13-1-52. False claims concerning academic degree--Violation as misdemeanor--Revocation of license--Evaluation of academic credentials. No person may knowingly use a false academic degree or falsely claim to have a valid academic degree for the following purposes:
(1) To obtain employment;
(2) To obtain a promotion or higher compensation in employment;
(3) To obtain admission to postsecondary education; or
(4) In connection with any business, trade, profession, or occupation.
A violation of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor and provides cause for the revocation of any license obtained in connection with the false degree.
For the purposes of this section, a false academic degree is a degree document, a certification of completion of a degree, coursework, or degree credit, including a transcript, that provides evidence or demonstrates completion of a course of instruction or coursework that results in the attainment of an associate degree or higher which is issued by a person or entity that is neither currently accredited by a regional, state, or national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education pursuant to 20 U.S.C. § 1099b as amended to January 1, 2008, nor has the foreign equivalent of such accreditation or the legal authority from a foreign country to issue degrees usable as educational credentials in the jurisdiction of issue. If a degree is granted in a jurisdiction without an accreditation system, or if a degree is accredited by a foreign entity and that accreditation is brought into question, that degree may be evaluated based on commonly recognized industry standards used to evaluate foreign academic credentials such as a credential evaluation and authentication report issued by: the World Education Services; an entity relied upon by South Dakota licensing boards; or South Dakota public postsecondary institutions.
The provisions of this section do not apply to any documents issued by a religious institution that offers credit or degree solely for the purpose of conferring status or authority within that religion.
Source: SL 2008, ch 71, § 1; SL 2014, ch 74, § 1.
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