Guide
How to Search County Records
Select Your County
Choose a county from the grid below to access that county's official public records portal, court system, and government offices.
Identify the Record Type
Decide what you need: court records, property deeds, vital records, business filings, or tax assessment records, each is held by a different county office.
Search Online or In Person
The Unified Judicial System offers PARS for criminal case summaries, eCourts for civil judgments and free terminals at every courthouse, county registers of deeds keep land and vital records with online search in many counties, and certificates are ordered from the state office in Pierre or any register of deeds.
Pay Any Required Fees
A South Dakota vital records search costs $15 per certificate and includes one copy; online and phone orders add an expedite fee, and public records copies are charged at the custodian's set rate.
Verify Identity if Required
Open records need no ID. Vital records applications must be notarized or include a copy of a valid state, tribal or federal photo ID, and certified copies go to the registrant, close family, guardians and authorized representatives.
Guide
What Records Are Available
- Court RecordsCivil, criminal, family court, probate, traffic cases
- Property RecordsDeeds, mortgages, tax assessments, liens, transfers
- Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates
- Business RecordsBusiness licenses, DBAs, UCC filings, permits
- Voter RegistrationRegistered voters, party affiliation, districts
- Tax RecordsProperty tax assessments, payment history, exemptions
Guide
Select a County in South Dakota
Back to South Dakota Public Records
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Straight answers
South Dakota County Public Records, questions
Are county records public information?
Yes. South Dakota's public records law, SDCL 1-27, requires a public record officer to respond to a written request within 10 business days, and court records, register of deeds documents and assessment data are open. Birth records become public after 100 years, and the Department of Health runs a free search of births more than 100 years old; newer vital records go to the registrant, spouse, children, parents, guardians, next of kin and authorized representatives. Juvenile and sealed court files are closed.
How much do certified copies cost?
A South Dakota vital records search costs $15 per certificate requested, which includes one certified or informational copy of a birth, death, marriage or divorce record; online and phone orders add one expedite fee per order, and each additional record on the order is another $15. The courts' eCourts judgment search runs on a pay-as-you-go or subscription basis, and public records copies are charged at the custodian's set rate.
Can I search county records online?
The South Dakota Unified Judicial System provides a Public Access Records Search for criminal case summaries, an eCourts portal for civil judgments by name and date, and free public access terminals at every courthouse. Each county register of deeds, Lawrence and Minnehaha among them, keeps land records and vital records and offers online document search in many counties. Vital records are ordered from the state office in Pierre or any register of deeds, not searched online.
What identification do I need?
Open records need no ID. South Dakota vital records applications must be signed before a notary or accompanied by a clear copy of a valid state, tribal or federal photo ID; without one you must submit two additional forms of identification. Certified copies go to the registrant, spouse, children, parents, guardian, next of kin or an authorized representative, and proof of relationship may be required.
How long does it take to receive records?
Processing times vary by location; register of deeds offices across the state issue certificates in person, and mailed requests to the state office in Pierre can be sent in a prepaid priority envelope for expedited handling. PARS and eCourts searches are immediate.