How to verify a real estate license in South Dakota

Which office licenses which job

Real estate agents and brokers

Use the Real Estate Commission’s Verify a Real Estate License page. The online system shows “a roster of currently licensed real estate brokers, broker associates, salespersons, auctioneers, property managers, residential rental agents, home inspectors and timeshare agents in South Dakota.” It also searches real estate firms and registered timeshare and condominium projects. Addresses of inactive licensees do not appear.

State law also requires the Commission to make a list of licensees available (SDCL § 36-21A-26). Contact the Commission in Pierre at 605-773-3600 or dlr.realestate@state.sd.us.

Check three things: the license is active, the person is attached to the brokerage they name, and the license type matches the role they claim. Some people are exempt from licensing, such as owners selling their own property and attorneys admitted in South Dakota (§ 36-21A-29), so a missing name is not always a violation.

Mortgage loan originators (NMLS)

A loan originator is a person who takes a mortgage application or negotiates loan terms for pay. The Division of Banking says this license is for “any individual who, for compensation or gain, or in the expectation of compensation or gain takes a mortgage loan application or offers or negotiates terms of a mortgage loan.” State law requires a license and a unique identifier in the nationwide system (SDCL § 54-14-13). Lenders and brokerages need their own licenses.

Look up the person or company by name or NMLS ID in NMLS Consumer Access (nmlsconsumeraccess.org), the public lookup for the system. Our automated check of that site was blocked, so open it in your own browser. The Division of Banking points to §§ 54-14-20 to 54-14-22 for exemptions from state licensing, so if a lender or originator does not appear, ask how it is regulated.

Home inspectors

South Dakota requires a license or registration. “No person may provide, or hold oneself out as able to provide, a home inspection for compensation unless registered or licensed” (SDCL § 36-21C-3), and a violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor. The Commission lists a registered inspector (40-hour course plus an exam) and a licensed inspector (at least one year as registered and 100 paid inspections). The Commission says that once licensed, the duties are the same. Look up both types in the Commission’s verification system.

Some people are exempt when acting within their own license: code officials, architects, engineers, electrical contractors, plumbers, licensed real estate agents, certified appraisers, insurance adjusters and licensed manufactured home dealers (§ 36-21C-7). See home inspection cost for what an inspection covers.

Appraisers (state program and national registry)

An appraiser in South Dakota must be certified, licensed or registered by the Department of Labor and Regulation (SDCL § 36-21B-1). Two places show the status:

• The state roster of active appraisers, linked from the Appraiser Certification Program page. Call 605-773-6193.
• The federal Appraiser Registry of the Appraisal Subcommittee (asc.gov/appraiser), the national list state programs report to.

For what an appraisal costs and why it is ordered, see home appraisal cost.

Land surveyors

Offering land surveying in South Dakota requires a license from the Board of Technical Professions (SDCL § 36-18A-8). Surveying includes locating or retracing property lines and setting monuments (§ 36-18A-4). We did not find a public licensee search on the Board’s pages, so contact the Board directly (605-394-2510, by appointment, per its website). The Board’s online licensing system is scheduled to be down from October 15 to 21, 2026 for an upgrade. See land survey cost.

What to do if a license is expired or suspended

• Do not sign. Ask the person to explain the status in writing, or choose another professional.
• Report an agent or inspector. The Real Estate Commission investigates complaints about misconduct and can suspend or revoke licenses. It cannot force a licensee to perform a contract or recover damages; that takes a civil action. If a dispute involves $12,000 or less, small claims court is an option, the Commission says.
• Report other professions. The Division of Banking, the Appraiser Certification Program and the Board of Technical Professions each handle their own licensees.
• Know the grounds. Unprofessional conduct for agents includes paying a commission to an unlicensed person and associating with someone whose license is suspended (§ 36-21A-71).