# Airport Approval Rules Update South Dakota's airport approval rules are being updated to replace outdated terminology and align with current state law. Going forward, the Aeronautics Commission will issue "certificates of approval" instead of "licenses," and references to separate categories like "landing fields" and "heliports" are streamlined to focus on three approval types: private airports, temporary airports, and public airports. Several outdated or redundant requirements—such as rules about conflicting airport locations, grandfathering pre-1974 airports, and waiver authority—are being removed. The changes update the legal citations and agency references (Department of Transportation instead of Aeronautics Commission) to match current statutory authority while keeping the substantive safety and operational requirements intact.
AI-generated from the adopted rule text — verify against the official documents.
The South Dakota Aeronautics Commission will hold a public hearing in the Commission Room of the Becker-Hansen Building at 700 East Broadway Avenue in Pierre, South Dakota, on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. (Central Time) to consider repealing or amending Administrative Rules of South Dakota Chapter 70:02:04 - Airport Licensing. The effect of the rule changes will be to bring the rules into conformity with current statutory terminology and the processes used by the Aeronautics Commission and South Dakota Department of Transportation when issuing certificates of approval for airports. The rule changes will also update references to the law implemented and statutory authority for the rules. The purpose of the rule changes is to promote clarity, accuracy, and alignment with statutes.