South Dakota ranks 19th out of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) for how easy, fast and affordable it is to get certified birth, marriage, divorce and death records.
Cost#11 (tie)of 51
Speed#17 (tie)of 51
Ease of ordering#33of 51
Birth certificates #28 of 51
Cost
$15 first copy, $15 each extra copy ($26.50 for one copy online)
Processing time
In person: at any county Register of Deeds or the state office in Pierre; wait time not published
Time until the copy is in hand
Not published
Where to order
State office or a local county office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
State records from July 1905
Marriage records #22 of 51
Cost
$15 first copy, $15 each extra copy ($26.50 for one copy online)
Processing time
In person: at any county Register of Deeds or the state office in Pierre; wait time not published
Time until the copy is in hand
Not published
Where to order
State office or a local county office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
State records from July 1905; also from any county Register of Deeds
Divorce records #16 of 51
Cost
$15 first copy, $15 each extra copy ($26.50 for one copy online)
Processing time
In person: at the state office in Pierre; wait time not published
Time until the copy is in hand
Not published
Where to order
State vital records office (divorce certificate); full decrees from the county Clerk of Courts
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
State records from July 1905
Death certificates #28 of 51
Cost
$15 first copy, $15 each extra copy ($26.50 for one copy online)
Processing time
In person: at any county Register of Deeds or the state office in Pierre; wait time not published
Time until the copy is in hand
Not published
Where to order
State office or a local county office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
State records from July 1905
Note: These rankings were done on . Prices, processing times and ordering rules may have changed since then, so check with the issuing office before you order. Times marked “estimate” add typical mail delivery to the office’s posted processing time. “Not published” means the office does not post that detail.
How to order South Dakota birth, death, marriage and divorce records
How do I get a South Dakota birth certificate?
A certified South Dakota birth certificate costs $15 from the State Vital Records Office in Pierre or any county Register of Deeds, which can all print records from the statewide database. Ordering online or by phone through VitalChek costs $26.50 for one copy by regular mail.
South Dakota birth records: ordering details
Who can order
South Dakota vital records are not open to the public. Certified copies go to the person named, a spouse, child, parent or guardian, next of kin (grandparents and siblings), an authorized agent such as an attorney, physician or funeral director, a designated agent named on the application, or someone with a personal or property right. Proof of relationship may be required. Others can get only an informational copy, stamped “For informational purposes only”.
Fee
$15 per certified or informational copy (the search fee; non-refundable if no record is found). Online or phone (VitalChek): add a $6.50 VitalChek fee and a $5 expedite fee per order, for $26.50 for one copy by regular mail; UPS Next Day adds $17.50 ($44 total). Each extra record on the same order adds $15. In person: a $2.50 surcharge applies to credit or debit card payments. Fee waivers exist for military, Head Start, school enrollment and baseball birth certificate requests.
How to order
Online or by phone:VitalChek, the only vendor authorized by DOH, or call 605-773-4961. In person: any county Register of Deeds or the State Vital Records Office, 221 W. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD 57501. Payment options vary by location. By mail: the application with an ID copy (or notarized) and a check or money order payable to the South Dakota Department of Health, to the State Office or any Register of Deeds. You may include a prepaid priority envelope for faster return from the State Office.
ID needed
A photocopy of a government-issued photo ID (state, tribal or federal; U.S. or foreign), such as a driver’s license, state ID, tribal ID, passport or military ID. By mail, you can instead have your application notarized. Without a photo ID, provide copies of two of: Social Security card, utility bill or bank statement with current address, vehicle registration or title, or a pay stub. See eligibility and ID.
Processing time
DOH does not publish processing times; it says they may vary by location. Estimate: contact the office for current timing. For a newborn, DOH suggests waiting 14 days after the birth to apply.
Older and local records
South Dakota’s vital records system began in July 1905; the state and counties have all births filed after 1905, and some earlier births were filed later. Birth records more than 100 years old are searchable online.
Tip: You don’t have to go to Pierre. Any of the 64 county Register of Deeds offices can issue a South Dakota birth certificate, wherever in the state the birth happened.
A certified South Dakota death certificate costs $15 from the State Vital Records Office in Pierre or any county Register of Deeds. Ordering online or by phone through VitalChek costs $26.50 for one copy by regular mail, plus $15 for each extra record.
