Do I have to take the Idaho general contractor exam if I'm licensed in South Dakota?

No. The trade exam is waived on this path.

What does it cost to get a Idaho general contractor license from South Dakota?

Published fees on this path total $120, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.

Do my South Dakota work hours count in Idaho?

No. Idaho does not credit out-of-state hours on this path.

Does it work the other way, from Idaho to South Dakota?

Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Idaho to South Dakota, the mechanism is not applicable.

South Dakota to Idaho: general contractor license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 17, 2026· 15 sources

South Dakota does not issue a statewide general contractor license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Idaho's standard path for out-of-state applicants.

Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.

Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.

Registration for every applicant, wherever they come from (all states)

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

A general or unlimited contractor license from another state gives an applicant no advantage in Idaho and is not needed here. For private commercial building, whatever its size, Idaho requires only registration with the Idaho Contractors Board, and registration has no trade examination, no business and law examination, no experience requirement, no bond and no financial responsibility test that an out-of-state credential could satisfy in place of. The applicant files the form, lists the owners, files a general liability certificate of at least $300,000 single limit and workers' compensation coverage or an exemption statement, discloses any felony conviction and any contractor license or registration denied, surrendered, suspended or revoked in any state, and pays the fee. Idaho publishes no reciprocity agreement and no endorsement route for contractor registration, and the forms contain no question about another state's license except the discipline question. Registration does not, however, let a contractor bid public works: that needs the separate Public Works Contractor license described below.

A contractor coming to Idaho for public work should plan for a real application. The Public Works Contractor license takes a written examination on the Idaho public works statutes and rules and, above Class D, on the DOPL Contractor's Business and Law Reference Manual, passed at 70% and sat at a DOPL office; three contractor references; detailed work history and reference letters to establish the construction type; and a financial statement meeting the class figures, which run from $25,000 net worth and $7,500 working capital at Class C to $1,000,000 and $600,000 for Unlimited, compiled by a CPA or LPA at Class CC and B and reviewed or audited at Class A and above. Out-of-state experience is presented as work history and counts toward the type and class assessment, but it waives nothing: Idaho Code Title 54, Chapter 19 has no reciprocity or endorsement section, and the Board names no partner state. The Board's published fees are unsettled at the moment, because a fee holiday began on 1 January 2026, biennial licensure began phasing in on 1 April 2026, and the web fee table and the Board's own fact sheet print figures that differ by a factor of two, so ask DOPL on (208) 334-3233 what is payable before applying. On the private side, the same three dead ends apply as at the residential level: Idaho Code 67-9409 universal licensure reaches registrations but adds nothing where the Board sets no competency requirement for anyone; the reciprocal registration section, Idaho Code 54-5213, covers only pre-2007 licenses issued by Idaho cities and counties; and DOPL does not accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination for contractor registration, with Idaho absent from the list of agencies that do and no Idaho trade examination for it to replace.

At a glance

Trade exam: Waived
Law / code exam: Not required
Out-of-state hours: Do not count

What you must already have

No examination, experience, apprenticeship, education, financial statement or qualifying party is required for registration, whatever the size or value of the commercial project. Registration covers construction over $2,000 with no upper limit.Idaho Code 54-5210 sets out the application contents and IDAPA 24.21.01 adds only the felony qualification and the fees; the rule chapter's examination, experience and continuing education sections are reserved and empty. The $2,000 figure in Idaho Code 54-5205(2)(f) is the floor below which registration is not needed, not a ceiling, and the statute forbids splitting a project into sub-$2,000 contracts to get under it.
You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.Required by Idaho Code 54-5210(1)(g) and asked on both the individual and business registration forms. It is the only question on either form that looks at what another state's board has done.
No felony conviction in any state or federal court. An applicant with a felony conviction may request an exemption review in writing, in which the Board considers the court records and any supplemental information about suitability and may grant an interview; the applicant carries the burden of establishing suitability.IDAPA 24.21.01.100.01, read with Idaho Code 67-9411, which requires the Board to weigh relevance to fitness rather than apply an automatic bar and permits a one-year conditional registration in place of a denial.

What you'll do to get licensed in Idaho

1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($120). Application fee, which includes the original registration. DOPL's published schedule, effective 1 July 2026, is $120 for an individual and $120 for a business, then $60 to renew for one year or $120 to renew for two, with a $40 reinstatement fee on top of the renewal fee after a lapse. The Board's rule caps the fee at $60 a year and allows the annual fees to be aggregated for a two-year registration, and Idaho Code 54-5210(2) caps it at $150 a year. The February 2024 paper forms still print a $50 processing fee, so confirm the current amount with the Board on (208) 334-3233 or [email protected] before sending a check. A contractor who already holds an Idaho public works contractor or construction manager license and registers in order to take private work outside that license pays no registration fee..
2Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Certificate of general liability insurance, including products and completed operations coverage for the applicant's construction operations, of not less than $300,000 single limit, issued by an insurance company authorized to do business in Idaho, with the insured rather than DOPL named as the certificate holder. The figure is a statutory floor for registration, not a commercial limit: owners, lenders and general contractors on commercial work routinely require far higher limits by contract. Coverage must stay in force while the registration is active..
3Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Workers' compensation insurance certificate from a carrier authorized to do business in Idaho, or a written statement explaining why the coverage is not required of the applicant under Idaho Code 72-101 through 72-230. Failing to keep the coverage in place is a ground on which the Board may revoke a registration..
4Background check. Complete a background check. The application is submitted under oath and asks whether the applicant has ever received a conviction, finding of guilt, withheld judgment or suspended sentence for a felony in any state, and whether the applicant or anyone with an ownership interest has ever had a contractor license or registration denied, surrendered, suspended, revoked or otherwise disciplined anywhere. A yes to either means filing DOPL's disclosure form with the court records or the other state's board order. The Board evaluates the conviction for current relevance to fitness under Idaho Code 67-9411. DOPL holds a general power under Idaho Code 67-9411A to require fingerprints and an Idaho State Police and FBI records check, but the Contractors Board's rule and forms ask only for the sworn disclosure..
5Other. Social security number for an individual applicant or an employer tax identification number for a business; the legal business name and the business structure; the address of record, which becomes a public record; the first and last name of every principal, member, partner, shareholder or other owner, which must be people rather than another entity; one construction type code; and a statement of the type of construction to be undertaken. The application stays open for one year from the date it is filed..
6Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). A separate Public Works Contractor license from the Public Works Contractors License Board is required, in addition to or instead of registration, for any state or local public works project estimated at $50,000 or more, and a Construction Manager license is required to manage public works construction. That license takes a written examination passed at 70%, three contractor references, detailed work history and reference letters to set the construction type, and a financial statement meeting the net worth and working capital figures for the class applied for. It is non-transferable and renews on the anniversary of issue, with biennial licensing phasing in from 1 April 2026. Fees vary by class and are in flux because of a fee holiday that began on 1 January 2026; ask DOPL on (208) 334-3233 or [email protected] for the amount currently payable..
7Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility (if applicable). No financial statement, net worth or working capital figure is required for contractor registration. A financial statement is required only for the separate Public Works Contractor license, where it sets the class and therefore the bid limit: $25,000 net worth and $7,500 working capital for Class C, rising through $75,000 and $25,000 for CC, $150,000 and $50,000 for B, $300,000 and $100,000 for A, $450,000 and $150,000 for AA and $600,000 and $200,000 for AAA, to $1,000,000 and $600,000 for an Unlimited license. Class C may use DOPL's balance sheet form or a CPA or LPA statement; Class CC and B need a compiled statement with the accountant's report; Class A and above need a reviewed or audited statement, and none may be more than twelve months old..
8Surety bond. Post a surety bond (if applicable). Idaho requires no surety bond for contractor registration. Separately, Idaho's Public Contracts Bond Act requires performance and payment bonds on public buildings and public works contracts for the state and its political subdivisions, and a homeowner on a residential contract over $2,000 may require a bond at their own expense up to the value of the project..

Published fees on this path total $120, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

What you'll need to buy or arrange

Liability insurance

Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.

Insurance
Insurance

Surety bond

A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.

