How to Become a Pharmacy Technician in South Dakota

Checked against South Dakota Board of Pharmacy (South Dakota Department of Health) · Verified 2026-10-14

Exam: Not required
Training: Not required
Term: 1 years
State fee: $25 for an initial technician registration and $25 for each annual renewal (ARSD 20:51:29:12); fees are non-refundable.
Regulated by: South Dakota Board of Pharmacy (South Dakota Department of Health)

Take the free PTCB practice test →

Who can apply

Be 16 or older.
Be employed as a pharmacy technician in a licensed South Dakota pharmacy, or be enrolled in a pharmacy technician job exploration program through your high school.
Students in a college or vocational technician program must register before starting on-site practical experience.
Declare any impairing drug or alcohol use and any felony or misdemeanor history (other than traffic violations with a fine under $100).

Step by step

Get hired as a pharmacy technician at a licensed South Dakota pharmacy.
Within 30 days of your hire date, complete the online initial technician application on a laptop or desktop and pay the $25 fee by card.
Have your employer's pharmacy license number and the pharmacist-in-charge's name and license number ready; upload a PTCB or ExCPT certificate if you have one.
After approval, find your four-digit registration number and create an online account to print your registration.
Report any change of name, address or employer to the Board within 10 days.
Renew every year between September 1 and October 31 with 6 hours of CE or current national certification.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: South Dakota does not require a state-approved training program before registration. The pharmacist-in-charge must make sure each technician gets adequate training for the tasks done at that pharmacy, and the pharmacy must keep written training policies and document each technician's training (ARSD 20:51:29:16).

Exam: No exam is required to register. National certification is optional: a technician who passes an NCCA-accredited exam (PTCB or ExCPT) can email the certificate to the Board to be listed as a certified technician. The Board does not certify technicians itself.

No national exam required here. If you plan to get PTCB certified anyway, practice for the PTCE free →

What it costs in South Dakota

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

Technician registration (card payment only)$25
PTCE exam fee, only if you choose national certification (NHA prices the ExCPT)(optional)$129

Estimated total in South Dakota$25

Cost details from the state

Optional national certification exam: PTCE fee (PTCB lists $129 as of Oct 2026) or ExCPT fee set by NHA
CE courses for renewal if you are not nationally certified (priced by providers)

Pay in South Dakota

Before you compare job offers, see what a paycheck takes home in South Dakota after taxes.

Starting out on an entry-level wage? Check the SNAP income limits in South Dakota by household size.

What other sites get wrong about South Dakota

Myth: South Dakota pharmacy technicians must be 18 and must hold PTCB or NHA national certification.

Fact: The Board registers technicians from age 16 who are employed in a South Dakota pharmacy. The Board does not certify technicians; national certification is optional and can be used instead of 6 CE hours at renewal. source

Myth: South Dakota does not require continuing education for technicians.

Fact: Starting with the 2026-27 renewal, technicians must show 6 hours of CE in the last 24 months or current national certification to renew. source

Once you're registered

Renewal: Registrations expire October 31 every year with no grace period. The renewal window is September 1 to October 31, and you must be working as a technician in a South Dakota pharmacy when you renew. Starting with the 2026-27 renewal, you must show either 6 hours of CE completed in the last 24 months (not used for a prior renewal) or current national certification from an NCCA-accredited program (ARSD 20:51:29:13, effective August 16, 2026). An expired registration is reactivated with a renewal application, never a new one.

Good to know in South Dakota

New renewal rule for 2026-27: To renew your registration during the 2026-27 renewal period, you must have completed six hours of continuing education or be nationally certified.

Technician ratio: Up to three registered technicians may be on duty for each pharmacist on duty (interns don't count). Hospital, mail-order and long-term care pharmacies that meet extra technology and safety conditions can have the pharmacist-in-charge set the ratio.

Pharmacy interns: A registered South Dakota pharmacy intern in good standing does not need a separate technician registration.

Same number for life: You keep the same four-digit technician number for as long as you work in South Dakota.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with South Dakota Board of Pharmacy (South Dakota Department of Health) before you apply.