South Dakota Insurance License
The South Dakota insurance license exam, in plain numbers.
Everything below is specific to South Dakota — the pass mark, the question counts, who runs the exam, and what the state requires before and after you sit it.
What you need to pass in South Dakota
| Edition | Scored questions | Correct to pass | Pass mark | Misses allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life & Health | 130 | 91 | 70% | 39 |
Administered by Pearson VUE for the South Dakota Division of Insurance. Time limit: 2 hours 30 minutes. Roughly 32 of the scored questions (25%) come from South Dakota law — the block national courses cover most lightly.
Prelicensing
NOT required. No prelicensing education is required to obtain a resident or non-resident producer license in South Dakota.
Continuing education
Producers must complete continuing education every two years before license renewal. Newly licensed resident producers have AT LEAST 24 MONTHS to complete their full CE requirements, and more time may be allowed to coordinate with their birth month. The CE requirement is WAIVED for any new qualification added during the two-year CE period of an existing producer's license until the first renewal. Governed by SDCL 58-30-114 through 58-30-123 and Administrative Rules Chapter 20:06:18.
License term
2 years
Regulator
The South Dakota Division of Insurance oversees licensing, headed by a Director leading the Division of Insurance within the Department of Labor and Regulation.
South Dakota Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association
If an insurer fails, these are the limits that apply to South Dakota policyholders. Verified against the NOLHGA state-by-state table dated 1 June 2025.
| What is protected | Limit |
|---|---|
| Life insurance death benefit | $300,000 |
| Life insurance cash surrender value | $100,000 |
| Hospital, medical, surgical, or major medical | $500,000 |
| Disability income and long-term care | $300,000 |
| Other health insurance benefits | $100,000 |
| Annuity benefits (present value) | $250,000 |
The Study Guide
Written for South Dakota, not for everyone.
Every rule explained in ordinary English before the terminology arrives. If two things are easy to confuse, we tell them apart in a sentence. No insurance background assumed.
You get two PDFs: a study guide that teaches the material, and a practice exam whose answer key explains why each answer is right. Printable flashcards, a master sheet of every number worth memorizing, and a four-week study plan are included.
Twisting versus churning. Twisting involves lying to move a customer, usually to a different company. Churning happens inside the same company and is about generating commission. If the question mentions misrepresentation, it is twisting. If it mentions the same insurer, it is churning.
South Dakota insurance exam questions, answered
How many questions are on the South Dakota insurance license exam?
The combined life and health exam has 130 scored questions. You need 91 correct to pass at 70%, which means you can miss 39.
What is the passing score for the South Dakota insurance exam?
70%. That works out to 91 correct answers out of 130 scored questions.
Who administers the South Dakota insurance license exam?
Pearson VUE, on behalf of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.
Does South Dakota require prelicensing education?
NOT required. No prelicensing education is required to obtain a resident or non-resident producer license in South Dakota.
How much continuing education does South Dakota require?
Producers must complete continuing education every two years before license renewal. Newly licensed resident producers have AT LEAST 24 MONTHS to complete their full CE requirements, and more time may be allowed to coordinate with their birth month. The CE requirement is WAIVED for any new qualification added during the two-year CE period of an existing producer's license until the first renewal. Governed by SDCL 58-30-114 through 58-30-123 and Administrative Rules Chapter 20:06:18.
Is there a South Dakota life-only or health-only exam?
No. South Dakota tests life and health together as one combined exam, so there is no single-line edition.
How much does a South Dakota study guide cost?
A single-line guide is $9.99 and the combined life and health guide is $19.99. Each includes a study guide and a practice exam with a full answer key.
These are independent study aids. They are not state-approved prelicensing education courses and do not satisfy any state prelicensing requirement. They are not affiliated with any exam vendor or state insurance regulator. All practice questions are original. We publish no pass-rate claim and make no guarantee of any exam result. Content verified as of August 2026 — confirm current requirements with the South Dakota Division of Insurance.