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CDL schools in South Dakota
15 schools in South Dakota are on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry for Class A training and take students from the public. Programs that post prices to South Dakota's approved training list charge a median $4,500, with the middle 80% between $1,917 and $5,500 (7 programs).
Heavy truck drivers in South Dakota earn a median $58,690 a year, and 6,470 hold those jobs. A commercial learner permit costs $43 and the Class A license $43 for 5 years (South Dakota DMV pages, checked Oct 5, 2026).
Registry file Oct 5, 2026 · BLS wages May 2025 · South Dakota training list (TrainingProviderResults.gov)
Class A schools open to the public in South Dakota; 14 teach theory, range and road.
Typical first-time cost: median posted tuition plus the South Dakota permit ($43) and CDL ($43). Medical exam extra.
South Dakota training locations FMCSA has removed from the registry, 78 of them involuntarily.
Median pay for heavy truck drivers in South Dakota; 6,470 work there.
Find a South Dakota school near you
Type a ZIP code to see the nearest registered Class A schools. The full lists are below.
Where 15 schools are
6 cities in South Dakota have a page with their schools, prices and removed providers. Biggest first.
| City | Class A schools | All registered schools |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | 6 | 6 |
Smaller towns, with their schools
Aberdeen
A-Z CDL Training
Agency Village
Sisseton Wahpeton College
Groton
Bahr CDL Services
Langford
Bahr CDL Services
Mitchell
Mitchell Technical College
Mobridge
A-Z CDL Training
Pierre
Fast-Pass Trucking Training
Rapid City
Western Dakota Technical College
Watertown
Lake Area Technical College
Harrisburg
Tim Steichen CDL ELDT Training LLC
Source: FMCSA Training Provider Registry location file, Oct 5, 2026.
What we left out
We left out 231 active registrants in South Dakota: 198 are private (training the employees or students of one organization only); 13 are online-only or travel to the customer; 20 tick "open to the public" but are not schools that take students: 1 school district or public school program, 10 employers and carriers training their own drivers, 6 bus or coach operators, 1 government agency and 2 we could not classify from the registry record. Every count comes from the same registry file. Schools we kept pass a name, domain and class check that we describe on sources.
What CDL school costs in South Dakota
South Dakota programs post tuition to the Labor Department's list of approved training programs, the list workforce boards use to pay for training. Across 7 programs the median is $4,500, the lowest posted price is $1,500 and the highest is $5,500. Completion and job rates are on each school's page where it has them.
State fees
| Commercial learner permit | $43 |
|---|---|
| Skills test | $150 |
| Class A license (5 years) | $43 |
South Dakota DMV pages, checked October 5, 2026 · fee page. The DOT medical exam is extra.
South Dakota's CDL manual (state DMV).
Source: TrainingProviderResults.gov program file (downloaded Oct 5, 2026); South Dakota DMV pages.
Free and company-paid training in South Dakota
Workforce boards. If you qualify for WIOA, a South Dakota workforce board can pay tuition at a school on the state's approved list. Ask at an American Job Center before you enrol, because boards pay only for programs on the list.
Carrier-paid programs that list South Dakota among their training sites. Training is free up front because you agree to drive for the carrier. What the carrier's own pages say:
| Carrier | Cost to you | Commitment | If you leave early |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Inc. | $0 upfront if you drive for Prime 1 year with CDL; Prime blog states $155 student cost ($100 admin fee + $55 permit/test costs) | 1 year driving for Prime with CDL | unverified on the carrier's page (tuition becomes payable if commitment not met) |
| Stevens Transport | no out-of-pocket costs | 'your commitment' - length not on page; third-party reports promissory-note model | unverified |
Carrier pages checked Oct 5, 2026. "Unverified" means the carrier does not publish it; ask for the signed agreement before you start. All carriers
How to check a South Dakota school before you pay
Since February 2022 you can only take the CDL skills test after finishing entry-level driver training with a provider on FMCSA's registry. Search the school's name at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov and confirm its status says Active. Or use our check-a-school page, which also searches the removed list.
FMCSA has removed 83 South Dakota training locations from the registry, 78 of them involuntarily. The registry lists 9 more South Dakota locations as under review. A school on the removed list cannot certify your training. Removals by state
27% of South Dakota's Class A schools updated their registry record in 2026; 6 have left their record untouched for over two years.
Questions people ask
How much is CDL school in South Dakota?
Programs on South Dakota's approved training list post a median of $4,500, with the middle 80% between $1,917 and $5,500. With the permit and license fees, plan on about $4,586 before the medical exam.
How many CDL schools are in South Dakota?
15 schools in South Dakota are registered for Class A training and open to the public, in 10 cities. 1 more school teaches only Class B, passenger or school bus training. FMCSA lists 83 South Dakota locations as removed.
How do I check that a South Dakota school is on the FMCSA registry?
Search the school's name at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov and confirm its status says Active. Our check-a-school page searches active, removed and under-review records in one box.
Is there free CDL training in South Dakota?
Two routes. A workforce board can pay tuition at a school on South Dakota's approved training list if you qualify under WIOA, and some carriers train you for free in return for a work commitment. The terms differ, so read the signed agreement before you start.