Renewing Your CDL in South Dakota

The South Dakota Department of Public Safety (DPS) offers a few different routes for renewing your commercial driver’s license (CDL). See which one works best for you and get prepared early so that nothing gets in between you and the road.

SD CDL Renewal Eligibility Requirements

Your commercial driver’s license will expire every 5 years on your birthday, but you can renew your license as early as 180 days before the expiration date.

The only exception to this is if you earned your CDL before turning 21 years old, in which case you will have 30 days from the day of this birthday to renew.

You can check if you are eligible to renew by going to the South Dakota DPS website. If you still have questions, you can contact the DPS at (605) 773-6883.

*NOTE: If your non-domiciled CDL expires, you have a “grace period” of 1 year. It will no longer be valid past the expiration date but as long as you renew it within 1 year, you won’t need to take the skills or written test.

How to Renew a South Dakota CDL

To avoid standing in long lines at the DPS, renewals can be done online or by mail as long as you have:

  • A REAL ID-compliant*card with a gold star.
    AND
  • Have applied in person within the last 10 years.

However, in some cases, you may need to go in person to renew your CDL. Keep reading to see which renewal method best fits your situation.

*NOTE: Due to the federal REAL ID Act, you will need a REAL ID-compliant ID card to enter Federal facilities, board commercial flights, and enter nuclear power plants beginning in October of 2020.

Online Renewal

To renew your CDL online, you must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen OR permanent resident.
  • Have a REAL-ID compliant license.
  • Have a vision statement that was completed within the last 1 year, IF you are 65 years old or older.

Once you’ve confirmed that you are eligible, you’ll need to provide:

  • Your driver’s license number.
  • Your date of birth.
  • The last 4 digits of your Social Security number.
  • 2 documents proving your residency and address via upload, fax, email, or mail. These documents must have your name and must not be older than 1 year. You can send them:
    • By fax to (605) 773-3018.
    • By mail to:
      • Driver Licensing Program
      • 118 West Capitol Ave
      • Pierre, SD 57501

Renew by Mail

To be eligible to renew your CDL by mail, you must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or lawful resident.
  • Have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license with a gold star.

To renew by mail, you will first need to make sure that you have:

  • A vision statement that was completed within the last 1 year, IF you are 65 years old or older.
  • Proof of military status (if applicable).
  • 2 documents to prove your residency.
    • These documents must have your name and must NOT be more than 1 year old.
    • If you are an active military member, you or your dependents may send 2 documents proving your out-of-state address or APO/EPO address.
  • Payment for the $33 application fee.

Once you have gathered all of the required documents, you will need to:

  • Fill out a South Dakota Driver License/I.D. Card Application (Form APR 2017) complete with a signature and date at the bottom.
  • Include an envelope that is stamped and complete with your address so that your new license can be mailed back to you.
  • Send the completed application and required documents to:
    • Driver Licensing Program
    • 118 West Capitol Ave
    • Pierre, SD 57501

Renewing in Person

You will need to renew your CDL in person at a driver license location if you:

  • Have NOT gone in person to apply or renew within the last 10 years.
  • Need to process a name change.
  • Need to change your class of license OR endorsements.
  • Wear bioptic lenses.

Bring the required documents listed above for mail-in renewals. Note that you may need to bring additional documentation with you. Contact your local license office for more information.

HAZMAT Requirements

All CDL holders with a HAZMAT endorsement on their CDL will be required to get this endorsement renewed as well.

To renew a HAZMAT endorsement, you must:

  • Complete a Transportation Security Administration background check online OR complete it over the phone by calling (855) 347-8371.
    • You MUST have this done before going to the fingerprinting location.
  • Get fingerprinted at one of the authorized fingerprinting locations.
    • Bring proof of citizenship or lawful presence as well as your Social Security number.
    • You will be required to pay a fee of $86.50* either online or in person at the fingerprinting location. Cash is NOT accepted.

Once your background check and fingerprints are complete, you can head to your local driver license station and take the HAZMAT written knowledge test. Make sure to bring proof of citizenship. See the TSA website to find out if you need to bring additional documents.

See our page on HAZMAT endorsements for more information.

Medical Requirements for CDL Renewal

All CDL holders are required to self-certify the type of commercial driving that they are planning on doing (interstate vs. intrastate, excepted vs. non-excepted, etc.).

Depending on what you choose, you may have to have a Medical Examiner’s Certificate (Form MCSA-5876) completed by a medical examiner from the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners.

For more information, see our page on applying for a South Dakota CDL.

CDL Renewal Fees in South Dakota

As mentioned above, you will be required to pay a renewal fee at the time you renew your SD commercial driver’s license. Expect the following:

  • Commercial driver’s license: $33.
  • Endorsement test: $15 each.

Forms

MCSA-5876
Medical Examiners Certificate
Certain CDL applicants need to carry this medical certificate, which must be completed by a doctor.
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