Clark County, South Dakota requires a building permit under its county zoning system12. Start with Clark County Planning & Zoning because district standards and later amendments can change what fits a parcel34. South Dakota DANR administers on-site wastewater requirements statewide5.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Required before erecting, converting, enlarging, reconstructing, or structurally altering any building16
- Zoning
- Yes, countywide, under Clark County's Zoning Ordinance, as amended7
- Zoning map
- Published by the county; confirm the parcel's district and later amendments3
- RV and tiny-home living
- Not confirmed; ask Planning & Zoning before relying on either as a residence4
- Septic
- Regulated statewide by South Dakota DANR; only state-certified installers may build a system5
- Owner-builder exemption
- Yes, for electrical work on your own home/farmstead, with an approved homeowner permit8
- County permit fees
- Not confirmed on the county's accessible planning page; ask Planning & Zoning4
Who to call
Zoning
Clark County Planning & Zoning
Zoning and building permits for unincorporated Clark County, including permit issuance, ordinance enforcement, and the official zoning map
2nd Floor, Courthouse, Clark, SD
Zoning
The county's adopted zoning ordinance (linked from the Planning & Zoning page): district regulations, area/setback requirements, manufactured-home and recreational-vehicle definitions, and permit/penalty provisions
Roads & driveways
Clark County Highway Superintendent
Maintains Clark County's road and bridge network; the office to ask about county road access to a rural parcel
Courthouse, 2nd Floor, PO Box 294, Clark, SD
Septic permits
Statewide on-site wastewater (septic) system design requirements, installer certification, and complaints, including for Clark County
523 E Capitol Ave, Pierre, SD 57501-3182
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 27, 2026.
Do you need a building permit in Clark County, South Dakota?
Yes. Clark County requires a permit before a building is erected, enlarged, or structurally altered1. Clark County also administers a county zoning ordinance, while incorporated municipalities may have separate ordinances29. Ask Planning & Zoning which application and current district standards apply before ordering plans or beginning site work4. We could not confirm Clark County's permit fee, inspection sequence, adopted building code, or certificate-of-occupancy process, so ask the office for those details. A separate statewide construction-design rule excludes farmsteads, their accessory buildings, residences, and mobile or manufactured homes from the default design standard for work begun after July 1, 2026; that exclusion does not waive Clark County zoning or permitting10.
Who is the Clark County zoning office, and how do you reach them?
Start with Clark County Planning & Zoning on the second floor of the courthouse at 605-532-37514. The county page identifies the Planning & Zoning Officer and links the ordinance, zoning map, and recent amendment materials4. For questions about access from a county road, contact the Clark County Highway Superintendent at the courthouse, PO Box 294, Clark, SD, at 605-532-366711. South Dakota DANR administers the statewide on-site wastewater program; its listed program contact is at 523 E Capitol Ave, Pierre, SD 57501-3182, at (605) 773-46471213. These are different approvals: a county land-use permit does not replace state electrical, plumbing, septic, water-right, or state-highway requirements14151617.
Does Clark County have zoning?
Yes. Clark County has a county zoning ordinance and zoning administration72. The county also publishes an official zoning map showing Commercial/Industrial, Town, and aquifer-protection districts, among other mapped areas3. That map is a starting point rather than a complete parcel answer because district regulations remain subject to the ordinance and later amendments3. Incorporated municipalities may administer separate ordinances, so confirm whether the parcel is in unincorporated Clark County before relying on the county office9. We could not confirm the current minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage, building height, or minimum dwelling size. Give Planning & Zoning the parcel number and proposed use, then ask for the current ordinance section and every amendment that applies4.
How do septic permits work in Clark County?
South Dakota DANR administers the minimum requirements for individual and small on-site wastewater systems in Clark County, and local governments may impose stricter requirements13. Only a state-certified installer may construct a system, and mound designs go to DANR for approval5. Ask Clark County Planning & Zoning whether a parcel also has a local land-use or aquifer-overlay condition4. Site feasibility deserves attention because only 6.3% of Clark County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field18. If water or electricity is unavailable, state rules address vault privies, chemical toilets, incinerator toilets, and composting units; systems other than vault privies are treated as experimental and need plans approved before installation19. We could not confirm a general Clark County septic-inspection process, so get the required review and inspection sequence from DANR before hiring or excavating12.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Clark County?
