How to become a security guard in South Dakota
Here's exactly what South Dakota requires, and the official portal to apply. Finish it and you can start getting booked on XGuard.
South Dakota has no statewide guard license — check your city
South Dakota is one of the states with no statewide security-guard licensing at all (confirmed via Pew Trusts' canonical 9-state list); Rapid City's ordinance is shown as a representative example of the kind of local rule that may apply where you work. Workers' comp is also not legally required in SD (it's elective).
- 1Check for a local ordinanceSouth Dakota has no statewide security-guard licensing — check whether your city has its own ordinance (e.g., Rapid City Municipal Code Ch. 5.52 requires a license from the Finance Office and Police Department).
- 2Apply locally if requiredIf your city licenses guards, apply through that city's office, including fingerprinting and a background check.
- 3Confirm with your employerIf your city has no ordinance, no license is required to work as a guard in South Dakota — confirm this with your employer.
No statewide South Dakota security business license — register locally and for tax
There is no state agency/company license to apply for in South Dakota — this is a genuine gap, not a missing link. Local rules (shown here via Rapid City as a representative example) are the only licensing layer that may apply.
- 1Register your business generallySouth Dakota has no state security-agency license — register your business with the SD Secretary of State and get a sales tax license from the SD Department of Revenue like any other business.
- 2Check local rulesCheck whether your city requires its own security-business authorization (e.g., Rapid City's Finance Office under Municipal Code Ch. 5.52).
- 3Cover yourself with insuranceCarry your own liability insurance; note workers' compensation is elective, not legally required, in South Dakota.
Once you're licensed
Create your free XGuard profile now — upload your license the moment you have it, and we'll verify it and start matching you to paid security work near you.
Start your XGuard profileXGuard guides you to the official process; the state issues your license. Figures are sourced from official regulators and verified before publishing, but requirements can change — always confirm on the official portal linked above.