South Dakota security guard license lookup
South Dakota has no statewide security guard license. Here is what to check instead.
South Dakota has no statewide security guard license, so there is no state record to look up.
Local rules: Rapid City (Municipal Code ch. 5.52): individual license for anyone doing security work, age 18+, with an affidavit listing 5 years of work history and any criminal record; the Chief of Police recommends approval and may require basic security instruction; denials can be appealed to the Common Council within 10 days. Companies that patrol with vehicles or use more than 3 guards also need a merchant security license ($250, then $200). Sioux Falls: airport authority security officer license, $50 a year (§ 110.032). Elsewhere, ask the city clerk or police department.
There is no state agency to call. Check the Department of Labor and Regulation’s boards list at dlr.sd.gov/bop/ yourself, then contact the city clerk where the guard will work, Rapid City, for example, licenses both guards and security businesses, and require the employer to produce its own background-check and training file.
What to check instead in South DakotaExact steps to verify an officer with the regulator5 steps
- Understand that no South Dakota agency licenses guards or guard companies, so "state licensed" cannot be true of either here. There is no state office to call.
- Find out which city the guard will work in, because any requirement at all is municipal.
- For Rapid City, check the license-holder lists published by the City Finance Office at rcgov.org/departments/finance/license-holders-262.html, which includes a "Security" PDF, or call 605-394-4143.
- Everywhere else in the state, call that city’s finance office or clerk and ask whether they license security guards or firms at all, many do not.
- Because there is usually nothing to verify, shift the check onto the company: ask for a current certificate of liability insurance, a written background-check policy, and firearms qualification records for any armed post.
Why there is no link to click: South Dakota licenses neither security guards nor security companies at state level, so there is no state record to check. The Department of Labor & Regulation’s A–Z list of every licensing board and form runs from abstracters to trust companies with no private security, security guard or private investigator programme anywhere in it. Regulation is purely municipal, Rapid City issues a "Security" license and publishes its license holders as a PDF through the Finance Office, though whether that list names individual guards or only companies is unconfirmed.
How to check the security company in South DakotaSouth Dakota does not license security companies at the state agency levelNo state agency license
South Dakota has no state security regulator, the state's list of every occupational licensing agency contains no security, guard or investigation board. Rapid City and Pierre license guard businesses municipally; Sioux Falls has no ordinance at all.
With no agency license to check, verify the guard credentials above, insurance, workers’ compensation, and Secretary of State business standing.
Ask for company insurance & bonding properlyHow to verify commercial general liability and workers' compensationCOI checklist
tessura does not verify anyone’s insurance and has no access to insurers’ records. This is guidance for doing it yourself, not legal advice.
South Dakota license lookup: common questionsQuick answers on lookup timing, missing records, and armed permits3 questions
How do I look up a security guard license in South Dakota?
South Dakota has no statewide security guard license, so there is no state record to look up. Rapid City (Municipal Code ch. 5.52): individual license for anyone doing security work, age 18+, with an affidavit listing 5 years of work history and any criminal record; the Chief of Police recommends approval and may require basic security instruction; denials can be appealed to the Common Council within 10 days. Companies that patrol with vehicles or use more than 3 guards also need a merchant security license ($250, then $200). Sioux Falls: airport authority security officer license, $50 a year (§ 110.032). Elsewhere, ask the city clerk or police department.
How do I check a security company’s license in South Dakota?
South Dakota does not license security companies at the state level, so there is no company license to check. Ask for insurance, workers’ compensation, and a business registration in good standing instead.
Is tessura part of the state licensing agency?
No. tessura is not affiliated with any state licensing agency. Every lookup on this page belongs to the agency that runs it, and the agency’s record is the one that counts.