Skip to main content
South Dakota Department of Health
South Dakota Department of Health

Health Facility Licensure

Get Licensed as Health Care Facility

Submit written request for information to license and/or certify specific facility type to:

Cassie Deffenbaugh, Administrator
Office of Health Care Facilities Licensure & Certification
600 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501-1700

Apply for or Renew Licensure

In response, you will receive applicable regulations and a request for more information, such as location, fiscal viability, ownership, etc. The department will establish a file for the proposed facility. Application forms will be sent when eligibility for licensure or certification is evident. Buildings must meet state and federal construction, electrical, and plumbing requirements specific for the intended use.

Facility Types

South Dakota requires licensure for hospitals, nursing facilities, assisted living centers, ambulatory surgery centers, adult foster care homes, birthing centers, community living homes, x-ray facilities, mammography units, inpatient hospice units, abortion facilities and inpatient chemical dependency treatment facilities, and registration for residential living centers.

See Types of Facilities

The federal government requires laboratories testing human specimens and mammography units to be certified.

To be eligible for reimbursement by Medicare or Medicaid, the following provider types must be certified by Medicare:

  • hospitals
  • nursing facilities
  • ambulatory surgery centers
  • home health agencies
  • end-stage renal dialysis units
  • hospices
  • physical therapy
  • birthing centers
  • ambulatory surgical center
  • occupational therapy
  • speech therapy
  • rural health clinic
  • laboratories
  • x-ray facilities
  • mammography units
  • psychiatric residential treatment facilities

Applications, Renewals, & Forms

  • New Healthcare Licensing System: https://www.sdhls.org/renew/

    • The annual license renewal form to operate a medical facility from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 is now online. Please note the renewal process must be completed online. No paper forms are available. 

      • Administrator’s e-mail address,

      • license number, and

      • name of facility/center.

      • The renewal form is available at: https://www.sdhls.org/renew/. Please click on the license renewal link for your provider type.

      • Please use Google Chrome as your browser for best results.

      • You will need to have the following information available to access the renewal form:

      • We would appreciate the review and submittal of your license renewal information as soon as possible. A new license cannot be issued until the renewal information has been reviewed and licensing fee submitted.

      • Please review the information and update as appropriate. Payment for your license must be made with a credit card or a non-cash voucher. The non-cash voucher is only available for South Dakota owned and operated facilities.

      • Our credit card system only accepts Visa or Mastercard. You can print your renewal and credit card receipt after payment information has been completed. 

      • Please save and exit the program after your information has been updated. Our program staff will need to approve the license to complete the process.

      • We are no longer mailing licenses. Once approved, you will receive an e-mail from donotreply@sdhls.org. The e-mail will provide a weblink to print your facility’s license.

      • Thank you for your assistance in keeping our database information current for your facility. Should you have any questions please email DOHOLCLicensing@state.sd.us.

  • Find construction reports, preventative maintenance activities, housekeeping activities, and other miscellaneous reports.

    View Facility Engineering Forms

  • CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment) certificate: Form

Content last updated: July 26, 2023. For questions, contact: