Minnesota to South Dakota: master plumber license reciprocity
South Dakota has a reciprocity agreement with Minnesota: a Minnesota master plumber can get a South Dakota license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocity with Minnesota (Master Plumber to South Dakota Plumbing Contractor)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
Minnesota DLI licenses South Dakota master-level (Plumbing Contractor) licensees who were licensed by examination as Minnesota Master Plumbers without examination, and North Dakota's Board confirms the three-state written agreements. In the South Dakota direction, a Minnesota Master Plumber licensed by DLI examination (Minnesota Plumbing Code, UPC-based) applies for the Plumbing Contractor license under 'License by reciprocity' with a Minnesota license verification and proof of four hours of continuing education, satisfying ARSD 20:53:02:21. The applicant pays the $50 application fee and $100 exam fee with the application and the $275 license fee on approval; no South Dakota exam is taken.
Agreement text, date and any SD-side years-held or residency condition are unpublished.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Minnesota license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- Your Minnesota license must be active and in good standing.
- Proof of completion of four hours of plumbing continuing education
What you'll do to get licensed in South Dakota
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Plumbing Contractor application fee (ARSD 20:53:12:01).
- 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($100). Normal contractor examination fee accompanying the reciprocity application (ARSD 20:53:02:21; SDCL 36-25-21).
- 3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($275). Initial Plumbing Contractor license fee; renews annually for $275 (ARSD 20:53:12:03).
- 4Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Four hours of continuing education each calendar year for renewal (ARSD 20:53:11:05).
Published fees on this path total $425, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Continuing education
How South Dakota licenses master plumbers
South Dakota master plumber · “Plumbing Contractor”
Statewide license
Issued by South Dakota State Plumbing Commission (Department of Labor and Regulation)
South Dakota has no 'master plumber' license. The top individual tier is the statewide Plumbing Contractor license issued by the State Plumbing Commission - a person 'qualified and skilled in the planning, superintending, and the practical installation of plumbing, and otherwise qualified and registered to contract for plumbing installations and conduct the business of plumbing' (SDCL 36-25-1(6)) - which this site maps to the master level. A new applicant needs six years' experience as a plumbing contractor, plumber or apprentice at not less than 1,900 hours per year, with at least two of those years as a plumbing contractor or plumber, then passes the Commission-administered three-part exam on the South Dakota plumbing code (2024 Uniform Plumbing Code with state amendments) at 80%; the code may be used on the sizing-drawing part of the contractor exam. Fees are a $50 application fee, a $100 exam fee and a $275 license fee; licenses expire December 31 and renew annually for $275 with four hours of continuing education each calendar year. Out-of-state master plumbers or plumbing contractors licensed by examination in a state with similar laws and a UPC-equivalent code may be licensed without examination under SDCL 36-25-21; others are approved for the contractor exam on proof of equivalent experience.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the South Dakota master plumber exam if I'm licensed in Minnesota?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Minnesota.
- What does it cost to get a South Dakota master plumber license from Minnesota?
- Published fees on this path total $425, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Minnesota work hours count in South Dakota?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward South Dakota's eligibility requirements.
Sources
- Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry - Plumbing reciprocity · Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- North Dakota State Plumbing Board - FAQ (reciprocal licensing with South Dakota) · NDCC 43-18-13.1 · North Dakota State Plumbing Board · Faq · verified September 16, 2026
- ARSD Article 20:53 - Plumbing Commission (licensing rules) · ARSD 20:53:02:18, 20:53:02:20, 20:53:02:21, 20:53:03:02, 20:53:03:03, 20:53:03:04, 20:53:03:07, 20:53:11:03, 20:53:11:05, 20:53:12:01, 20:53:12:02, 20:53:12:03 · South Dakota Legislative Research Council (State Plumbing Commission rules) · Admin Rule · verified September 16, 2026
- South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Plumbing License Application (Rev. 02/2026) · South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, State Plumbing Commission · Form · verified September 16, 2026
- South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Licensing Examinations · ARSD 20:53:12:02 · South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, State Plumbing Commission · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Licensing Requirements · ARSD 20:53:03:02 · South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, State Plumbing Commission · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Reciprocity · SDCL 36-25-21; ARSD 20:53:02:21 · South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, State Plumbing Commission · Agency Page · verified September 16, 2026
- SDCL 36-25-1 - Definition of terms (State Plumbing Commission) · SDCL 36-25-1(3), (4), (6) · South Dakota Legislative Research Council · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
- SDCL 36-25-21 - Reciprocity--Determination by commission · SDCL 36-25-21 (SL 1970, ch 222, § 11; SL 2025, ch 163, § 3) · South Dakota Legislative Research Council · Statute · verified September 16, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.