Definitions, who needs a license, requirements and renewal: SDCL 36-21C 25
A "residential building" under SDCL 36-21C-1(5) is a structure of not more than how many family dwelling units?SDCL 36-21C-1(5)
After what date may no late renewal be filed, under SDCL 36-21C-10?SDCL 36-21C-10
By SDCL 36-21C-1(4), a home inspection is an inspection and what else?SDCL 36-21C-1(4)
By what date must a renewal application be filed with the commission, under SDCL 36-21C-10?SDCL 36-21C-10
For how long must a license applicant have been employed as a registered home inspector, under SDCL 36-21C-4(3)?SDCL 36-21C-4(3)
From what date did the 365-day window for licensing experienced home inspectors run, under SDCL 36-21C-9?SDCL 36-21C-9
How many home inspections for compensation must a registered home inspector have performed to qualify for a license, under SDCL 36-21C-4?SDCL 36-21C-4(3)
How many hours must the approved course of study for registration run, under SDCL 36-21C-5?SDCL 36-21C-5(3)
To whom may the commission issue a home inspector license under SDCL 36-21C-8?SDCL 36-21C-8
What are the two credentials the commission issues to home inspectors under SDCL 36-21C-2?SDCL 36-21C-2
What ceiling does SDCL 36-21C-6 place on the fee the commission may set by rule for an application?SDCL 36-21C-6(3)
Show all 110 questions (99 more)
Definitions, who needs a license, requirements and renewal: SDCL 36-21C, continued
What class of offense is providing a home inspection for compensation without being registered or licensed, under SDCL 36-21C-3?SDCL 36-21C-3
What is the late renewal penalty for each month or fraction of a month, under SDCL 36-21C-10?SDCL 36-21C-10
What may follow a failure to submit to or cooperate with the criminal background investigation, under SDCL 36-21C-14?SDCL 36-21C-14
When does a South Dakota home inspector license or registration expire, under SDCL 36-21C-10?SDCL 36-21C-10
When may the commission require a criminal background check of a current licensee, under SDCL 36-21C-14?SDCL 36-21C-14
Where are fees and fines imposed by the commission paid, under SDCL 36-21C-12?SDCL 36-21C-12
Which agencies run the fingerprint checks required of applicants by SDCL 36-21C-14?SDCL 36-21C-14
Which body licenses and registers home inspectors under SDCL chapter 36-21C?SDCL 36-21C-1(2)
Which component is in the list that defines a "home inspection" in SDCL 36-21C-1(4)?SDCL 36-21C-1(4)
Which licensed dealer is excepted from SDCL chapter 36-21C when acting within the scope of the license?SDCL 36-21C-7(6)
Which of these is NOT among the persons excepted by SDCL 36-21C-7?SDCL 36-21C-7
Which requirement is on the registration list of SDCL 36-21C-5 but not on the license list of SDCL 36-21C-4?SDCL 36-21C-5(3)
Which trades does SDCL 36-21C-7(2) name beside architects and professional engineers?SDCL 36-21C-7(2)
Who pays the fees charged for fingerprinting and the criminal background investigation, under SDCL 36-21C-14?SDCL 36-21C-14
A home inspector has not completed the continuing education requirements. What does ARSD 20:74:04:07 say?ARSD 20:74:04:07
A license certificate is lost or stolen. What must the home inspector do under ARSD 20:74:02:10?ARSD 20:74:02:10
An applicant by reciprocity submits a certificate of licensure from the home state's agency. Within how many days before the application must it be completed, under ARSD 20:74:02:12?ARSD 20:74:02:12
Before beginning the examination, what must the person state in writing under ARSD 20:74:02:03?ARSD 20:74:02:03
For how many renewal periods may the same continuing education hours be used, under ARSD 20:74:04:07?ARSD 20:74:04:07
For which reasons may the commission grant an extension of continuing education, under ARSD 20:74:04:08?ARSD 20:74:04:08
How many hours of continuing education must a home inspector complete at the time of renewal, under ARSD 20:74:04:07?ARSD 20:74:04:07
Under whose supervision is the licensing examination conducted, by ARSD 20:74:02:03?ARSD 20:74:02:03
What happens to the examination of a person caught cheating, under ARSD 20:74:02:05?ARSD 20:74:02:05
