South Dakota CPA Exam & License Requirements

South Dakota requires 150 credit hours to earn a CPA license as well sit for the CPA exam. The work experience requirements are pretty standard and require 2,000 hours of public or non-public accounting verified by an active US CPA. Candidates must fulfill all license requirements within a 3 year window after passing the CPA exam.To be eligible to sit for the CPA exam students must first fulfill these qualifications and requirements:

1. Minimum age: None
2. U.S. Residency NOT Required
3. State Residency NOT required

Education Requirements

1. Bachelor degree or higher with degree in accounting
2. 150 semester units from an accredited university
3. Accounting courses: 24 semester hours
4. Business courses: 24 semester hours

*Note: Candidates may sit 100 days prior to graduation

SD CPA License Requirements

Education

• Same as above

Work Experience

• 2,000 hours of accounting experience completed within 3 years of passing the CPA exam
• Experience must be certified by an active CPA licensee

Ethics Exam

• Passing of the AICPA ethics exam
• Cost of course is $149 or $119 for AICPA members

South Dakota CPA Exam Fees

The cost to take all four sections of the CPA exam in South Dakota is $863.20. The re-examination registration fee varies is $30 per section.

**Important Note: You should not apply and pay for exam sections that will not be taken within six months because your Notice to Schedule (NTS) in South Dakota expires 6 months after issuance.

Additional CPA Requirements

1. Pass all 4 sections of the CPA exam with a score of 75% or higher
2. Complete verified accounting work experience
3. Pass AICPA Ethics Exam
4. Fill out and submit all required CPA license application paperwork
5. Pay the CPA license application fee

SD Exam Information and Resources

South Dakota CPA Exam Candidates

South Dakota CPA License FAQ

SD CPA Examination Application

For more details, please contact:

South Dakota Board of Accountancy
301 East 14th Street, Suite 200
Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Email:[email protected]
Phone: 605-367-5770
Fax: 605-367-5773

What’s Next?

Now that you have started the CPA exam application process, your next step is to find a CPA Review Course that fits your budget, learning style and schedule.

It can take several weeks for your application to be processed so don’t waste that valuable time waiting to hear back from your state board.  If you start studying now you will get a nice jump start on the material and will be better prepared to Pass your first CPA exam!