Do plumbers need a license in South Dakota?

Yes. SDCL 36-25-17 (read November 6, 2026) says no person may engage in plumbing for which a license is required on any property connected with a public system of waterworks or sewerage unless licensed by the State Plumbing Commission. The exemptions are for homeowners working on a home they own and occupy, a single-family home they are building to live in, repair work where the person is employed, and repairs on their own property.

What license types are there?

SDCL 36-25-19 lists them: appliance contractor and installer, individual and small on-site wastewater system installer, manufactured and mobile home contractor and installer, plumber, plumbing contractor, sewer and water contractor and installer, underground irrigation contractor and installer, water conditioning contractor and installer, and apprentices. For work on your house you want a plumber or plumbing contractor; for a sewer or water service line, a sewer and water contractor also qualifies.

What does a plumbing contractor license require?

The Commission's licensing page says a plumbing contractor must have six years' experience as a contractor, plumber or apprentice, at least two of them as a contractor or plumber, at 1,900 hours a year, and pass the state exam; a plumber needs four years as an apprentice at 1,900 hours a year. Third- and fourth-year apprentices who have passed the state exam may work unsupervised, but only on single-family dwellings.

Is there a separate Sioux Falls license?

Yes. The City requires a Plumber Contractor license of all contractors doing plumbing work within the city limits. The applicant must already hold what the City calls a South Dakota master plumber license, pass the City's exam on its plumbing ordinances and the Uniform Plumbing Code ($75 fee), and post a $10,000 compliance bond. The City publishes a Currently Licensed Contractors list and verifies licenses at 605-367-8672.

Is a licensed plumber insured?

Not necessarily for the damage you care about. The state license is about qualification and the City contractor license adds a compliance bond; neither is proof of general liability coverage. Ask for the certificate.

Verification · South Dakota

How to Check a Plumber’s License in South Dakota (and the Sioux Falls City License)

South Dakota requires a State Plumbing Commission license for plumbing work on property connected to public water or sewer, with limited exemptions such as a homeowner working on their own home (SDCL 36-25-17, read November 6, 2026), and the City of Sioux Falls requires its own Plumber Contractor license of contractors working in the city. Both agencies publish their lists: the Commission as a PDF sorted by city, the City as a downloadable spreadsheet. Here is how to check both in about five minutes.

Published November 6, 2026 · Figures and rules checked against the sources listed at the end of this page.

The two lists

Where to look (read November 6, 2026)
Agency	What it licenses	Where the list is
South Dakota State Plumbing Commission	Plumbers, plumbing contractors, sewer and water contractors, apprentices and the specialty trades, statewide	Consumer Information page → "View South Dakota Licensed Plumbers" (PDF by city, dated); specialty licensees in a second PDF
City of Sioux Falls Building Services	Plumber Contractor license for anyone contracting plumbing work inside the city limits	Currently Licensed Contractors page → "See the Current Contractor List" (spreadsheet), or 605-367-8672

Step by step

Get the licensed name, not the van name. Ask the company for the name of the licensed plumber or plumbing contractor on the job and the name the business is licensed under. Many shops trade under a shorter name than the one on the license.
Open the State Plumbing Commission list. Go to the Commission's Consumer Information page at dlr.sd.gov/plumbing/consumer_info.aspx and open "View South Dakota Licensed Plumbers". It is a PDF, dated at the top (as of October 20, 2026 when this page was written), sorted by city.
Find Sioux Falls and search the name. Jump to the Sioux Falls section (or the plumber's home city) and use your browser's find command on the last name. Each row shows the city, the license type (plumbing contractor, plumber, or an apprentice level), the name and the expiration date.
Read the license type and the date. A plumbing contractor or plumber license covers the work on your house. A third- or fourth-year apprentice may work without supervision only on single-family homes under the Commission's rules. The expiration date should be after your job date.
Check the City of Sioux Falls list too. The City requires its own Plumber Contractor license of any contractor doing plumbing work in the city limits. Open the City's Currently Licensed Contractors page and download the current contractor list (a spreadsheet), or call Building Services at 605-367-8672, which the City's FAQ says will verify whether a contractor is licensed.
Ask for the insurance certificate separately. A license is not insurance. Ask for a current certificate of general liability insurance and, if the company has employees, workers' compensation, and call the agent on the certificate to confirm it is active.
If something is wrong, there is a complaint route. The Commission's Consumer Information page links to its complaint process for concerns about a plumber's work. Keep the invoice, the permit number and your photos.

What a license proves, and what it doesn't

It proves qualification. A plumbing contractor has at least six years in the trade and passed the state exam; a plumber, four years and the exam.
The City license adds a bond. A $10,000 compliance bond and a passed exam on Sioux Falls' own plumbing ordinances.
Neither proves insurance. General liability is a separate policy. Ask.
Neither proves the price is fair. The plumbing costs page is for that.

Who is exempt

SDCL 36-25-17 exempts a person doing plumbing on a home they own and actually occupy, on a single-family home they own and are building to live in, repair work where the person is employed, and repair work on their own property, in each case in compliance with the Commission's minimum standards. None of those exemptions covers a plumber you hire to work on your house. Inside Sioux Falls, the City's Plumbing Homeowner's Guide says any person paid to do plumbing work in the city must be employed by a City-licensed plumbing contractor; the permits page covers the homeowner permit.

Sources and dates

Every figure and rule above names where it came from and the date it was read. If a source disagrees with a quote you receive, the quote wins: it reflects your house, your pipes and this week's demand. Prices are rechecked at least every six months.

SDCL § 36-25-17, License required for plumbing work on property connected to public water or sewer system — Exceptions — read November 6, 2026. License requirement and the homeowner/repair exemptions.
SDCL § 36-25-19, Application for license — License types — Fees — read November 6, 2026. The list of license types.
South Dakota State Plumbing Commission, Consumer Information (lists of licensees, complaints) — read November 6, 2026. Lists of licensees, complaint link.
South Dakota State Plumbing Commission, "List of South Dakota Licensed Plumbers" (PDF, as of Oct. 20, 2026) — read November 6, 2026. Opened and read: columns City, License Type, Name, Expiration Date; sorted by city.
South Dakota State Plumbing Commission, Licensing Requirements — read November 6, 2026. Experience requirements for plumbing contractor, plumber and apprentice licenses.
City of Sioux Falls, Master Plumber Contractor licensing — read November 6, 2026. City Plumber Contractor license requirement, exam, bond, licensing contact.
City of Sioux Falls, Currently Licensed Contractors — read November 6, 2026. City list of licensed contractors (spreadsheet download), licensing@siouxfalls.gov, 605-367-8670.
City of Sioux Falls, Building Permit FAQs — read November 6, 2026. Building Services verifies contractor licenses at 605-367-8672.