Massage Therapy Permit Requirements in Sioux Falls, 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. No Sioux Falls General Business License Required

   Sioux Falls has no general business license, and business licensing is not handled by the Finance Department. The Licensing Office operates under the City Attorney's Office and states that 'not all businesses and professions need City licensing'; Code of Ordinances Sec. 110.026 lists the complete set of licenses the city issues. Licensing is split across departments: City Attorney's Office (alcohol, medical cannabis, pawnbroker and secondhand dealers, transportation services, circus, fortune telling, motion picture theater, livery, charitable/educational/religious registration), City Clerk (raffle and bingo), Police Records (alarm businesses, peddler/mobile food), Planning and Building Services (contractor licensing), Landfill (hauler license), Water Reclamation (liquid waste generators), and the Sioux Falls Health Department (daycare, tattoo artist and establishment). Massage therapists are licensed by the state Board of Massage Therapy. If your business type is not on that list, no city license is required.

   Official government source

   $0 for business types the city does not license; fees for the specific licensed categories vary by category·N/A unless your business falls in one of the listed licensed categories

   $0 for business types the city does not license; fees for the specific licensed categories vary by category

   N/A unless your business falls in one of the listed licensed categories

2. Sioux Falls Zoning Confirmation and Certificate of Occupancy

   A commercial space used as a massage therapy practice must be approved for that use before opening. Confirm the property's zoning with the City of Sioux Falls Zoning Division (Planning and Development Services, 231 N. Dakota Ave., 605-367-8254) - not the Finance Department, which handles budgeting and accounting. Any tenant improvement, change of use, or new construction requires a building permit and plan review through Building Services (605-367-8670), which issues the certificate of occupancy after final inspection. Massage therapists must separately hold a license from the South Dakota Board of Massage Therapy.

   Official government source

   City building permit fees start at $40 and scale with total project value per the published residential/commercial fee schedule; separate mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits start at $40 for the first $5,000 of MEP valuation. There is no flat certificate of occupancy fee.·All building permits begin with a plan review; contact Building Services (605-367-8670) for current plan review and inspection scheduling

   City building permit fees start at $40 and scale with total project value per the published residential/commercial fee schedule; separate mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits start at $40 for the first $5,000 of MEP valuation. There is no flat certificate of occupancy fee.

   All building permits begin with a plan review; contact Building Services (605-367-8670) for current plan review and inspection scheduling

Official Sources

• City of Sioux Falls Finance Department

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