Police & jail
South Dakota Criminal History Records
Obtain information detailing how to request South Dakota criminal history records and background checks.
Open official site South Dakota Criminal History RecordsSouth Dakota, county records
Find the right office in Mellette 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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Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
Police & jail
Obtain information detailing how to request South Dakota criminal history records and background checks.
Open official site South Dakota Criminal History RecordsState records
Buy South Dakota hunting and fishing licenses, apply for hunting seasons, check season dates, reserve state park campsites, and find forms, permits and landowner programs.
Open official site South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and ParksPolice & jail
Find the location and release information of individuals incarcerated with the SD Dept. of Corrections.
Open official site South Dakota Inmates and Offenders SearchVital 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.
Open official site South Dakota Birth and Death RecordsPolice & jail
Buy a copy of a South Dakota motor vehicle crash report online from the state crash records site.
Open official site South Dakota Crash ReportsState records
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.
Open official site South Dakota Attorney GeneralPolice & jail
Search the SD Office of the Attorney General database of registered offenders by name or location.
Open official site South Dakota Sex Offenders SearchState records
Find active and inactive corporations by name from the SD Secretary of State.
Open official site South Dakota Business & Corporation SearchCounty court
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.
Open official site South Dakota Federal Case SearchPolice & jail
Current posting of fugitives and absconders from the SD Dept. of Corrections.
Open official site South Dakota Most WantedState records
Find general info and check name availability with the SD Secretary of State.
Open official site South Dakota Fictitious Business Names FilingsPolice & jail
Programs, policies, statistics, calendar and publications.
Open official site South Dakota Corrections InformationLocal record guide
County profile
Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Mellette County Sheriff's Office is responsible for maintaining law and order throughout Mellette County, particularly in unincorporated areas.
Police Departments. In addition to Mellette County Sheriff's Office, law enforcement in Mellette County includes the White River Police Department.
Law Enforcement & Arrests. Mellette County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 111 West 2nd Street, White River, SD 57579, is the primary law enforcement agency for Mellette County. Inmate information can be obtained by contacting the Sheriff's Office directly during business hours, as Mellette County does not maintain a public online jail roster due to its small facility size. The City of White River, the only incorporated county in Mellette County, does not maintain a separate municipal police department; law enforcement services are provided by the Sheriff's Office. Arrest records and booking information are public records under South Dakota Codified Laws § 1-27-1 et seq, which governs open records and public access.
Arrest Records. Arrest records in Mellette County are maintained by Mellette County Sheriff's Office. Residents and attorneys can request access to arrest records by contacting the Sheriff's Office directly.
Jail & Inmate Records. Inmate lookup services are available through the Sheriff's Office, allowing family members and legal representatives to find information about current inmates.
Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Mellette County are taken and retained by Mellette County Sheriff's Office during the booking process. These photographs are part of the arrest records and can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office.
Abandoned mine records
Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.
From the old mine records
The mine records hold 21 named mine sites inside the county, 17 of them worked out or abandoned; the old survey maps add 30 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels. The mineral the records name is construction sand and gravel.
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.
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
Open only the answer you need.
Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Mellette County Sheriff or a city police department in Mellette 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.
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.
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.
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.
Deeds and other recorded land documents in Mellette County are kept by the Mellette 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.
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.
Business entity filings are searched with the South Dakota Secretary of State.
Same county
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.