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10 permits · verified 2026-09-14

What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Sioux Falls?

In short

A contractor or trade in Sioux Falls, SD has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services charges $150 filed online; paper filing costs $165 for the articles of organization (llc). 3 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-14 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Sioux Falls

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Contractor and Trade LicensesCity of Sioux Falls Licensing Office, City Attorney's OfficeTerms differ by trade. Biennial electrical licenses under §110.028: an electrical contractor or Class B electrician is $200.00 new and $100.00 to renew, a sign wiring contractor the same, a journeyman electrician $40.00 and $40.00, an apprentice $20.00 and $20.00, Class I and Class II maintenance $200.00 and $100.00, and an inactive electrical contractor $20.00. Biennial mechanical licenses: a mechanical contractor, refrigeration contractor or fireplace contractor is $200.00 new and $100.00 to renew, with inactive master mechanic and inactive refrigeration mechanic at $20.00. Biennial plumbing licenses: a master plumber or landscape irrigation contractor is $200.00 new and $100.00 to renew, a journeyman plumber $40.00 and $40.00, an apprentice registration $20.00, and inactive master or journeyman licenses $20.00. Triennial: a residential building contractor or residential roofing and repair contractor is $300.00 new and $150.00 to renew, with an inactive construction supervisor at $25.00. A sign and outdoor advertising contractor is a biennial $200.00. The residential contractor's license examination is $75.00.biennial for electrical, mechanical, plumbing and sign contractors; triennial for residential building and roofing contractors2026-09-14
Electrician or Electrical Contractor Licenseonly if it applies to youSouth Dakota Electrical Commission$80–$200 for the license itself, plus a $60 application fee — Electrical Contractor $200, Journeyman $802 years — every license expires June 30 of even-numbered years2026-09-04
General Contractor Licensing — Contractor's Excise Tax License Only (South Dakota)only if it applies to youSouth Dakota Department of RevenueNo feenot applicable2026-09-04
Plumbing Contractor or Plumber Licenseonly if it applies to youSouth Dakota Plumbing Commission$50 to apply, for either a Plumbing Contractor or a Plumber; a third-year apprentice applies for $20annual, with 16 hours of continuing education required every two years2026-09-04

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Sioux Falls

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
General Business License — City of Sioux Falls position (enumerated licenses only)only if it applies to youCity of Sioux Falls Licensing Office, City Attorney's OfficeNo feenot applicable to a general license; under §110.011 all licenses take effect when issued and terminate on December 31 of the year for which issued unless otherwise provided2026-09-14
Commercial Building PermitCity of Sioux Falls Planning and Development ServicesVaries — formula on the Sioux Falls pagenot stated in the published tables2026-09-14

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

SD registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youSouth Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services$150 filed online; paper filing costs $165perpetual, but an annual report is due every year2026-09-04
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youSouth Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services$150 filed online; paper filing costs $165perpetual, but an annual report is due every year2026-09-04
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youSouth Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services$55 a year filed online; paper filing costs $70annual — due the first day of the entity's anniversary month of formation2026-09-04
General Business License — State of South Dakota positiononly if it applies to youSouth Dakota Secretary of State, Business ServicesNo feenot applicable2026-09-04

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

How much does it actually cost to permit a contractor or trade in Sioux Falls?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a contractor or trade in Sioux Falls, SD, 2 apply to every business of this type and 8 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

3 of the 10 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Contractor and Trade Licenses: Terms differ by trade. Biennial electrical licenses under §110.028: an electrical contractor or Class B electrician is $200.00 new and $100.00 to renew, a sign wiring contractor the same, a journeyman electrician $40.00 and $40.00, an apprentice $20.00 and $20.00, Class I and Class II maintenance $200.00 and $100.00, and an inactive electrical contractor $20.00. Biennial mechanical licenses: a mechanical contractor, refrigeration contractor or fireplace contractor is $200.00 new and $100.00 to renew, with inactive master mechanic and inactive refrigeration mechanic at $20.00. Biennial plumbing licenses: a master plumber or landscape irrigation contractor is $200.00 new and $100.00 to renew, a journeyman plumber $40.00 and $40.00, an apprentice registration $20.00, and inactive master or journeyman licenses $20.00. Triennial: a residential building contractor or residential roofing and repair contractor is $300.00 new and $150.00 to renew, with an inactive construction supervisor at $25.00. A sign and outdoor advertising contractor is a biennial $200.00. The residential contractor's license examination is $75.00.

Electrician or Electrical Contractor License: $80–$200 for the license itself, plus a $60 application fee — Electrical Contractor $200, Journeyman $80

The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Sioux Falls permits page and the SD state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Sioux Falls?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Sioux Falls, SD come from 6 separate offices: City of Sioux Falls Licensing Office, City Attorney's Office, City of Sioux Falls Planning and Development Services, South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services, South Dakota Electrical Commission, South Dakota Department of Revenue, South Dakota Plumbing Commission. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a contractor or trade need in Sioux Falls that other businesses do not?

