Massage Therapy Permit Requirements in Rapid City, SD

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. South Dakota Board of Massage Therapy - Massage Therapist License

   Massage therapy licensure is mandatory in South Dakota under SDCL ch. 36-35 and ARSD 20:76, administered by the South Dakota Board of Massage Therapy (a professional licensing board under the Department of Health; Executive Secretary Kate Boyd, 1601 N Harrison Ave Ste. 6, Pierre, 605-295-8590). An applicant must be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, complete at least 500 hours of specified education and training at a board-recognized facility, pass an examination from an approved national certification board (such as the MBLEx), and provide proof of at least $250,000 in malpractice insurance with no history of professional misconduct (SDCL 36-35-12). The 500 hours must include 125 hours of body systems/anatomy/physiology/kinesiology, 200 hours of massage and bodywork assessment/theory/application, 40 hours of pathology, 10 hours of business and ethics (at least 6 in ethics), and 125 additional hours, with at least 200 hours hands-on (ARSD 20:76:01:06). All licenses expire September 30 and renew online August 1 - October 30, with a 30-day grace period; eight hours of board-approved continuing education are required to renew.

   Official government source

   $100 non-refundable initial application processing fee plus a $65 annual licensure fee (submit both together; the $65 is refunded if the application is denied) - $165 in total to start. Renewal is $65 per year.·The Board has up to six months to act on a completed application (ARSD 20:76:01:03); complete applications meeting every requirement are typically issued much faster without full Board review

   $100 non-refundable initial application processing fee plus a $65 annual licensure fee (submit both together; the $65 is refunded if the application is denied) - $165 in total to start. Renewal is $65 per year.

   The Board has up to six months to act on a completed application (ARSD 20:76:01:03); complete applications meeting every requirement are typically issued much faster without full Board review

2. South Dakota Department of Revenue - Sales Tax License

   Any business with a physical presence in South Dakota must be licensed for sales tax collection, and South Dakota taxes services as well as tangible personal property and products transferred electronically. The state sales and use tax rate is 4.2 percent (reduced from 4.5 percent), and municipal sales and use tax of generally 1 to 2 percent applies where the purchaser receives the product or service. Remote sellers and marketplace providers with more than $100,000 in gross sales into South Dakota in the previous or current calendar year must also license and remit. Register using the Department of Revenue's online Tax License Application.

   Official government source

   Free - there is no fee for a South Dakota sales tax license·Apply online through the Tax License Application; the license is typically issued within a few business days

   Free - there is no fee for a South Dakota sales tax license

   Apply online through the Tax License Application; the license is typically issued within a few business days

1. City of Rapid City - No General Business License for Most Businesses

   Rapid City does not require a general business license. The city's own licensing page states that the Finance Office requires a business license only for these types: Adult Oriented Business, Central Station Service, Ice Cream Vendor, Pawn / Precious Metals and Gems / Second Hand, Refuse Hauling, Security, Sidewalk Vending, Taxi, Transportation Network, or Alcohol Related Business/Event (Finance Office, 605-394-4143). It adds explicitly that if you do not have one of these businesses, the Finance Office does not require you to have a business license through their office, and refers other business licensing questions to the Department of Revenue at 605-394-2332. Contractor licenses, building permits, plan review, inspections, and air quality permits are handled separately by Building Services at 605-394-4120. A South Dakota sales tax license from the Department of Revenue is required and is free.

   Official government source

   $0 for most businesses - no general business license exists. A license fee applies only to the enumerated categories above; contact the Finance Office at 605-394-4143 for those amounts.·N/A for most businesses - there is nothing to file. For an enumerated license type, contact the Finance Office at 605-394-4143.

   $0 for most businesses - no general business license exists. A license fee applies only to the enumerated categories above; contact the Finance Office at 605-394-4143 for those amounts.

   N/A for most businesses - there is nothing to file. For an enumerated license type, contact the Finance Office at 605-394-4143.

2. Rapid City Zoning Approval and Certificate of Occupancy

   A commercial space used as a massage therapy practice needs approval for that use before opening. The City of Rapid City's own licensing page directs Certificate of Occupancy, building permit, building plans review, and building inspection questions to Building Services at 605-394-4120 - a division of Community Development at 300 Sixth Street - not to the Finance Department. Building Services administers plans examination, building code enforcement, permitting, and inspections. Confirm the property's zoning and occupancy classification before signing a lease. Massage therapists must separately hold a license from the South Dakota Board of Massage Therapy, which also requires proof of at least $250,000 in malpractice insurance.

   Official government source

   Building permit fees follow Rapid City's published Commercial and Residential Permit Fee Schedules, which scale with valuation. If a zoning approval is needed, the city's development application fees include Conditional Use Permit $250 and Variance $250; a Zoning District Administrative Exception is no charge.·Contact Rapid City Building Services (605-394-4120) for current plan review and inspection scheduling

   Building permit fees follow Rapid City's published Commercial and Residential Permit Fee Schedules, which scale with valuation. If a zoning approval is needed, the city's development application fees include Conditional Use Permit $250 and Variance $250; a Zoning District Administrative Exception is no charge.

   Contact Rapid City Building Services (605-394-4120) for current plan review and inspection scheduling

Official Sources

• City of Rapid City Finance Department

Related Guides