What is the application fee for a home inspector's license or registration, under ARSD 20:74:02:08?ARSD 20:74:02:08
What is the biennial renewal fee for a home inspector's license or registration, under ARSD 20:74:02:09?ARSD 20:74:02:09
What is the fee for a duplicate license under ARSD 20:74:02:10?ARSD 20:74:02:10
What must a person complete before submitting a registration to take the home inspector examination, under ARSD 20:74:02:02?ARSD 20:74:02:02
What must that certificate of licensure state, under ARSD 20:74:02:12?ARSD 20:74:02:12
What passing score does ARSD 20:74:02:04 set for the examination?ARSD 20:74:02:04
Whom may the commission exempt from the continuing education requirements, under ARSD 20:74:04:08?ARSD 20:74:04:08
Within how many days after receiving the commission's decision in a contested case may a party petition for review, under ARSD 20:74:01:04?ARSD 20:74:01:04
Within how many days after the date of notice of having passed the examination must the application be filed, under ARSD 20:74:02:06?ARSD 20:74:02:06
Within how many days of commission action taken without a hearing may an aggrieved person petition for a hearing, under ARSD 20:74:01:03?ARSD 20:74:01:03
Within what period before a registration application must the education have been completed, under ARSD 20:74:02:06?ARSD 20:74:02:06
Discipline and complaints: SDCL 36-21C-11, 36-21C-13 and ARSD 20:74:05 14
A commission member filed the complaint. What is that member's part at the hearing, under ARSD 20:74:05:08?ARSD 20:74:05:08
How is an assurance of voluntary compliance treated under ARSD 20:74:05:04?ARSD 20:74:05:04
How many copies of the answer, besides the original, must be served on the executive director, under ARSD 20:74:05:01?ARSD 20:74:05:01
How many days does the home inspector have to answer a complaint after its service, under ARSD 20:74:05:01?ARSD 20:74:05:01
In what form is a complaint against a home inspector filed, under ARSD 20:74:05:01?ARSD 20:74:05:01
What is the effect of an informal consultation on a later formal hearing, under ARSD 20:74:05:03?ARSD 20:74:05:03
What is the largest monetary penalty the commission may assess under SDCL 36-21C-11?SDCL 36-21C-11
What kind of consent from all interested parties does SDCL 36-21C-13(2) require before a home inspector takes compensation from more than one of them for the same service?SDCL 36-21C-13(2)
What may an assurance of voluntary compliance include, under ARSD 20:74:05:04?ARSD 20:74:05:04
What must a home inspector disclose promptly to a client, by SDCL 36-21C-13(4)?SDCL 36-21C-13(4)
What must the commission do with a complaint whose requested relief is outside its jurisdiction, under ARSD 20:74:05:02?ARSD 20:74:05:02
Where is a letter of reprimand placed under ARSD 20:74:05:10?ARSD 20:74:05:10
Which conviction is a ground for refusing or revoking a license under SDCL 36-21C-13(5)?SDCL 36-21C-13(5)
Whose approval is needed before the results of a home inspection are disclosed, under SDCL 36-21C-13(1)?SDCL 36-21C-13(1)
Ethics, written contract, purpose, general exclusions: ARSD 20:74:06:01 to :05 16
Along with the dwelling units, to which structures do the standards of practice apply, under ARSD 20:74:06:01?ARSD 20:74:06:01
Besides describing the components inspected, what must the report say about them, under ARSD 20:74:06:04?ARSD 20:74:06:04
In what form must a contract for inspection be, under ARSD 20:74:06:03?ARSD 20:74:06:03
In what format may the written report be prepared, under ARSD 20:74:06:04?ARSD 20:74:06:04
On which matter is an inspector not required to report, under ARSD 20:74:06:05(1)?ARSD 20:74:06:05(1)(i)
What does a home inspection test, by ARSD 20:74:06:04?ARSD 20:74:06:04
What may a home inspector not do about a repair recommended in the inspection report, under ARSD 20:74:06:02?ARSD 20:74:06:02(2)(f)
Which amount must the written contract contain, under ARSD 20:74:06:03(5)?ARSD 20:74:06:03(5)
Which basis of discrimination is named in the code of ethics, ARSD 20:74:06:02(2)(a)?ARSD 20:74:06:02(2)(a)
Which number must appear in the written contract, under ARSD 20:74:06:03(9)?ARSD 20:74:06:03(9)
