How to Renew a South Dakota Electrical License

The South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation’s Electrical Commission issues a variety of different electrical licenses, but the renewal process is more or less the same for each of them. That’s not necessarily to say that it’s straightforward, though.

Through the pandemic, the Electrical Commission made some changes to accommodate a distanced renewal process. As the world returns to normal, electricians have to navigate the current renewal requirements, which still include some COVID-related changes. Here are the most current renewal to-dos for South Dakota electrical licensees.

The upcoming deadline

The Electrical Commission sets the expiration date for licenses on June 30 of every even-numbered year. That means you need to get your renewal application in by the end of June this year, in 2024, in 2026, and so on.

Don’t just put a reminder down for June 30, though. You need to get some things done before your license will be eligible for renewal.

Continuing education requirements

All South Dakota electrical licensees need to complete 16 hours of continuing education (CE) in order to renew their licenses. That’s true for:

Electrical inspectors
Electrical contractors
Journeyman electricians
Class B electricians
Apprentice electricians

Of the 16 hours, eight need to focus on electrical code.

Electricians in South Dakota have historically had the option to take eight of their 16 hours online, provided they came from a Commission-approved provider. The pandemic changed things, though.

Through the height of the pandemic, the Commission allowed electricians to get all 16 of their CE hours done online. They’re keeping that rule in place for the 2022 renewal cycle, which means you can knock your 16 hours out online and on-demand this time around.

Once you finish your online CE, your education provider should issue you a certificate of completion. File it somewhere safe because you’ll need to submit that to the Commission as part of your renewal process.

Renewal fees for SD electricians

The amount of money you’ll need to pay to the state to keep your license active depends on your license type. Let’s take a look at the biennial fees:

Electrical inspectors: $100
Electrical contractors: $200
Journeyman electricians: $80
Class B electricians: $100
Apprentice electricians: $20

Submitting your renewal application

Last up, you need to fill out some paperwork. South Dakota is one of the only states that doesn’t use an online renewal form. Instead, you’ll need to find the appropriate form on the Commission’s forms webpage. You might need to wait for the renewal date to draw closer for them to upload the appropriate form for your license type.

Once you get the form filled out and printed — or vice versa — get out an envelope. Include the renewal application, a check or money order for your renewal fee, and your CE certificate(s) of completion showing that you have 16 hours. Mail that all to:

South Dakota Electrical Commission

217 W. Missouri Ave.

Pierre SD 57501

If you have any questions about your renewal, you can email Roxie Mobley, the Secretary for the Commission, using this form.