Comp time instead of overtime
South Dakota has no state law on comp time or overtime. Federal law generally does not allow private employers to give comp time instead of overtime pay. Source: dlr.sd.gov↗ (opens in a new tab) Source: dol.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
Penalties
No specific state penalty in statute. Federal FLSA remedies apply. Source: dol.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
The law and where to check
The law: No state overtime statute; federal Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. § 207 (opens in a new tab)
The agency: South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation (opens in a new tab)
What federal law says
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek for non-exempt employees. Federal law has no daily overtime. The federal salary level for most exempt staff is $684 a week. Where state and federal rules differ, follow the rule that gives the employee more. Source: U.S. Department of Labor↗ (opens in a new tab) Source: U.S. DOL — salary levels↗ (opens in a new tab)
Free tool: work out overtime pay with our State Overtime Calculator.
Overtime checklist for South Dakota employers
A simple order of work, based on the rules above. It is not a legal checklist.
- Decide which employees are non-exempt, and check exempt staff meet the salary and duties tests.
- Set your workweek (a fixed, repeating 7-day period).
- Track all hours worked, including daily hours if your state has daily overtime.
- Pay overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate, including bonuses where required.
- Use our free State Overtime Calculator to check the numbers.
- Keep time and pay records.
More South Dakota employment law guides
- All South Dakota employment laws
- South Dakota final paycheck law
- South Dakota paid sick leave law
- South Dakota meal and rest break laws
- South Dakota pay frequency law
- South Dakota vacation and PTO payout law
- South Dakota new hire reporting
- South Dakota at-will exceptions
Overtime laws in other states
See every state on one page, or pick a state:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
All official government sources, last checked October 19, 2026.
Disclaimer: This guide provides general information based on publicly available official sources and is for information only. It is not legal, tax, payroll or employment-law advice and does not guarantee compliance with federal, state or local requirements. Rules can depend on your location, industry, contracts and other circumstances, and laws change. Always check the official source, the relevant government agency or a qualified professional before making a decision. MadyHR.ai accepts no responsibility for any action taken based on this page.
Last checked: . Every rule and source link on this page was checked against the official government source on this date. Laws change, so always open the source link before you act.


