Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-10-10
65 of South Dakota's 66 counties — 98% — let an owner build their own home without a licensed contractor. That is the 21st-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Custer County (70/100). Every entry below cites the county’s own official source.
Rules change, and cities inside these counties set their own — treat this as a verified starting point, not legal advice. All 2952 counties nationwide → South Dakota: no building codes → South Dakota: no zoning → South Dakota: no codes, no zoning → South Dakota: tiny homes → South Dakota: no minimum home size → Full South Dakota profile →
65 of 66 South Dakota counties · sorted by Index score
Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Pennington County Ordinance 735 exempts a homeowner from the county contractor license when personally building, altering, adding to, or demolishing the owner’s residence or an …
Pennington County Ordinance 735 - Building Code and Contractor Licensing ↗Construction in Lawrence County owned and occupied by the permittee as the permittee's primary residence. A licensed contractor is required for all construction other than const…
§ II-13.003 Building Contractors ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. Owner's-exemption electrical wiring permits for a person's residence in South Dakota, including Tripp County. The applicant must not have applied for an Owner's …
South Dakota Administrative Rules, Article 20:44 Electricians ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Unincorporated Corson County: no county building permit is required, so there is no permit to be exempt from and you may build your own home. State licensing for electrical, plu…
walworthco.org ↗Work performed by a landowner on the landowner's property in unincorporated Meade County. The exemption concerns the county contractor-license requirement; it does not state tha…
Meade County Building Permit Requirements ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. Owner-performed electrical wiring and plumbing installation for an owner-occupied residence or farmstead in Fall River County. Electrical work requires an approv…
Homeowner Wiring - South Dakota Electrical Commission ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. Electrical wiring performed by an owner in the owner's residence, farmstead, qualifying owner-occupied single-family dwelling under construction, or qualifying p…
Codified Law 36-16-15 - Electrical wiring--Personal residence or farmstead ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. Owner's exemption for wiring a person's own residence in South Dakota, including Todd County. The applicant must not have applied for an Owner's Exemption permit…
South Dakota Administrative Rules, Chapter 20:44 ↗Statewide rule. Electrical wiring permit for an applicant's personal residence in Clay County and elsewhere in South Dakota; this is not a waiver of Clay County's separate zonin…
South Dakota Administrative Rule 20:44:18:06, Criteria for permits for single-family dwelling units under an Owner's Exemption ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in the owner's residence or farmstead, including qualifying owner-owned single-family co…
Homeowner Wiring — South Dakota Electrical Commission ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. Owner-performed electrical wiring and plumbing in an owner-occupied or future owner-occupied single-family residence or farmstead in Charles Mix County, subject …
Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An owner-builder in Bon Homme County personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in the owner's qualifying residence or farmstead. The owner must person…
Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. Owner's exemption for wiring a person's residence in South Dakota, including Jerauld County. The applicant must not have applied for an Owner's Exemption permit …
South Dakota Administrative Rules, Rule 20:44:18:06 ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. The South Dakota owner's electrical exemption when the owner personally wires a residence in Hamlin County. The applicant must not have applied for an Owner's Ex…
South Dakota Electrical Commission — Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Unincorporated Oglala Lakota County: no county building permit is required, so there is no permit to be exempt from and you may build your own home. State licensing for electric…
Planning & Zoning - Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring in the owner’s qualifying residence, farmstead, qualifying single-family dwelling under construction,…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗An owner acting as owner-builder on a county building-permit application. The form still requires a building-permit application, approval, and compliance with applicable laws an…
Stanley County Building Permit Application ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. A homeowner performing plumbing installation in the homeowner's single-family residence or farmstead in South Dakota, including a residence where the homeowner w…
Homeowner Plumbing ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. A homeowner personally installing plumbing in an owner-occupied single-family residence or qualifying farmstead in Potter County. The homeowner must presently re…
South Dakota Homeowner Plumbing ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. Electrical wiring performed by an owner in Faulk County under South Dakota's statewide owner's exemption. The residence must be a detached owner-occupied single-…
SDCL 36-16-15: Electrical wiring—Personal residence or farmstead ↗Statewide rule. An owner installing electric wiring in the owner's residence, farmstead, qualifying owner-occupied single-family dwelling under construction, or qualifying priva…
Codified Law 36-16-15 ↗Statewide rule. Owner-performed electrical wiring for a person's residence in South Dakota, including Buffalo County where state electrical rules apply. The applicant must not h…
ARSD 20:44:18:06 Criteria for permits for single-family dwelling units under an Owner's Exemption ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Statewide rule. Electrical wiring in a person's single-family residence in Haakon County under South Dakota's statewide Owner's Exemption The applicant must not have applied for…
Administrative Rule 20:44:18:06 — Criteria for permits for single-family dwelling units under an Owner's Exemption ↗Statewide rule. An individual owner personally installing electrical wiring and fixtures in a residence or farmstead owned and resided in by that individual. The exemption is fr…
South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the South Dakota state page for all 66 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.
Off-grid gear
Building on land in one of these South Dakota counties? The kit we'd start with:
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General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.