Surety bond · if applicable

How Idaho licenses general contractors

Idaho general contractor · “Contractor Registration (construction type 001, General Commercial Builder)”

Statewide license

Verified September 17, 2026· 8 sources

Issued by Idaho Contractors Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses)

Idaho has no general, unlimited or commercial building contractor license for private work. Commercial building sits under the same Idaho Contractors Board registration as houses: the applicant picks construction type 001 General Commercial Builder instead of a residential code, and DOPL states that the code chosen does not limit the work performed, so the two levels of this page are one credential with one set of requirements. Registration is issued on proof of general liability insurance of at least $300,000 single limit, workers' compensation coverage or a statement of why it is not required, an ownership list and sworn answers about felony convictions and prior license discipline, with no examination, no experience requirement, no bond, no net worth test and no qualifying party, however large the project. There is one genuine license above registration, but only where public money pays for the work: the Public Works Contractors License Board licenses contractors under Idaho Code Title 54, Chapter 19 for state or local public works projects estimated at $50,000 or more, in four types (Heavy, Highway, Building and Specialty Construction) and classes from D up to Unlimited that set the maximum a contractor may bid, and that license does require a written examination passed at 70%, three contractor references, detailed work history and a financial statement meeting the net worth and working capital figures for the class. DOPL's own answer is that people doing private residential or private commercial contracting do not need the public works license and should register as a general contractor instead, and a public works licensee who also takes private work registers with the Contractors Board without paying the registration fee.

Moving to Idaho Leaving Idaho

Why South Dakota has nothing to transfer

South Dakota general contractor

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 17, 2026· 10 sources

South Dakota has no state general, commercial or building contractor license and no state board that examines or qualifies builders, so there is nothing at state level for an out-of-state general contractor's license to transfer into. The Department of Labor and Regulation's occupational licensing list has an Electrical Commission, a Plumbing Commission and a Board of Technical Professions for architects and engineers, and no contractor board, so the credentials that matter at state level are the electrical and plumbing licenses held by the subcontractors and the design professionals who stamp the drawings. Commercial building is governed locally, and most of the state's larger cities license less at this level than at the residential one: Sioux Falls states that it 'does not require Commercial Building Contractors to be licensed at this time', Aberdeen says commercial contractors are not required to be licensed through the city because commercial projects are designed and overseen by architects and engineers, and Brookings publishes a residential contractor license and no commercial equivalent. Rapid City is the exception, licensing a Class A general contractor for construction of all types of structures on the ICC National Standard General Building Contractor (A) examination. Every contractor, commercial included, must hold a free contractor's excise tax license from the Department of Revenue before starting work anywhere in the state, and the 2% contractor's excise tax falls on the prime contractor's gross receipts.

How local licensing works in South Dakota

How it works in South Dakota. No South Dakota agency issues a general, commercial, building or unlimited contractor license, and there is no state qualifying party, business-and-law examination or financial responsibility test. Commercial construction is controlled through the building permit and the plan review, and by the state's requirement that commercial projects be designed and overseen by licensed architects and engineers. The one thing the state does require of every commercial contractor is a contractor's excise tax license from the Department of Revenue: 'an individual must be licensed before starting work in South Dakota. All contractors must be licensed regardless of the amount of the receipts they have or the amount of tax due.' It is free, it is applied for online, and the 2% contractor's excise tax is imposed on the gross receipts of the prime contractor. Get it first; cities ask for the card.

Rapid City. This is the one city of the four that licenses commercial builders, and its Class A license is the most demanding contractor credential in South Dakota. Class A is the 'General Contractor' class, 'for construction of any and All types of structures', and it is issued on the ICC National Standard General Building Contractor (A) examination, known as the G11, taken through Pearson VUE: 4.5 hours, 90 multiple-choice questions, open book, based on the 2018 International Building Code and the 2018 International Residential Code, with an examination fee of $115.00 and testing at the Career Learning Center, 730 E Watertown St. The license itself is $200 initially and $100 to renew, runs three years and carries six hours of continuing education per period. Every applicant files a certificate of insurance naming the City of Rapid City as certificate holder, and no other form is accepted, with minimum general aggregate liability of $1,000,000, $300,000 fire damage and $1,000,000 each occurrence, plus a workers' compensation certificate or a signed statement of non-participation. A copy of the South Dakota excise tax certificate is part of the packet, and an electrical contractor class separately requires proof of a South Dakota electrical contractor's license. No verifiable experience is required for Class A, and the packet offers no waiver, credit or reciprocity for a contractor license held in another city or another state: a licensee who lets the license lapse beyond the one-year grace period must reapply and pass the examination again. Building Services is on (605) 394-4120.