Which of these is outside what the inspector is required to report, under ARSD 20:74:06:05(1)(e)?ARSD 20:74:06:05(1)(e)
Which of these is the inspector not required to offer, under ARSD 20:74:06:05(2)(b)?ARSD 20:74:06:05(2)(b)
Which practice does the code of ethics forbid in ARSD 20:74:06:02(2)(e)?ARSD 20:74:06:02(2)(e)
Which two lists must the written contract contain, under ARSD 20:74:06:03(2) and (3)?ARSD 20:74:06:03(2)
Whose signatures must the inspection contract carry, under ARSD 20:74:06:03(1)?ARSD 20:74:06:03(1)
The written contract must name the person to whom what will be provided, under ARSD 20:74:06:03(8)?ARSD 20:74:06:03(8)
Standards of practice by system: ARSD 20:74:06:06 to :15 35
Above what outside temperature is the inspector not required to operate heat pumps, under ARSD 20:74:06:13(2)(b)?ARSD 20:74:06:13(2)(b)
Below what clearance is the inspector not required to enter a crawlspace or attic, under ARSD 20:74:06:06(3)?ARSD 20:74:06:06(3)(b)
Below what outside air temperature is operation of a central cooling unit not required, under ARSD 20:74:06:12(1)(c)?ARSD 20:74:06:12(1)(c)
For a stove, which clearance does the inspector report, under ARSD 20:74:06:14(1)(b)?ARSD 20:74:06:14(1)(b)
For private well equipment, what does ARSD 20:74:06:11 ask of the inspector?ARSD 20:74:06:11(1)(f)
For what are exterior walls observed, by ARSD 20:74:06:06(1)(d)?ARSD 20:74:06:06(1)(d)
From what is a sump pump operated for the inspection, under ARSD 20:74:06:11(1)(g)?ARSD 20:74:06:11(1)(g)
From what is functional operation of the central heating system observed, under ARSD 20:74:06:13(1)(e)?ARSD 20:74:06:13(1)(e)
How are smoke detectors tested under ARSD 20:74:06:09(1)(e)?ARSD 20:74:06:09(1)(e)
How many light switches does the inspector observe and report on, under ARSD 20:74:06:09(1)(a)?ARSD 20:74:06:09(1)(a)
How many windows does the inspector observe on the exterior, under ARSD 20:74:06:07(1)(d)?ARSD 20:74:06:07(1)(d)
Under ARSD 20:74:06:10(2)(b), the inspector need not dismantle any electrical device other than which covers?ARSD 20:74:06:10(2)(b)
What does ARSD 20:74:06:06(2)(e) say of the inspector's report on visible damage by wood destroying insects?ARSD 20:74:06:06(2)(e)
What does the inspector do about load management systems, under ARSD 20:74:06:10(1)(e)?ARSD 20:74:06:10(1)(e)
What does the inspector report about attic insulation, under ARSD 20:74:06:15(1)(a)?ARSD 20:74:06:15(1)(a)
What does the inspector report about chimney liners, under ARSD 20:74:06:08(1)(e)?ARSD 20:74:06:08(1)(e)
What does the inspector report for the laundry, under ARSD 20:74:06:09(1)(c)?ARSD 20:74:06:09(1)(c)
What does the inspector verify about flue pipes, under ARSD 20:74:06:13(1)(h)?ARSD 20:74:06:13(1)(h)
What does the inspector verify for a dishwasher, under ARSD 20:74:06:09(1)(d)?ARSD 20:74:06:09(1)(d)
What does the inspector verify for a permanently installed microwave, under ARSD 20:74:06:09(1)(d)?ARSD 20:74:06:09(1)(d)
What must the inspector report about the age of the roof covering, under ARSD 20:74:06:08(2)?ARSD 20:74:06:08(2)(b)
When is the inspector not required to observe a sprinkler system, under ARSD 20:74:06:11(2)(f)?ARSD 20:74:06:11(2)(f)
Which bathroom item is the inspector not required to evaluate for leakage, under ARSD 20:74:06:09(2)?ARSD 20:74:06:09(2)(i)
Which branch circuit wiring material does the inspector report the presence of, under ARSD 20:74:06:10(1)(c)?ARSD 20:74:06:10(1)(c)
Which cooling units is the inspector not required to test or evaluate, under ARSD 20:74:06:12(2)(a)?ARSD 20:74:06:12(2)(a)
Which exterior paving is within the inspector's report under ARSD 20:74:06:07(1)(c)?ARSD 20:74:06:07(1)(c)
Which fireplace test is the inspector not required to perform, under ARSD 20:74:06:14(2)?ARSD 20:74:06:14(2)(b)
Which garage door parts does the inspector observe and report on, under ARSD 20:74:06:07(1)?ARSD 20:74:06:07(1)(e)
Which item is the inspector not required to observe, under ARSD 20:74:06:07(2)?ARSD 20:74:06:07(2)(b)
