FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Sept. 8, 2025 CONTACT:  Kevin Larsen, Communications Director, (605) 773-6000, Kevin.Larsen@state.sd.us

State Historical Society Offers Property Tax Moratorium

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota State Historical Society officials remind property owners that November 1 is the deadline to apply for the State Property Tax Moratorium. 

This eight-year moratorium is for restoration and rehabilitation work completed on historic properties during the calendar year of 2025. 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.

State law encourages historic preservation of private property by providing this eight-year property tax break opportunity. 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.

Twelve properties across the state were approved by the State Historical Society Board of Trustees for the program in 2024. Last year, rehabilitation work to historic properties estimated at $9.333 million was approved for the state property tax moratorium.    

For more information and the Application, visit the State Historic Preservation Office’s funding page at https://history.sd.gov/preservation/fundingopportunities.aspx or contact the office at shpo@state.sd.us or (605)773-3458.

A new application for certification is necessary for every year that work is undertaken.

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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, is headquartered in Pierre. The Society includes a museum, archives, historic preservation, publishing and administrative/development departments. For questions or memberships, 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.