Sioux Falls. The city's position is one sentence long: 'The City of Sioux Falls does not require Commercial Building Contractors to be licensed at this time.' What it requires instead is that each individual project goes through plan review and obtains the proper permits. Note that apartment buildings count as commercial for construction purposes even though they are residential in use, so a multifamily builder falls outside the residential license as well. The electrical, mechanical, plumbing, refrigeration, sign and right-of-way trades are separately licensed by the city, and right-of-way contractors must be bonded and insured before working in a city right-of-way. Plans examiners are on 605-367-8248 and building inspectors on 605-367-8251.

Aberdeen. 'Because the majority of commercial construction projects are required to be designed and overseen by design professionals (i.e. Professional Architects and Professional Engineers), Commercial Contractors are not required to be licensed through the City of Aberdeen. Commercial Contractors are required to obtain a South Dakota Excise Tax License.' Electricians are licensed by the state, with state permits and state inspections in Aberdeen; plumbers are licensed by the state but permitted and inspected by city inspectors. Building Inspection is at City Hall, 123 South Lincoln Street, 3rd Floor, 605-626-7017.

Brookings. Community Development issues a residential contractor license, a plumber license, building permits and rental licenses, and publishes no commercial or general building contractor license; all work must conform to the International Building Code and electrical and plumbing work must be done by trades licensed by the state and the city. Because the city publishes no commercial contractor application, confirm what is expected of a commercial builder with Community Development on (605) 692-6629 before bidding. Building permits also apply on nonagricultural land in the joint jurisdictional area about three miles beyond the city.

Everywhere else. Other South Dakota cities set their own permit and licensing rules, and the further from the larger cities you go the more likely it is that a permit and proof of insurance are all that is asked. Check with each building official, and hold the state excise tax license wherever you work.

Moving to South Dakota Leaving South Dakota

Common questions

Do I have to take the Idaho general contractor exam if I'm licensed in South Dakota?: No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
What does it cost to get a Idaho general contractor license from South Dakota?: Published fees on this path total $120, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my South Dakota work hours count in Idaho?: No. Idaho does not credit out-of-state hours on this path.
Does it work the other way, from Idaho to South Dakota?: Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Idaho to South Dakota, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

Idaho Code Title 54, Chapter 19 - Public Works Contractors · Idaho Code 54-1902, 54-1904, 54-1910 · Idaho Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
Idaho Code Title 54, Chapter 52 - Idaho Contractor Registration Act · Idaho Code 54-5203, 54-5204, 54-5205, 54-5207, 54-5209, 54-5210, 54-5211, 54-5213 · Idaho Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
Idaho Code 67-9409 - Universal Licensure (Occupational Licensing Reform Act) · Idaho Code 67-9403(2)-(3), 67-9409 · Idaho Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
Idaho Code 67-9411 - Evaluation of Criminal Convictions (and 67-9411A, Fingerprint Criminal History and Background Check) · Idaho Code 67-9411, 67-9411A · Idaho Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
Idaho Business Contractor Registration Application (updated February 13, 2024) · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Form · verified September 17, 2026
Idaho Individual Contractor Registration Application (updated February 13, 2024) · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Form · verified September 17, 2026
Idaho Contractors Board - Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
DOPL notice, 27 August 2025 - transition to two-year contractor registrations · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Other · verified September 17, 2026
Idaho Contractors Board - Frequently Asked Questions · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Faq · verified September 17, 2026
Public Works Contractors License Board - Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
Public Works Contractors License Board - Frequently Asked Questions · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Faq · verified September 17, 2026
Public Works Contractors License Board - Apply for or Renew a License · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
IDAPA 24.21.01 - Rules of the Idaho State Contractors Board · IDAPA 24.21.01.000, .001, .100, .400 · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
Idaho Public Works Contractor Licensing Fact Sheet (updated 30 January 2025) · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) · Other · verified September 17, 2026
NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors · National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies · Other · verified September 17, 2026

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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