Which noted indication must be reported under ARSD 20:74:06:06(2)?ARSD 20:74:06:06(2)
Which safety device is the inspector not required to test, under ARSD 20:74:06:09(2)?ARSD 20:74:06:09(2)(q)
Which sections of the roof must the report identify, under ARSD 20:74:06:08(2)(f)?ARSD 20:74:06:08(2)(f)
Which service is outside the ventilation and insulation standard, by ARSD 20:74:06:15(2)(a)?ARSD 20:74:06:15(2)(a)
Which water heater part does ARSD 20:74:06:11(1)(d) name "with appropriate extension"?ARSD 20:74:06:11(1)(d)
Which weather damage does ARSD 20:74:06:08(2)(c) name for the roofing report?ARSD 20:74:06:08(2)(c)
How this list was compiled: South Dakota Codified Laws Chapter 36-21C, Home Inspectors, sections 36-21C-1 to 36-21C-14 (the Legislature's own site, https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/36-21C), and Administrative Rules of South Dakota Article 20:74, Home Inspectors, chapters 20:74:01, 20:74:02, 20:74:05 and 20:74:06 with rules 20:74:04:07 and 20:74:04:08 (https://sdlegislature.gov/Rules/Administrative/20:74), both read on October 14, 2026. The South Dakota Real Estate Commission's Home Inspection Study Guide (https://dlr.sd.gov/realestate/home_inspection_study_guide.aspx), read the same day, says which of these the state part of the examination covers. Each question names its section and links to its chapter. Licence: Own work. Every question, wrong choice and explanation was written for this site from the text of the statute and the rules. Nothing comes from an examination, a course provider, a prep course or a question pool.
How it works
This unofficial South Dakota home inspector license practice test covers the state law part of the examination: 110 of our own questions from SDCL 36-21C and ARSD 20:74. Not affiliated with the South Dakota Real Estate Commission.
Read the full guide
What the questions cover
The areas the Commission's study guide names for the state part of the examination: definitions, who needs a license, the requirements to become and stay licensed, grounds for disciplinary action, and the standards of practice in ARSD 20:74:06.
What is left out
The components of a home inspection taught in the prelicensing course, about 90 percent of the examination by the study guide. Also ARSD 20:74:03 and the course-provider rules of 20:74:04, which the guide says are not required study.
Renewal applications are due November 30; after that the penalty is $20 a month, and nothing is accepted after June 30 (SDCL 36-21C-10).
The inspection contract is always written and lists nine items, the price and the inspector's license or registration number among them (ARSD 20:74:06:03).
The roofing report gives the apparent life of the covering and the sections not seen from the ground (ARSD 20:74:06:08).
Questions and answers
How many questions are on the South Dakota home inspector exam?
190 multiple-choice questions, by the Real Estate Commission's study guide: about 90 percent on the components of a home inspection and about 10 percent on South Dakota's laws and rules. Registration costs $133, and a candidate who fails waits 30 days.
What is the passing score for the South Dakota home inspector exam?
ARSD 20:74:02:04 sets the passing score on the examination at 75. This page asks only the state law part, so it gives a score and no pass or fail.
How do you become a home inspector in South Dakota?
Complete an approved course of at least 40 hours, pass the examination, and apply within 60 days with the $200 fee and a fingerprint background check. That makes you a registered home inspector (SDCL 36-21C-5, 36-21C-14; ARSD 20:74:02:06, 20:74:02:08).
What is the difference between a registered and a licensed home inspector in South Dakota?
A registered home inspector with at least one year at that level and 100 paid inspections may apply for the license (SDCL 36-21C-4). The Commission's page says the duties and responsibilities of the two do not differ.
Is there a South Dakota home inspector study guide?
Yes. The Real Estate Commission publishes a Home Inspection Study Guide page and a home inspector license law manual.