South Dakota, county records

Meade County, South Dakota Public Records

Find the right office in Meade County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.

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Most requested Meade County records

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Showing 12 official sources

Official

Vital records

South Dakota Birth and Death Records

South Dakota Department of Health vital records, which issues certified birth and death certificates for events registered in the state and takes the orders for them.

doh.sd.gov
Open official site South Dakota Birth and Death Records
Official

State records

South Dakota Attorney General

The South Dakota Attorney General is the state's chief legal officer, prosecuting crimes, protecting consumers and overseeing the Division of Criminal Investigation. Court records come from the South Dakota Unified Judicial System.

atg.sd.gov
Open official site South Dakota Attorney General
Official

County court

South Dakota Federal Case Search

The U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota keeps civil and criminal case files in CM/ECF; anyone with a PACER account can read unrestricted filings. State cases come from the Unified Judicial System.

sdd.uscourts.gov
Open official site South Dakota Federal Case Search

Local record guide

About public records in Meade County

County profile

Meade County at a glance

State
South Dakota
County seat
Sturgis
Population
29,852
Area
3,482 sq mi
Founded
1889
Cities and towns
11

Meade County offices and records

Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Meade County Sheriff's Office is responsible for law enforcement in the unincorporated areas of Meade County. The office has specialized divisions, including a K-9 unit and a drug task force, which focus on specific law enforcement challenges within Meade County.

Police Departments. Law enforcement in Meade County is provided by both Meade County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Meade County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 1425 Sherman Street in Sturgis, SD 57785, is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Meade County. Meade County Jail, also located at the Sherman Street complex, houses pre-trial detainees and sentenced inmates serving short-term commitments. Municipal law enforcement in Meade County includes the Sturgis Police Department, which serves the county seat and operates independently from the Sheriff's Office with jurisdiction within city limits. Arrest records and booking information in Meade County are public records accessible under South Dakota Codified Laws § 1-27-1, which establishes the general right to inspect and copy public records.

Arrest Records. Arrest records in Meade County are maintained by Meade County Sheriff's Office. Residents and attorneys can request arrest records by submitting a formal request to the Sheriff's Office, either in person or through their official website.

Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Meade County are taken and retained by Meade County Sheriff's Office during the booking process. These booking photos are part of the public record and can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office website or by submitting a request directly to the office.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Meade County

Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.

From the old mine records

What is on record in Meade County

Old mine sites
12
Still producing
2
Worked underground, in the mine records
4
Main minerals
Gypsum-Anhydrite; Calcium; Limestone, General
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
35
Shafts and tunnels
1
What they are
gravel pit, mine shaft, gravel/borrow pit - undifferentiated
Maps surveyed
1951 to 1983

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 14 named mine sites inside the county, 12 of them worked out or abandoned; the old survey maps add 35 holes drawn inside the county, 1 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are Gypsum-Anhydrite; Calcium; Limestone, General.

A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area. South Dakota has no coal AML program; its old abandoned mines are in the Black Hills and the old denr.sd.gov AML page no longer resolves.

Meade County: the boundary from the Census Bureau, and one dot for each old mine or hole on record inside it. The purple dots come off the old survey maps and the darkest of those are shafts and tunnels; the red, green and orange ones are mine records. Hover a dot for its name.
South Dakota mine map and abandoned mine records
Named workings recorded in Meade County (16 shown, 33 unnamed on the map)

Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.

Straight answers

Meade County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

Where can I find mugshots or booking photos in Meade County, South Dakota?

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Meade County Sheriff's Office or a city police department in Meade County. Ask that agency for its record. Under SDCL 23-5-7 a criminal booking photograph for a felony is a public record under the open records law (chapter 1-27); agencies need not provide one older than six months and may charge retrieval or copy costs. Other identification records may not be released outside the agency except to law enforcement, or to the public if the person becomes a fugitive or escapes.

How do I get a criminal background check in Meade County, South Dakota?

The South Dakota criminal history record comes from the South Dakota Attorney General, Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Identification Section. Checks are fingerprint based: mail a fingerprint card with the signed authorization and a check or money order, or submit the request form online and have fingerprints taken on a Livescan machine in South Dakota. Fee: $30.00 for a state check; $50.00 for a state and FBI check.

How can I look up sex offenders in Meade County, South Dakota?

Search the South Dakota Sex Offender Registry, or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

How do I register to vote in Meade County, South Dakota?

Register with the county auditor or through the South Dakota Secretary of State. South Dakota has no online voter registration. The signed registration form must be received by the county auditor 15 days before the election; it cannot be sent by fax or email.

How do I look up property records in Meade County, South Dakota?

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Meade County are kept by the Meade County register of deeds. Property values are set by the county director of equalization, and tax bills come from the county treasurer. Source: official state page.

How do I get a birth or death certificate in Meade County, South Dakota?

Certified birth and death certificates for South Dakota come from the South Dakota Department of Health, Vital Records. Any South Dakota Register of Deeds also takes mail and in person requests for certificates. In person or by mail at the State Office, 221 West Capitol Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501, or at any South Dakota Register of Deeds, or online or by phone through VitalChek, the only third party vendor the Department authorizes. Fee: $15 search fee for each certificate requested; online and phone orders add expedite fees.

How do I find business license records in Meade County, South Dakota?

Business entity filings are searched with the South Dakota Secretary of State.

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Cities, towns and neighboring counties

Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.