We could not confirm whether Clark County allows full-time RV occupancy, temporary camping during construction, or a tiny home as a permanent dwelling. Do not treat that gap as permission. Ask Clark County Planning & Zoning about the exact parcel, zoning district, proposed duration, utility connections, and whether the unit will be on wheels or on a permanent foundation4. Manufactured-home occupancy, accessory dwellings, and minimum dwelling size also remain unconfirmed. South Dakota's sanitation rule answers only the waste-system side: where water or electricity is unavailable, specified unconventional systems may be used, with advance state approval required for experimental systems19. That sanitation option does not itself authorize residential occupancy. Get the county's written land-use answer before buying an RV or tiny home for the site, and separately confirm septic or approved off-grid sanitation with DANR412.
Building a home in Clark County: the steps, in order
- Ask Clark County Planning & Zoning to confirm the parcel's district, permitted use, current setbacks, and application requirements34.
- Apply for the required county building permit before construction1.
- Test septic feasibility early and coordinate the system with DANR because only 6.3% of county soils are rated without severe conventional-drain-field limitations1812.
- Determine whether the proposed well use needs a water-right permit; when one is required, approval must precede drilling2016.
What to check before you buy land in Clark County
Check the zoning map and obtain the current district standards before treating acreage as buildable34. Investigate septic feasibility early because only 6.3% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field18. Clark County is mostly gentle ground, with 98.7% of land at a slope of 15% or less, but just 1.7% is wooded, so a parcel may offer little natural wind cover2324. Annual precipitation is about 24.1 inches, and severe drought occurs in about 2.7% of years2526. Verify legal road access and ask the Highway Superintendent about a county-road approach; a connection to a state highway needs South Dakota DOT permission before construction1117. If a well is planned, determine whether the proposed use needs a water-right permit before drilling20. The effective property-tax rate is about 1%, and the median annual bill is about $1,3922728.
Watch-outs
- Clark County's current permit fees, building-code adoption, inspection sequence, and certificate-of-occupancy process were not confirmed; ask Planning & Zoning before budgeting or scheduling work4.
- RV, temporary-camping, tiny-home, manufactured-home, and accessory-dwelling occupancy rules remain unconfirmed; get a parcel-specific answer from Planning & Zoning4.
- Only 6.3% of Clark County's soils are free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field; get a site evaluation before you make an offer on land that depends on a standard system18.
Sources
- Clark County Planning & Zoning (2026 county census)
- Planning & Zoning - Clark County, South Dakota, quoted and re-checked
- Planning & Zoning, quoted and re-checked
- Clark County Planning & Zoning (clark.sdcounties.org)
- SD DANR Septic Tank Systems (2026 county census)
- Clark County Zoning Ordinance (clark.sdcounties.org)
- Planning & Zoning - Clark County, South Dakota (2026 county census)
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring (2026 county census)
- Planning & Zoning, quoted and re-checked
- South Dakota Codified Law Chapter 11-10: Building Codes and Standards (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Clark County Highway Superintendent (clark.sdcounties.org)
- South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) – On-Site Wastewater Systems Program (danr.sd.gov)
- On-Site Wastewater Systems in South Dakota (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- South Dakota Electrical Wiring Rules Bulletin (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Inspections (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- South Dakota Water Rights — Drilling a Well (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Instructions: Applying for permission for driveway or intersection on a South Dakota state highway (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
- Administrative Rule 74:53:01 — Individual and Small On-Site Wastewater Systems (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- South Dakota Water Rights - Drilling a Well, quoted and re-checked
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
- Wooded share of land: Bolthole Index county data
- Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
- Share of years in severe drought: Bolthole Index county data
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
- Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
Written September 27, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.