How to Become an Electrician in South Dakota
South Dakota licenses electricians statewide through the State Electrical Commission. The journeyman license takes the standard four-year apprenticeship — 8,000 hours plus about 576 classroom hours — and an associate degree can trim it to three years and 6,000 hours.
Licensing in South Dakota at a glance
- How it's licensed
- Statewide license through the State Electrical Commission
- Licensing authority
- South Dakota State Electrical Commission (Dept. of Labor and Regulation) →
Apprentice — Work as a licensed apprentice under the employment and supervision of an electrical contractor.
Journeyman Electrician — 8,000 hours (four years) as a licensed apprentice plus roughly 576 classroom hours. Alternative: an Associate of Applied Science in Electrical Trades plus 6,000 hours (three years) of documented job-site experience. Pass the exam (70%).
Continuing education — 16 hours (at least 8 on code) by renewal.
Statewide through the Electrical Commission
South Dakota's State Electrical Commission (under the Department of Labor and Regulation) licenses electricians for the whole state. Your journeyman license works everywhere in South Dakota.
The journeyman path (with a degree shortcut)
The standard route is the four-year apprenticeship — 8,000 field hours plus about 576 classroom hours. South Dakota also rewards schooling directly: an Associate of Applied Science in Electrical Trades plus 6,000 hours (three years) of documented experience qualifies you, shaving a year off the on-the-job requirement.
Your next step
Get hired as a licensed apprentice under an electrical contractor, log your hours and classroom training (or pair a degree with 6,000 hours), and take the journeyman exam at a 70% cut. The national How to Become an Electrician guide covers the trade overall.
⚠️ Always verify current requirements
Licensing rules change and often vary by city or county. Before you count on anything here, confirm the current requirements directly with South Dakota State Electrical Commission (Dept. of Labor and Regulation).