South Dakota Genealogy Search

South Dakota family history begins with the Dakota Territory homesteaders of the 1870s and 1880s and the Black Hills gold rush of 1876, and the records follow: the 1885 Dakota Territory census and the South Dakota state censuses of 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935 and 1945, which together fill every decade the federal census misses, the homestead files at the National Archives, and the county records of 66 counties. The South Dakota State Historical Society in Pierre holds the state's records and newspapers, and statewide vital registration began in 1905.

South Dakota's birth records over 100 years old are searchable free online through the state, an unusual public index.

Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.

South Dakota statewide genealogy links

• South Dakota Department of Health Genealogy ResourcesVital Records
• South Dakota State Historical SocietyNaturalization Records
• South Dakota State Archives ResourcesAmerican Indian Research
• South Dakota Land and PropertyLand and Property Records
• Cemetery Record SearchCemetery Records
• SDGenWebSearch the GenWeb Site
• South Dakota State LibraryState Library Genealogy Resources

South Dakota began statewide birth and death registration in 1905, with some county records from the 1890s, and the South Dakota Department of Health's Vital Records office in Pierre holds the certificates. The state posts a free online index to South Dakota births more than 100 years old, and death records are public after a set period, with the State Historical Society holding older records. Marriage licenses were issued by each county's register of deeds from the county's founding, and the state has a marriage index from 1905, and divorce records sit with the clerk of courts.

• South Dakota Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage and divorce certificates from 1905, checked September 25, 2026
• South Dakota Vital Records guideHow to order certificates and what is public

The State Historical Society holds the 1885 Dakota Territory census and the state censuses of 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935 and 1945, South Dakota's Spanish-American War and World War I service records, the South Dakota State Penitentiary registers, county records on microfilm, naturalization records from the county courts and every South Dakota newspaper on microfilm, with its South Dakota Digital Archives online. Federal land patents and homestead entries for South Dakota are at the General Land Office site, with the full homestead files at the National Archives, and the National Archives at Kansas City holds South Dakota's federal court and Bureau of Indian Affairs records, including the Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Cheyenne River and Standing Rock agency files.

• South Dakota State Historical SocietyState censuses, naturalizations, county records and newspapers, checked September 25, 2026
• South Dakota Digital ArchivesFree digitized South Dakota records and photographs, checked September 25, 2026
• National Archives at Kansas CityFederal court and Indian agency records for South Dakota, checked September 25, 2026
• FamilySearch South Dakota research guideFree indexed South Dakota records and state censuses, checked September 25, 2026

South Dakota registers of deeds hold deeds, mortgages, marriage licenses and the county birth and death copies from each county's founding, and clerks of courts hold probate, divorce, civil and naturalization files, with most registers posting online indexes. The State Historical Society has microfilmed the older books of the 66 counties, and the Minnehaha County records, covering Sioux Falls, and the Pennington County records, covering Rapid City and the Black Hills, are the largest sets.

• South Dakota County Public RecordsRegisters of deeds and clerks of courts for all 66 counties
• South Dakota Court RecordsUnified Judicial System record searches and probate records

These federal and national sources complement South Dakota's state-level records. They are the authoritative sources you should cross-check when South Dakota state records are incomplete or out-of-state activity matters.

NARA, National Archives The federal government's primary archive. Holds the U.S. census (1790, 1950), ship passenger lists, naturalization records, military service files, and land entry files.

FamilySearch Free online genealogy platform operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Digitized microfilm copies of many county and state records worldwide.

Library of Congress, Local History & Genealogy The LoC's research guides, city directories, newspapers, and Civil War records, most accessible free online through loc.gov.