BY STATE · SOUTH DAKOTA · 49 CFR §40.281

How to Become a DOT SAP in South Dakota

Becoming a DOT Substance Abuse Professional is one uniform federal pathway, set in 49 CFR §40.281 and applied the same way in every state. What is specific to South Dakota is the underlying clinical credential — the license or certification you earn through the boards below to satisfy the §40.281(a) requirement before you complete SAP qualification training and pass the national exam.

TRACK A

Addiction-counselor certification (the DOT counselor path)

This is the path that satisfies the §40.281(a) “drug and alcohol counselor” category, which DOT accepts only through a NAADAC-, IC&RC-, or NBCC-affiliated board. In South Dakota that credential is:

Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC); Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC)

IC&RC-affiliated: Yes

Issuing board: South Dakota Board of Addiction and Prevention Professionals (BAPP) — SD IC&RC member board (under SD Dept. of Social Services)
Education requirement: LAC: master's degree in a behavioral-science field + 21 semester hours across seven specialized courses (verified). CAC: ~1 year of full-time addiction coursework from a BAPP-approved institution (secondary; confirm with BAPP).
Supervised hours: LAC: minimum 2,000 hours of supervised experience including ≥300 hours practical training in the Twelve Core Functions (verified). CAC: see BAPP for current requirement.
Required exam: IC&RC written examination (LAC verified; CAC per secondary — confirm with BAPP).
Also accepted: IC&RC path — BAPP is the SD IC&RC member board.

TRACK B

State clinical license

South Dakota also issues a clinical license that qualifies on its own under §40.281(a).

Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) — the state license tier (vs. the CAC certificate)

Issuing board: South Dakota Board of Addiction and Prevention Professionals (BAPP)

OTHER PATHS

Other SAP-eligible boards in South Dakota

You do not have to be an addiction counselor. Any one of these South Dakota boards licenses a profession that satisfies one of the other five §40.281(a) SAP credential categories — physician, social worker, psychologist, employee assistance professional, or marriage and family therapist.

Social worker SD Board of Social Work Examiners

Psychologist SD Board of Examiners of Psychologists

Marriage & family therapist SD Board of Examiners for Counselors & Marriage and Family Therapists (LPC / LPC-MH / LMFT)

Physician SD Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners

THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS

The federal steps are the same in every state

Once you hold a qualifying South Dakota credential above, the rest of the SAP pathway is set by federal rule and does not change by state. See the full federal requirements →

1 What credential do you need to become a DOT SAP?
2 What knowledge does a SAP need?
3 What qualification training and exam are required?
4 What continuing education must a SAP maintain?
5 What documentation must a SAP keep?
6 What does a DOT SAP actually do?

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-07-07

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