50-State Engineering Licensing Compliance Guide
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South Dakota Engineering Industry Licensing

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Licensing requirements for engineering industry firms and individuals in South Dakota.

This page provides an overview of engineering industry licensing in South Dakota for individuals and firms. You will find state requirements, application fees, filing instructions, and more. For assistance with licensing, please contact us to learn about our software and managed license services.

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Company Licenses

South Dakota Engineering Company Licenses

South Dakota Certificate of Authorization

Agency:South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation: Board of Technical Professions
Law:

SD CL § 36-18A-48

Eligible Entity Types:
  • Business Corporations
  • Limited Liability Companies
  • Partnerships
  • Limited Liability Partnerships
Ownership Requirements:

Business Corporations:

  • Officers and directors need not be licensed, but the corporation must appoint a South Dakota licensed individual to be responsible for all professional activities undertaken by the firm in South Dakota.

Limited Liability Companies:

  • Members and managers need not be licensed, but the LLC must appoint a South Dakota licensed individual to be responsible for all professional activities undertaken by the firm in South Dakota.

Partnerships:

  • Partners need not be licensed, but the partnership must appoint a South Dakota licensed individual to be responsible for all professional activities undertaken by the firm in South Dakota.

Limited Liability Partnerships:

  • Partners need not be licensed, but the partnership must appoint a South Dakota licensed individual to be responsible for all professional activities undertaken by the firm in South Dakota.

Initial Registration

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$100

Turnaround:

Temporary certification granted immediately upon receipt by mail, approved or nullified fully pending board review.

Original Ink:Not required
Notarization Required?:Not required
Before you Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  • Identify a South Dakota licensed professional to act as the individual in responsible charge of the firm's professional activities in South Dakota for each professional service performed by the firm.

Foreign Applicants:

  • Identify a South Dakota licensed professional to act as the individual in responsible charge of the firm's professional activities in South Dakota for each professional service performed by the firm.
  • Obtain a certificate of good standing from your business entity's home state (to be filed during the foreign qualification process). The certificate cannot be more than 90 days old when filing foreign qualification documents.
How to Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  1. File entity formation documents with the South Dakota Secretary of State.
  2. Create an online account and file a firm license application through the Department of Labor and Regulation: Board of Technical Professions.

Foreign Applicants:

  1. File foreign qualification documents with the South Dakota Secretary of State.
  2. Create an online account and file a firm license application through the Department of Labor and Regulation: Board of Technical Professions.
Required Attachments:
  • List of all South Dakota-licensed professionals employed by the entity (including license numbers)

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$80

Due:

Biennially by the date of issuance.

Notes:

Renewal reminders are emailed to license holders roughly 1 month prior to the expiration date.

Amendment

Form:

South Dakota Board of Technical Professionals Change of Address

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:

File within 30 days of the effective date of the change.

Notes:

Notify the board in writing with any changes. Address changes can be reported online.

Reinstatement

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$180

Notes:

Licenses expired for 3 or more years cannot be reinstated and the licensee must apply for a new license.

South Dakota Geology Firm License

Not required



Geoscience Firm licensure is not required on the State level in South Dakota.

Individual Licenses

South Dakota Individual Engineering Licenses

South Dakota Engineer Intern Certificate

Agency:South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation: Board of Technical Professions

Initial Registration

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$0

Renewal Not Required

Not required



Intern enrollment certificates do not expire.

South Dakota Geologist License

Not required



Professional Geoscientist licensure is not required on the State level in South Dakota.

South Dakota Land Surveyor Intern Certificate

Agency:South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation: Board of Technical Professions

Initial Registration

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$0

Renewal Not Required

Not required



Intern enrollment certificates do not expire.

South Dakota Land Surveyor License

Agency:South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation: Board of Technical Professions

Initial Registration

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$100

Reciprocal Registration

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$80

Due:

Biennially by the date of issuance.

