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How to become a home inspector in South Dakota

To become a home inspector in South Dakota, you register with the South Dakota Real Estate Commission. You finish a 40-hour course that covers South Dakota law, pass the NHIE with South Dakota questions added, and submit fingerprints.

NHIE required, plus a state sectionChecked on . Updated

South Dakota at a glance

South Dakota at a glance
ItemSouth Dakota
ExamThe NHIE with South Dakota law and rules questions added, through PSI. Retakes are unlimited, 30 days apart.
Exam fee$133, per the Commission and the PSI handbook
Education40 hours of approved pre-licensing education, including South Dakota law and rules. Online and independent study courses are allowed.
Field workNone for a registered inspector. A licensed inspector needs 1 year as a registered inspector and 100 paid inspections.
InsuranceNone required by the law or the rules
OtherA high school diploma or equivalent, good moral character, and fingerprints for a state and FBI check
Application fee$200
Renewal$100 every 2 years, due November 30, with 24 hours of continuing education

The licensing body is the South Dakota Real Estate Commission. Fees and rules change, so check them with the state before you pay for anything.

Steps to a South Dakota credential

  1. 01

    Finish 40 hours of approved pre-licensing education, including the South Dakota law and rules.

  2. 02

    Register with PSI and pass the NHIE with the South Dakota questions.

  3. 03

    Get fingerprinted for the state and FBI background check.

  4. 04

    Apply to the Commission with the $200 fee within 60 days of passing the exam. After 60 days, the score no longer counts.

  5. 05

    To move up to licensed home inspector later, work 1 year as a registered inspector, do 100 paid inspections, and send in the Experience Log.

Registered and licensed inspectors

South Dakota has two levels. The first is the registered home inspector. After a year at that level and 100 paid inspections, you can apply to be a licensed home inspector. Both levels need fingerprints and the $200 fee.

Late renewal costs $20 a month. A credential not renewed by June 30 cannot be reinstated.

How long it takes in South Dakota

South Dakota's first level, registered home inspector, takes a 40-hour course and the exam, with no field work. You must apply within 60 days of passing, with education finished in the last two years. The licensed level comes after 1 year as a registered inspector and 100 paid inspections.

Home inspector pay in South Dakota

BLS puts the median pay for construction and building inspectors in South Dakota at $64,940 a year in May 2025, against $74,690 for the whole country. BLS counts about 200 people in that job in the state, and home inspectors are one specialty in the group, next to city and county code inspectors.

The number leaves out the self-employed. An inspector who owns the business is self-employed, so that pay isn't in it. For what owners report, see how much home inspectors make.

South Dakota next to the other states

  • NHIE required
  • NHIE accepted
  • State exam only
  • License, no exam
  • No state license
  • Adds a state section

South Dakota is ringed. Each square opens that state's page.

More on the exam

Questions people ask

Does South Dakota use the NHIE?

Yes. PSI's candidate handbook for South Dakota gives the National Home Inspector Examination with South Dakota laws and rules questions added.

Can I take the South Dakota home inspector course online?

Yes. The rules allow online and independent study courses, and the Commission's school list includes them.

Does South Dakota require insurance for home inspectors?

No insurance or bond rule appears in the South Dakota home inspector law or rules.

How long does it take to become a home inspector in South Dakota?

South Dakota's first level, registered home inspector, takes a 40-hour course and the exam, with no field work. You must apply within 60 days of passing, with education finished in the last two years. The licensed level comes after 1 year as a registered inspector and 100 paid inspections.

How much do home inspectors make in South Dakota?

BLS publishes no separate figure for home inspectors. It counts them with construction and building inspectors, whose median pay in South Dakota was $64,940 a year in May 2025. That figure leaves out the self-employed, which includes an inspector who owns the business.

See where you stand

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Becoming a home inspector

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