4 of the 4 permits particular to a contractor or trade here apply to no other business type we cover in Sioux Falls: Contractor and Trade Licenses, Electrician or Electrical Contractor License, General Contractor Licensing — Contractor's Excise Tax License Only (South Dakota) and Plumbing Contractor or Plumber License.

Contractor and Trade Licenses

The City states the requirement broadly — 'A license is required of all contractors doing [work] within Sioux Falls city limits' — with a narrow exemption: 'Homeowners who live in and own single family dwellings are not required to obtain a license, but other rules apply.' Section 150.002 puts teeth in it for residential work by tying the building permit to the license. The staggered terms are worth noting for budgeting: most trades renew every two years while residential building and roofing contractors renew every three, and the inactive-status fees of $20.00 to $25.00 let a licensee hold a credential dormant rather than requalifying. Two license types appear on the City's contractor page but carry no fee in §110.028, for different reasons. Commercial Building Contractor is not a license at all: the City's own page for it states that 'The City of Sioux Falls does not require Commercial Building Contractors to be licensed at this time,' and directs commercial work through plan review and permits instead — so, per that page, a commercial general contractor needs the permits for the job rather than a Sioux Falls license. Right-of-Way Contractor is a real requirement but is administered as a bond-and-insurance registration by the City Engineering Division rather than as a priced license: the City asks for 'the required licensing (for sewer and water only), bond, and insurance documentation' and publishes no fee, and §110.028 sets none, so no amount is listed here. Note that the City's licensing page gives the contractor licensing telephone number as 605-367-8670 while its contractor page gives 605-367-8672, and its commercial contractor page gives Building Services as 605-367-8248.

Electrician or Electrical Contractor License

An Electrical Contractor's $200 license costs two and a half times a Journeyman's $80, with the same $60 application fee layered onto either, all on a shared two-year cycle expiring across the state on the same June 30 date in even years.

General Contractor Licensing — Contractor's Excise Tax License Only (South Dakota)

No fee applies. Per the Department of Revenue's license-requirements tax fact, the state-level requirement touching a general contractor is the contractor's excise tax license, already recorded with this state's sales tax license: 'All contractors must be licensed regardless of the amount of the receipts they have or the amount of tax due,' and 'There is no fee for a sales or contractor's excise tax license.' Any competency-based contractor licensing that exists is set by individual cities and counties.

Plumbing Contractor or Plumber License

South Dakota licenses no separate HVAC or mechanical trade — only plumbing and electrical work carry their own state boards. The $50 figure here is the application fee specifically; the state's own application form indicates a further license-issuance fee applies once approved, but does not state that amount, so no additional figure is asserted.

The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Sioux Falls, SD; what each one involves is set out on the Sioux Falls permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across SD and are covered on the SD state page.

How does a contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Sioux Falls?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Contractor and Trade Licenses, Electrician or Electrical Contractor License, General Contractor Licensing — Contractor's Excise Tax License Only (South Dakota) and Plumbing Contractor or Plumber License. A auto repair shop needs Sign Permit, Auto Repair Shop — Annual Fire License Applies (Sioux Falls) and Auto Repair Shop — Dealer Licensing Covers Vehicle Sales Only (South Dakota), which a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Sioux Falls, SD, compared with a contractor or trade
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a contractor or tradeOnly a contractor or trade needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops3043
Childcare centres2042
Coffee shops4044
Fitness studios2042
Food trucks3043
Restaurants4044
Retail stores2042
Salons and barbers4044
Veterinary clinics3043

Sources

Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Sioux Falls permits page and the SD state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Code of Ordinances, City of Sioux Falls, current through local ordinance 54-26 (7-14-2026) — §§110.026 to 110.037 (the complete licence fee schedule, including §110.028 contractor licences, §110.029 food and health licences, §110.031 temporary event fee, §110.033 annual fire licences, §110.034 one-time fire permits and §110.035 fire inspections for other licences), §110.011 (calendar-year expiry), §111.002 and §111.009 (alcohol), §112.015 (food establishment licence required), §92.172 and §92.180 (family day care home registration and exemptions), §117.123 and §117.133 (mobile food vending), §150.017 and §150.002 (building permit tables), §155.030 (sign permit) and §§160.740 to 160.758 (certificates of occupancy and zoning fees)City of Sioux Falls, codified by American Legal Publishing · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
  2. Contractor Licensing — the City's own current page confirming that a license is required of all contractors doing work within Sioux Falls city limits and that homeowners living in and owning single family dwellings are exempt subject to other rulesCity of Sioux Falls · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
  3. South Dakota Electrical Commission — license fee table and biennial expirationSouth Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
  4. South Dakota Department of Revenue — sales, use and contractor's excise tax licensing fact sheet, confirming no license feeSouth Dakota Department of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
  5. South Dakota Plumbing Commission — plumbing contractor and plumber application feesSouth Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.