Building permits, zoning and land rules in Aurora County, South Dakota

At a glance

Building permit

The requirement by project type is not confirmed; call the Department of Equalization¹

Zoning

The county Department of Equalization handles zoning; the ordinance and districts are not published in the listing²⁵

Septic

South Dakota minimum standards apply; local governments may be stricter⁴

RV living

Not confirmed; ask the Department of Equalization before occupancy³

Tiny home

Not confirmed; ask how the proposed unit and use are classified³

Owner electrical work

Available for a qualifying owner-occupied residence or farmstead, with a permit and inspections⁶

Private well

Some water uses need state approval before drilling⁷

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 10, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Aurora County, South Dakota?

Aurora County's public listing confirms that the Department of Equalization provides building permits, but it does not specify which construction, additions or alterations require one.¹ The practical answer is to call before starting: the county listing specifically directs people with questions about adding to a building or constructing a new building to contact the office.³

A county building-code adoption, inspection schedule, certificate-of-occupancy rule, exemption list and fee schedule could not be confirmed. Ask the Department of Equalization to identify the permit, current fee, required site plan or drawings, review time and inspections for the exact parcel and scope.³ South Dakota also bars a county, municipality or township from requiring a building permit for certain like-for-like repairs to a detached owner-occupied single-family home, such as a same-size door or window, gutters, downspouts, fascia, soffit, fencing or nonstructural siding; the homeowner still must meet other applicable codes.⁸ Separate state trade requirements can still apply: plumbing installations outside cities that administer their own program require a state plumbing inspection certificate.⁹ State-regulated electrical work also requires rough-in inspection before concealment and final inspection before occupancy.¹⁰

Who handles Aurora County building permits and zoning?

The Aurora County Department of Equalization is the published contact for building permits and zoning.¹³ The office is at 401 N. Main Street, Aurora County Courthouse, Plankinton, SD 57368; call 605-942-7164 or email doe@auroracountysd.gov.³ The published application process is to call for information, and no online permit portal is listed.³

Start the call with the parcel location and a precise description of the proposed structure, addition or change in use. Ask whether the parcel is governed by county rules or an incorporated municipality, which application applies, what plans are required, and whether zoning approval must come before a building permit. The listing establishes that the office handles these subjects, but it does not publish application steps, review timing or fees.¹ For wastewater questions, South Dakota DANR publishes statewide installation requirements and a contact for installation-plan questions.¹¹

Does Aurora County have zoning?

Aurora County's Department of Equalization handles zoning, and its listing names a zoning director, so the county does administer zoning.⁵² We could not confirm the ordinance, map or district schedule, or whether every part of the county is regulated.¹² South Dakota law allows a county board to adopt zoning for matters such as building size, yards, density, land use and floodplains, but that enabling authority does not prove which rules Aurora County adopted.¹³

Ask the Department of Equalization for the current zoning status of the specific parcel and for any applicable map, district rules, setbacks, minimum lot size, building-height limit or subdivision review.³ Do not assume that a parcel is unrestricted merely because the ordinance is not readily available online. Municipal zoning authorities may have separate rules inside incorporated towns, so confirm jurisdiction using the property's legal description rather than its mailing address; septic rules stay with the state program in either case.¹²⁴

How do septic permits work in Aurora County?

South Dakota DANR administers statewide minimum requirements for individual and small on-site wastewater systems, and local governments may impose stricter requirements.⁴ DANR should be contacted before installing a new system except a conventional on-site system serving an individual residence; other systems receiving human waste require plans and specifications submitted to DANR.¹⁴ DANR publishes its installation requirements and a phone contact for installation-plan questions.¹¹

Wastewater feasibility deserves attention before purchase because only about 5.2% of Aurora County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field.¹⁵ That countywide measure does not decide whether a particular homesite will work, so obtain a site-specific evaluation before fixing the house location or system budget. A general Aurora County septic-inspection requirement could not be confirmed; ask DANR and the Department of Equalization whether local approval or inspection supplements the state process.¹¹³

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Aurora County?

