South Dakota — plumbing code & licensing
Verified
The code
| Code family | UPC |
| Edition in force | Uniform Plumbing Code, 2024 Edition, with South Dakota exceptions and amendments at ARSD 20:54:02:01 (the South Dakota Plumbing Code); prior edition was the 2015 UPC |
| Effective date | 2025-10-28 |
| Adopted by | South Dakota Plumbing Commission (Department of Labor and Regulation), under SDCL 36-25 |
| Adoption source | https://dlr.sd.gov/plumbing/laws.aspx |
| State amendments | Amendments ride in the adoption document itself — https://dlr.sd.gov/plumbing/laws.aspx |
Licensing
| Model | State individual licensing by the State Plumbing Commission under SDCL 36-25 and ARSD 20:53: plumbing contractor, journeyman plumber, and apprentice licenses, plus specialty licenses (sewer and water, appliance, manufactured/mobile home, underground irrigation, water conditioning, and on-site wastewater installers) |
| Authority | South Dakota Plumbing Commission (Department of Labor and Regulation) |
| Licensing source | https://dlr.sd.gov/plumbing/licensing.aspx |
| License classes | https://dlr.sd.gov/plumbing/ |
Permits & inspections
The Commission itself inspects plumbing installations statewide. Licensed contractors and homeowners must file a plumbing installation certificate with the Commission before work begins (ARSD 20:53:10:02). A homeowner may install plumbing in their own single-family residence under SDCL 36-25-17, and the installation must be inspected and approved by a state plumbing inspector.
How this record was verified
| Adoption | Verified |
| Amendments | Verified |
| Licensing | Verified |
| Permits & inspections | Verified |
Working notes
Effective date: the Commission states the 2024 UPC adoption amendments were filed with the Secretary of State on Oct. 8, 2025 and are provisionally effective on the 20th day after filing, i.e. Oct. 28, 2025. (A separate Oct. 2026 rules package on the Commission's laws page concerns notification/database alignment, not the code edition.) 2025 legislation (SB 25) accompanied the move from the 2015 to the 2024 UPC.
Reference only. Compiled from the cited official sources as of the date shown; adoptions and rules change. Confirm with the authority having jurisdiction before designing or permitting work.