South Dakota Professional Engineer License

Agency:South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation: Board of Technical Professions
Exam Required?Yes
Allow Digital Signatures?Yes
Digital Signature Guidelines:

Each drawing, report, or document that is signed and sealed using a digital signature shall have an electronic authentication process attached to or logically associated with the electronic document. The licensee's use of a digital signature is optional and, if used, shall be:

  1. Unique to the licensee;
  2. Capable of verification;
  3. Under the sole control of the licensee using it; and
  4. Linked to a document in such a manner that the digital signature is invalidated if any data in the document is changed.

A digital signature that uses a process approved by the board is presumed to meet the criteria provided in this section. Any hard copy printed from the transmitted electronic file shall bear the facsimile of the signature and seal and shall be a confirmation that the electronic file was not altered after the initial digital signing of the file. Any alterations to the file shall cause the facsimile of the signature to be voided.

SDCL § 36-18A-45.1

Allow Digital Sealing?Yes
Digital Sealing Guidelines:

Any licensed professional engineer, architect, land surveyor, and landscape architect shall use an appropriate seal. The seal shall contain the following information:

  1. The name, South Dakota;
  2. Licensee's name;
  3. License number; and
  4. The appropriate title or combination of titles: Professional Engineer, Architect, Land Surveyor, Landscape Architect.

The seal shall be legible and shall have an outer circle with a diameter measuring at least one inch and no greater than two inches and an inner circle with a diameter measuring five-eighths of the diameter of the outer circle. Titles may be prefixed with the words, Licensed or Registered. The seal may be an embossed seal, a rubber stamp, a computer-generated seal, or other facsimile found acceptable to the board. The licensee's signature and the date shall be adjacent to or across the seal. Petroleum release assessors and remediators, or interns, may not use a seal.

SDCL § 36-18A-44

Initial Registration

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$100

Reciprocal Registration

Instructions:

A Council Record with Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Board (CLARB), National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), or National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) being submitted to the Board is acceptable for submission of references.

If you do not hold a Council Record, a Comity Reference Form (Adobe PDF) must be completed by your references and submitted to the Board.

Any licensee who offers and provides these professional services on projects located in South Dakota must be included under a business certificate of authorization, unless said licensee is employed by an exempt entity. To obtain a certificate of authorization, the business entity must employ one or more professionals licensed in South Dakota in the same field of practice.

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$100

Due:
  • The completed application form, along with all the required supporting documentation, must be received by the Board office by the following deadline for consideration at the respective Board meeting.
    • Jan. 1 for January Board meeting
    • March 1 for March Board meeting
    • May 1 for May Board meeting
    • July 1 for July Board meeting
    • Sept. 1 for September Board meeting
    • Nov. 1 for November Board meeting
Required Attachments:

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$80

Due:

Biennially by the date of issuance.

Learn about engineering licensing in other states:

Design Firm - Engineering firm registration is sometimes grouped with architecture and land surveying on a single “design firm” application form.

EI (Engineering Intern) - A term also used to describe an Engineer in Training.

EIT (Engineer in Training) - A professional designation granted upon having completed at least 3 years of school at an ABET-accredited university and having passed the FE exam.

FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) - An exam testing on basic engineering principles that is required to become an engineer in training.

PE (Professional Engineer or 'Principles and Practice in Engineering') - Means either Professional Engineer or refers to the Principles and Practice in Engineering exam that is a prerequisite for an engineering license.

Reciprocity - When a licensed engineer in one state can provide documentation (often an NCEES Record) to more easily apply for a license in another jurisdiction.

Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
Accrediting board that sets standards for university programs in a variety of applied science disciplines.

American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
Engineering, architecture, and land surveying advocacy group.

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Organization that provides continuing education, professional conferences, and advocacy efforts to the civil engineering community.

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Mechanical engineering organization that focuses on education and professional development.

Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC)
Reviews accreditation requirements and makes final decisions regarding the accreditation process.

National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying (NCEES)
Develops, administers, and scores the exams used for engineering licenses.

National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
NSPE is an advocacy group for professional engineers.