In this guide you’ll learn all the details you need to know to get your license and become a real estate agent in South Dakota.

You’ll learn the basic real estate licensing requirements in South Dakota, information about the exam including pass rates and test prep, reciprocity rules, county by county breakdowns of the most expensive real estate in South Dakota, and more.

Okay, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s start at the beginning.

Basic South Dakota Real Estate Licensing Requirements

Getting a real estate license in South Dakota is a little tougher compared to other states. You need a total of 116 classroom hours of commission-approved pre-licensing courses. In comparison, to get a license in Florida, real estate licenses require applicants to complete only 63 hours of courses. Here’s a quick breakdown of the real estate licensing requirements in South Dakota.

Pre-licensing Courses Required in South Dakota

In order to get a real estate license in South Dakota, you will need to complete 116 hours of real estate pre-licensing courses that will cover:

• Agency Relationships and Contracts
• Real Property Ownership/Interest
• Finance
• Real Property
• Marketing Regulations (purchase and rental)
• Property Management
• Real Estate Calculations
• Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission
• Licensing Requirements
• Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees
• Subdivided or Out-of-State Sales
• Securities
• Recovery Fund
• Condominium Act
• Agency Relationships and Property Representations
• Fair Housing and Other Government Regulations
• Handling Money
• Training and Supervision of Licensees
• Other issue that varies by examination form

South Dakota Real Estate Exam Information

If you work hard and take the courses seriously you should have no problem passing the exam. If you’re looking for help studying for the test, we recommend Real Estate Exam Scholar’s Exam prep course. They offer top-notch exam prep for an affordable price. Even better, they also offer a money back guarantee if you don’t pass on the first try.

Visit Real Estate Exam Scholar

South Dakota Pre Licensing Exam Questions

• Total of 157 multiple-choice questions + 9 scored simulation problems (7 hours total)
  • 100 questions on the national portion (2.5 hours)
  • 57 questions on the state-specific portion (1.5 hours)
  • 11 simulation (9 scored) problems (3 hours)

What to Bring to the Exam

• 2 valid forms of identification with signatures. One ID must be a government-issued Photo ID; basic calculator
• Confirmation number when the test reservation was made.

Passing Score

You must earn a score of 75 to pass the South Dakota Real Estate Exam

Pass Rate

N/A

South Dakota Real Estate License Fee

$225

Exam Fee in South Dakota

$190 ($95 for each section)

Education Requirements

You need to have at least a high school diploma or GED in order to apply for a license in South Dakota.

Age

Applicants must be at least 18 of age or older

Residency

Any U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted alien can apply.

Exemptions

Any active member of the South Dakota Bar who is in good standing and qualified under the real estate license law is exempt from taking the real estate sales associate prerequisite course.

Criminal Background

Applicants who have an existing criminal record may still apply for a real estate license. It would be best if applicants were to include their criminal history along with the necessary documents related to the conviction, if any, on their application. After submitting your fingerprints, your application will be forwarded to the Division of Criminal Justice Information Systems and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Upon investigation, each applicant will be considered on their own merits.

Online Real Estate Schools in South Dakota

While taking your real estate pre-licensing course in person can be helpful, online courses are much cheaper and offer the exact same courses. Search Google for online real estate schools in South Dakota.

South Dakota Real Estate License Reciprocity and Portability

If you plan on working in states besides South Dakota, then you need to know the real estate license reciprocity and portability laws for South Dakota.

• Reciprocity: South Dakota doesn’t have mutual recognition agreements with any state
• Portability: Cooperative

To learn more about real estate license portability in South Dakota, check out our guide on real estate license reciprocity and portability here.

How to Choose the Right Real Estate Company to Work For in South Dakota

Let’s face it. Choosing the right brokerage to work for in any state isn’t easy. In order to make your choice a little bit easier, check out our in-depth guide on choosing the right real estate company to work for.

Once you’ve finished reading the guide, check out our buyer’s guide comparing Keller Williams, RE/MAX, and Century 21 here.

If you’re curious about which South Dakota brokerages are the most successful, check out Real Trends list of the top real estate brokerages in South Dakota for 2017 below.

Sioux Falls

Real Estate Brokerage	Sales Volume (2016)
Hegg, Realtors Inc.	$687,213,309
Keller Williams Realty Sioux Falls, SD	$611,045,795

*Data from Real Trends Market Leaders 2017

South Dakota Counties with Highest Average Listing Price and Highest Median Sales Price 2017

Let’s face it, higher listing prices mean higher commission checks! To get a sense of which counties offer the best opportunities for big bucks in South Dakota check out this sales data from Trulia’s South Dakota home price page below (week ending June 21):

County	Average List Price	Median Sales price
Hanson	$934,900	-
Potter	$499,000	-
Lincoln	$345,283	-
Lawrence	$334,168	-
Deuel	$312,666	-
Union	$289,475	$300,000
Custer	$288,412	-
Pennington	$287,892	-
Day	$277,390	-
Walworth	$272,683	-