South Dakota State Historical Society officials remind property owners that Nov. 1 is the deadline to apply for the state property tax moratorium. 

State law encourages historic preservation of private property by providing this property tax break. The eight-year moratorium is for restoration and rehabilitation work completed on historic sites during 2021. A new application for certification is necessary for every year that work is undertaken. 

Sixteen properties across the state were approved by the State Historical Society board of trustees for the program in 2020.

“These approvals are significant,” said Ted Spencer, South Dakota Historic Preservation Officer. “If a historic building qualifies for the tax benefit because of certified improvements, an eight-year delay is placed on the property tax assessment. The assessments may not be increased due to certified rehabilitation of the building.”

The state property tax moratorium is available for buildings listed on the National or State Register of Historic Places and rehabilitated in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. 

For information about the State Historic Preservation Property Tax Moratorium, contact the State Historical Society at 605-773-3458 or visit history.sd.gov/Preservation/ and click on “Funding Opportunities” in the right column. For information about membership in the State Historical Society, call 605-773-6000 or email Jeff.Mammenga@state.sd.us.

About the South Dakota State Historical Society
The South Dakota State Historical Society is a division of the Department of Education. The State Historical Society, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution since 2013, is headquartered at the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. The center houses the society’s world-class museum, the archives, and the historic preservation, publishing, and administrative/development offices. Call 605-773-3458 or visit www.history.sd.gov for more information. The society also has an archaeology office in Rapid City; call 605-394-1936 for more information.