limited Electrician or Alarm Trainee. File the SD Electrical Commission trainee registration with the $40 fee to legally perform supervised low-voltage work.
Document two years of supervised experience. Compile Electrical Commission Experience Affidavits covering 4,000 hours of supervised low-voltage work under a licensed contractor.
Submit the Limited Electrical Contractor or Alarm System Contractor application. File the application with the $160 fee, experience affidavits, $300,000 liability certificate, and qualifying party designation.
Pass the Block and Associates examination at 75%. Score 75% or better on the 80-question trade and business exam.
Submit fingerprint clearance (Alarm System Contractor only). DCI and FBI fingerprint-based background check is required for alarm contractors under SDCL §36-16.
File the workers compensation certificate. Submit SD workers compensation coverage for any business with employees.
Register with the State Fire Marshal for fire alarm work. Coordinate with the SD State Fire Marshal Office for fire alarm acceptance testing on commercial projects. NICET Level II is the practical prerequisite.
Renew on the annual SD Electrical Commission cycle. SD Limited Electrical and Alarm System Contractor licenses renew annually by January 1 with eight hours of continuing education.

Pre-Application Checklist

Before submitting to SD DOR, the applicant should have each of the following ready:

☐ Two years (4,000 hours) of supervised low-voltage experience
☐ SD Electrical Commission Trainee registration
☐ SD Limited Electrical or Alarm System Contractor application with $160 fee
☐ Block and Associates exam pass at 75%+
☐ $300,000 commercial general liability certificate
☐ DCI and FBI fingerprint clearance (Alarm System Contractor)
☐ Workers compensation coverage certificate
☐ NICET Fire Alarm Level II certificate (if doing fire alarm)

Where Applications Stall

The errors below are the ones that most frequently cost South Dakota Low Voltage applicants time, drawn from the cited board guidance.

Using Limited Electrical for alarm work

The Limited Electrical Contractor license covers under-50V structured cabling and signaling only. Burglar and fire alarm work requires the separate Alarm System Contractor license.

Unregistered trainee hours

Hours worked before registering as a trainee do not count toward the two-year experience requirement. Register first, work second.

Missing the annual renewal deadline

SD Electrical Commission licenses expire January 1 every year. Lapsed licenses beyond 90 days may require retesting before reinstatement.

Skipping fire alarm acceptance testing

The SD State Fire Marshal must approve acceptance testing on every commercial fire alarm project. Missing the test blocks occupancy and exposes the contractor to reinstallation costs.

Ignoring the project excise tax license

Any project valued above $100,000 requires a project contractor excise tax license from the SD Department of Revenue in addition to the Electrical Commission license.

Recommended Study Materials

The list below collects the board's cited references and the materials applicants typically study from. CLR is not paid to recommend any of them.

NEC Articles 725, 760, 770, 800 (SD-adopted edition) — NFPA. Low-voltage circuits, fire alarm, fiber, and communications wiring.
NFPA 72 - National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code — NFPA. Required reference for Alarm System Contractor fire alarm work.
SDCL Chapter 36-16 — State of South Dakota. Electrical Commission licensing statute.
ARSD 20:44 — SD Electrical Commission. Administrative rules for electrical and alarm contractors.

Other South Dakota Trade Licenses

CLR maintains guides for additional South Dakota trades; the published ones are listed here:

Common Questions

What does the South Dakota Limited Electrical Contractor license cover?

Installation of low-voltage systems operating at 50 volts or less including structured cabling, sound, intercom, paging, and non-alarm signaling under SDCL Chapter 36-16. Fire alarm and burglar alarm additionally require the Alarm System Contractor license.

Who licenses burglar and fire alarm contractors in South Dakota?

The South Dakota Electrical Commission under SDCL §36-16 and ARSD 20:44. The Alarm System Contractor license covers burglar alarm, fire alarm, CCTV, and access control and requires a designated qualifying party.

Does South Dakota reciprocate with Minnesota?

Yes. The Electrical Commission maintains bilateral reciprocity with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Power Limited Technician credential for active applicants in good standing.

Does NICET certification replace the state exam?

No. NICET Fire Alarm Systems Level II is recognized as study credit and is the practical prerequisite for State Fire Marshal acceptance testing, but it does not waive the Block and Associates examination.

How often does the SD Alarm System Contractor license renew?

Annually by January 1. Renewal requires eight hours of approved continuing education including a code-update course and continuing proof of $300,000 liability coverage.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-06-08 · Next scheduled review 2026-09-06