What does a South Dakota plumber license lookup show?
A South Dakota plumber license lookup from South Dakota Plumbing Commission returns: license number, status (Active/Suspended/Expired/Revoked), classification (Plumbing Contractor / Journeyman Plumber / Sewer & Water), business name and address, bond status, expiration date, and any disciplinary history. Groundcheck (earthmove.io/trust) cross-references this with court records, OSHA citations, and BBB complaints.
The South Dakota Plumbing Commission public lookup is the authoritative source for South Dakota plumber verification. It's at https://dlr.sd.gov/plumbing/default.aspx. A successful lookup returns six core fields.
Field 1 — License number and status. Status values: Active (legal to operate), Inactive (license exists but holder is not currently practicing), Suspended (disciplinary), Expired (renewal lapsed), or Revoked (terminated). Only Active is acceptable for hiring.
Field 2 — Classification. South Dakota plumbers are licensed under Plumbing Contractor / Journeyman Plumber / Sewer & Water. This determines what kind of work the license authorizes. A plumber with the wrong classification for your project is operating outside their license, even if "Active."
Field 3 — Business name, owner, and address. Verify these match what the plumber gave you on their proposal. Mismatch means the plumber may be operating under a different DBA or using someone else's license.
Field 4 — Bond status. South Dakota requires a contractor bond as a condition of licensure. The lookup shows the bond amount and surety company. A lapsed bond means the license is technically out of compliance.
Field 5 — Expiration and renewal status. License terms vary by state (1-2 years typical). A license that expires next month and shows no renewal in progress is a risk for projects that extend past the expiration date.
Field 6 — Disciplinary history. The lookup shows past board actions: citations, fines, suspensions, and any open complaints under investigation. One historical citation 10 years ago is different from three open complaints filed last quarter.
What the lookup does NOT show: liability insurance and workers' compensation status (usually separate carriers, ask for COIs), court judgments and liens in civil court, OSHA inspection history at the federal level, BBB complaints, and "phoenix" patterns where a dissolved entity reopens under a new name at the same address. Groundcheck (earthmove.io/trust) adds all of these to the picture.
Detailed South Dakota plumber licensing including class and threshold rules: earthmove.io/trust/license/plumber/south-dakota.
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