Brookings County, South Dakota solar and wind ordinance
Solar: 30 ft (rear and side yard) from property lines, 20 ft maximum height. Wind: 500 ft (property line) from property lines, 500 ft (centerline of public roads) from roads. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
5 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackrear and side yardEvery SES shall observe a minimum rear and side yard setback of thirty (30) feet. | 30 ft |
Setback from homesresidence, business, church, and building owned and/or operated by a governmental entitySolar panels will be kept at least five hundred (500) feet from a residence, business, church, and building owned and/or operated by a governmental entity. | 500 ft |
Setback from highwater mark of any lake, stream or riverEvery SES shall be setback at least one hundred (100) feet from the highwater mark of any lake, stream or river. | 100 ft |
Maximum heightSolar panel arrays shall be no more than twenty (20) feet in height, not including power lines. | 20 ft |
Fence heightAll SES shall be fenced around the exterior of the SES with a fence at least six (6) feet in height. | 6 ft |
Source: Brookings County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Wind rules
5 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackproperty lineDistance from any property line shall be at least five hundred (500) feet or one hundred ten percent (110%) of the height of the wind turbine, whichever distance is greater. | 500 ft |
Setback from homesoff-site residences, business, churches, and buildings or structuresDistance from existing off - site residences, business, churches, and buildings or structures shall be at least one thousand (1,000) feet. | 1,000 ft |
Road setbackcenterline of public roadsDistance from the base of the tower to the centerline of public roads shall be five hundred (500) feet or one hundred ten percent (110%) of the height of the wind turbine, whichever distance is greater. | 500 ft |
Setback from homes, participating owneron-site or lessor’s residenceDistance from on - site or lessor’s residence shall be at least five hundred (500) feet. | 500 ft |
Noise limitperimeter of principal and accessory structures of existing off-site residences, businesses, and buildingsNoise level shall not exceed 50 dBA, average A - weighted Sound pressure including constructive interference effects at the perimeter of the principal and accessory structures of existing off - site residences, businesses, and buildings. | 50 dBA |
Source: Brookings County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
South Dakota state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All South Dakota rules and counties.
State siting: South Dakota Public Utilities Commission
Wind and solar projects of 100 MW or more (solar measured AC) need a PUC facility permit, decided within nine months; smaller projects are permitted by the county alone.
SDCL 49-41B-2(13), (16) and 49-41B-4 (definitions amended by SL 2025, ch 193). Source
Wind standards in state law
Applies statewide to every large wind turbine (tower 75 ft or taller), whatever its size or permitting authority; an adjacent owner can agree in writing to a shorter distance.
| Property line | 500 ft or 1.1 × tower height, whichever is greater (neighbor may waive) |
SDCL 43-13-21 to 43-13-24 (SL 2009, ch 221). Source
Wind standards in state law
Applies to wind facilities the PUC permits (100 MW and up) after July 1, 2019: obstruction lights must be radar-activated.
| Aviation lighting | Aircraft detection lighting system required |
SDCL 49-41B-25.2 (SL 2019, ch 201). Source
Every South Dakota figure in one spreadsheet
123 figures from 19 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 4 of those places are not on this site. Plus the moratorium or ban on file and South Dakota state law.
How these figures were read
We found Brookings County's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.
Common questions
What are the solar setbacks in Brookings County, SD?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 500 ft (residence, business, church, and building owned and/or operated by a governmental entity) from homes and 30 ft (rear and side yard) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Brookings County, SD?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 20 ft. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
What are the wind turbine setbacks in Brookings County, SD?
The county's ordinance sets wind turbines back 1,000 ft (off-site residences, business, churches, and buildings or structures) from homes, 500 ft (centerline of public roads) from roads and 500 ft (property line) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.