How to Become a Teacher in South Dakota

South Dakota certification requirements, step by step

Each requirement below is stated as South Dakota Department of Education — Office of Educator Certification publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Complete an approved educator preparation program

   Finish a university education preparation program that leads to South Dakota teacher certification. In-state graduates apply as “SD Graduate with Education Preparation Program Completion.” Out-of-state program completers use reciprocity applications in the SD Educator Portal.

   Source: doe.sd.gov

2. 2

   Pass South Dakota state-designated Praxis tests

   Meet the Praxis II content and pedagogy tests listed on the approved South Dakota State-Designated Test document and Educator 411 endorsement search. South Dakota accepts only the Praxis test codes listed for the requested endorsement. If you designated SD DOE as a score recipient or tested in South Dakota, scores typically arrive in about two weeks.

   Source: doe.sd.gov

3. 3

   Complete South Dakota Indian Studies if you are new or from out of state

   SDCL 13-1-48, as amended by House Bill 1002 effective July 1, 2025, requires all certified educators new to the profession or from out of state to complete an approved three-credit South Dakota Indian Studies course with a grade of C or higher. Educators who were already fully South Dakota-certified before July 1, 2025, are not subject to the expanded rule. Applicants who still need the course may receive a one-year provisional certificate.

   Source: doe.sd.gov

4. 4

   Apply in the SD Educator Portal and pay the $60 fee

   Create a mySD account, complete the Educator Profile, and submit the initial educator application with official transcripts sent by the university to the Certification Office. The published fee for an initial five-year Teacher/Administrator/Education Specialist certificate is $60. All fees are non-refundable under ARSD 24:28:05. Issued certificates expire on July 1 of the expiration year.

   Source: doe.sd.gov

5. 5

   Renew the five-year professional certificate

   Submit a renewal application after January 1 of the expiration year. Renewal documentation commonly includes six education-related credits (university credits at C or higher, or continuing education contact hours converted at 15 clock hours per renewal credit). If the application is submitted or postmarked before July 1, remaining requirements may be completed through October 1 before the certificate becomes invalid.

   Source: doe.sd.gov

South Dakota’s most distinctive statutory gate is South Dakota Indian Studies, not an extra pedagogy exam. House Bill 1002, effective July 1, 2025, expanded SDCL 13-1-48 from “any teacher” to “all certified educators” new to the profession or from out of state. The course must be an approved three-credit offering, appear on a regionally accredited transcript, and be completed with a grade of C or higher. DOE publishes the approved list by campus. Out-of-state applicants who have not yet finished the course are funneled to a one-year provisional ($35) rather than the five-year professional certificate, which surprises reciprocity candidates who already hold a full license elsewhere.

The published fee table is unusually granular. A five-year initial or renewal professional certificate is $60. Alternative preliminary certificates are $20 for two years; alternative teaching certificates are $25 per year; transitioning from alternative to professional is $60. Adding an endorsement by test is $35; transcript analysis is $50. Duplicate certificates and conversion to an advanced certificate are $25. Letting a certificate go invalid adds a $100 penalty on top of the application fee. Educators comparing South Dakota with neighboring Plains states should read the whole table—the professional $60 figure is not the price of every transaction.

Calendar rules are July-centric. Every issued certificate expires on July 1. Renewal applications open after January 1 of the expiration year. If the renewal is submitted or postmarked before July 1, remaining documents can arrive through October 1 before the certificate becomes invalid. Credits cannot be banked across cycles, and DOE does not automatically ingest contact hours from providers—the educator uploads them. Processing can take up to 10 weeks, and staff ask applicants to use application comments rather than duplicate email tickets.

Endorsements are request-driven. Passing a state-designated Praxis test no longer automatically adds an endorsement; applicants must name the endorsement on the initial, renewal, or “Add Endorsement or Update Existing Certificate” application. Educator 411 is the public lookup and the planning tool for which test, major, or coursework combination adds a specific assignment. Elementary K–6 certificate holders cannot add 5–8 subject endorsements by reciprocity alone; they must pass the current South Dakota-accepted Praxis test for that middle-level area.

Required exams and fees

South Dakota uses ETS Praxis II content and pedagogy assessments (state-designated test list). Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of September 2026).

Moving a license to South Dakota

The Secretary may recognize an educator certificate issued by another state and issue an equivalent South Dakota certificate based on completion of an approved education program or, separately, completion of an alternative certification program. All educators new to South Dakota must complete the three-credit Indian Studies course; those who have not yet done so use the Educator Provisional pathway. Military members and spouses moving on orders use the Military/Military Spouse Initial application with the OSF2 verification form and a copy of active-duty orders.

Official South Dakota reciprocity guidance