Sewer-Water and Trenching Licenses are overseen by the Trenching Board.
The purpose of the Board is to protect the public health, safety and welfare, and to guard against unsafe, unstable or short-lived products or services related to installation of utility systems, and to excavating in the public right-of-way. The Board consists of 6 members composed of Public Works Director, a registered professional engineer engaged in consulting business within the city, an employee of a nongovernmental utility company other than telecommunications having underground utilities within the city, representatives of 2 licensed contractors, and a representative from the telecommunications industry.
How to obtain a Sewer-Water or Trenching Only license.
A Trenching Only license is required if you are excavating deeper than 12” in City Right-Of-Way.
A Sewer-Water license is required for the installation of any pipe, appurtenance, or component that connects to a City utility. This license includes a Trenching endorsement.
A Contractor level license is required in order to obtain a City permit. A license-holder must be present on-site to perform or provide supervision of any installation or excavation work performed under an issued permit. Either a Contractor or Installer level license may perform or supervise installation or excavation.
To obtain a license, an applicant must submit a completed application form and required documents to the Trenching Board for review. The application form is available pdf here (216 KB) .
An applicant for a City Sewer-Water license must hold a valid State Sewer-Water license that is equivalent to the license you are applying for. For information on obtaining a state license, please contact the South Dakota Plumbing Commission at (605-773-3429).
There are no state license requirements for a Trenching Only license.
*Application for a Contractor License must include a copy of the company's valid Certificate of Liability Insurance.*
Return the completed application, required documents, and payment for testing fees to: City Hall, Public Works, 300 Sixth St. Rapid City SD 57701 or returned via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Once the completed document is received, your application will be reviewed by the Trenching Board and we will contact you to schedule testing when approved. All testing fees must be paid before the the test is administered.
* Any person entering into a contract for construction services, (i.e. construction, building, installation, repair, or remodeling to real property) is required to have a contractor's excise tax license. An individual must be licensed before starting work in South Dakota and must have a license for each business location (not each construction site) in the state. All contractors must be licensed regardless of the amount of the receipts they have or the amount of tax due.
All Sewer Water and Trenching Licenses expire on August 31 of even-numbered years.
Access the License Renewal Form by clicking HERE.
Please note, the exam will test your general knowledge of applicable ordinances, statute, criteria, and specifications for the City of Rapid City. Click pdf here (392 KB) for a list of Focus Areas we recommended you study. This is a closed-book test. The reference materials below are provided for your convenience as a study guide. We make every attempt to keep these references up to date. In all cases, the most recently adopted requlations will take precedence.
ALL Licenses: Download reference materials for City Ordinance, State Statute and IDCM pdf Here (7.11 MB)
ALL Licenses: Download Standard Specifications pertinent to Sewer-Water and Trenching Licenses pdf Here (574 KB)
Sewer-Water Licenses only: Download Standard Specifications specific to Sewer-Water Licenses pdf Here (805 KB)
If you have questions on obtaining a license, please contact Shannon Truax at (605) 394-4165, extension 2425 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Board Meetings are held the 3rd Thursday of the month from September through April. There are no meetings held in May, June, July, or August, unless requested.
Agenda and minutes can be obtained by contacting Shannon Truax. Some information is available online at this link.