A county rule expressly allowing or prohibiting long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy in Aurora County could not be confirmed. Ask the Department of Equalization how the parcel's jurisdiction and any zoning rules classify the proposed unit and residential use before moving it onto the land.³ The same call should cover minimum dwelling size, setbacks, manufactured homes, accessory dwellings and whether a building permit or zoning approval is required.³

Sanitation is a separate question from land use. South Dakota allows a vault privy, chemical toilet, incinerator toilet or composting unit where water or electrical service is unavailable, but every listed unconventional option except a vault privy is treated as experimental and needs state approval of plans and specifications before installation.¹⁶ That state sanitation pathway does not establish permission to occupy an RV or tiny home on a particular Aurora County parcel.¹⁶

Building a home in Aurora County: what are the steps?

1. Call the Aurora County Department of Equalization to confirm jurisdiction, zoning status and whether the proposed house needs a county building permit.³
2. Ask the office for the current application, drawing requirements, fees, inspections and approval sequence because the published process provides only a call-for-information instruction.¹
3. Have the homesite evaluated for wastewater feasibility and confirm the review path with South Dakota DANR before installation.⁴
4. Determine whether the proposed water use needs a state water-right permit before drilling a well.⁷
5. Obtain the required state plumbing certificate and inspections unless a city administers its own plumbing-inspection program.⁹
6. Arrange electrical permitting and inspections; a qualifying resident owner may do personal wiring under the owner exemption, but still needs a homeowner permit and inspections.⁶
7. Obtain South Dakota DOT permission before constructing access to a state highway.¹⁷

What should you check before buying land in Aurora County?

Confirm jurisdiction, zoning status, the building-permit path, legal access and wastewater feasibility before making the purchase unconditional. Aurora County's office handles permit and zoning questions, but its public listing does not supply the parcel-level rules or full application process.¹ Only about 5.2% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, making a site evaluation especially valuable.¹⁵

Ask DANR whether the planned well use needs a water-right permit before drilling; domestic use within the state thresholds can be exempt, while larger or listed uses require a permit.¹⁸ If the driveway meets a state highway, state permission is required before access construction begins.¹⁷ Check whether the homesite lies in a regulated floodplain because participating South Dakota communities require permits for floodplain development, although Aurora County's administrator and local procedure could not be confirmed.¹⁹ Aurora County's effective property-tax rate is about 1.1%, with a median annual bill of about $1,393.²⁰²¹

Watch-outs

• Aurora County's office issues building permits, but the available county listing does not say which projects require one; call before construction or an addition.¹
• Only about 5.2% of Aurora County soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field.¹⁵
• A qualifying owner may perform electrical work on an owner-occupied residence or farmstead, but the exemption is from licensure rather than the homeowner permit and inspection requirements.⁶
• County rules for RV occupancy, tiny homes, minimum dwelling size, setbacks, zoning districts and floodplain administration could not be confirmed; ask the Department of Equalization before purchase or site work.³

Sources

1. Department of Equalization | Aurora County, quoted and re-checked
2. Department of Equalization | Aurora County, quoted and re-checked
3. Aurora County Department of Equalization (dakotaathome.sd.gov)
4. On-Site Wastewater Systems in South Dakota (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
5. Department of Equalization | Aurora County, quoted and re-checked
6. South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. South Dakota Water Rights — Drilling a Well (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. Codified Law 11-10-15 - No building permit for certain repairs, replacements, quoted and re-checked
9. South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Inspections (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (danr.sd.gov)
12. Department of Equalization | Aurora County, quoted and re-checked
13. 2000 Session Laws Chapter 69 — Planning and zoning statutes revised (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. One-Stop Permitting and Regulation Guide (2025 Edition), quoted and re-checked
15. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
16. Administrative Rule 74:53:01 — Individual and Small On-Site Wastewater Systems (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Instructions: Applying for permission for driveway or intersection on a South Dakota state highway (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. South Dakota Dictionary of Water Right Laws and Rules Summary, quoted and re-checked
19. National Flood Insurance Program (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
21. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 10, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.