South Dakota death records: ordering details
Who can order
South Dakota vital records are not open to the public. Certified copies go to the person named, a spouse, child, parent or guardian, next of kin (grandparents and siblings), an authorized agent such as an attorney, physician or funeral director, a designated agent named on the application, or someone with a personal or property right. Proof of relationship may be required. Others can get only an informational copy, stamped “For informational purposes only”.
Fee
$15 per certified or informational copy (the search fee; non-refundable if no record is found). Online or phone (VitalChek): add a $6.50 VitalChek fee and a $5 expedite fee per order, for $26.50 for one copy by regular mail; UPS Next Day adds $17.50 ($44 total). Each extra record on the same order adds $15. In person: a $2.50 surcharge applies to credit or debit card payments.
How to order
Online or by phone:VitalChek, the only vendor authorized by DOH, or call 605-773-4961. In person: any county Register of Deeds or the State Vital Records Office, 221 W. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD 57501. Payment options vary by location. By mail: the application with an ID copy (or notarized) and a check or money order payable to the South Dakota Department of Health, to the State Office or any Register of Deeds. You may include a prepaid priority envelope for faster return from the State Office.
ID needed
A photocopy of a government-issued photo ID (state, tribal or federal; U.S. or foreign), such as a driver’s license, state ID, tribal ID, passport or military ID. By mail, you can instead have your application notarized. Without a photo ID, provide copies of two of: Social Security card, utility bill or bank statement with current address, vehicle registration or title, or a pay stub. See eligibility and ID.
Processing time
DOH does not publish processing times; it says they may vary by location. Estimate: contact the office for current timing.
Older and local records
The state has the original records of all deaths after 1905, and each county keeps copies of deaths in that county. Genealogy requests must be mailed to the State Office (no online or phone orders); a photostatic copy of the original record usually shows the most detail.
Tip: Researching family history? Mail your request to the State Office and ask for an informational photostatic copy. It’s a photocopy of the original record, with more detail than the standard certificate.
A certified South Dakota marriage certificate costs $15 from the State Vital Records Office in Pierre or any county Register of Deeds. Ordering online or by phone through VitalChek costs $26.50 for one copy by regular mail. Tribal marriages are available only from the tribe.
South Dakota marriage records: ordering details
Certified copy vs. verification
DOH issues certified copies (for legal use) or informational copies (plain paper, not for legal proof). A verification of a record is also $15.
Who can order
South Dakota vital records are not open to the public. Certified copies go to the person named, a spouse, child, parent or guardian, next of kin (grandparents and siblings), an authorized agent such as an attorney, physician or funeral director, a designated agent named on the application, or someone with a personal or property right. Proof of relationship may be required. Others can get only an informational copy, stamped “For informational purposes only”.
Fee
$15 per certified or informational copy (the search fee; non-refundable if no record is found). Online or phone (VitalChek): add a $6.50 VitalChek fee and a $5 expedite fee per order, for $26.50 for one copy by regular mail; UPS Next Day adds $17.50 ($44 total). Each extra record on the same order adds $15. In person: a $2.50 surcharge applies to credit or debit card payments.
How to order
Online or by phone:VitalChek, the only vendor authorized by DOH, or call 605-773-4961. In person: any county Register of Deeds or the State Vital Records Office, 221 W. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD 57501. Payment options vary by location. By mail: the application with an ID copy (or notarized) and a check or money order payable to the South Dakota Department of Health, to the State Office or any Register of Deeds. You may include a prepaid priority envelope for faster return from the State Office. Tribal marriages: contact the tribe directly.
ID needed
A photocopy of a government-issued photo ID (state, tribal or federal; U.S. or foreign), such as a driver’s license, state ID, tribal ID, passport or military ID. By mail, you can instead have your application notarized. Without a photo ID, provide copies of two of: Social Security card, utility bill or bank statement with current address, vehicle registration or title, or a pay stub. See eligibility and ID.
Processing time
DOH does not publish processing times; it says they may vary by location. Estimate: contact the office for current timing.
Older records
The state has marriage records from after 1905 (the vital records system began in July 1905). Counties keep the records of marriages where the license was bought or the marriage was performed.
Tip: Order at the county Register of Deeds office that issued your license if it’s nearby. Any Register of Deeds can take your order, and the county keeps its own copy of marriages licensed or performed there.
A certified South Dakota divorce certificate costs $15 and is available only from the State Vital Records Office in Pierre (or online and by phone through VitalChek). The full divorce decree comes only from the Clerk of Courts in the county where the divorce was filed.
South Dakota divorce records: ordering details
Certified copy vs. verification
The state divorce certificate is a vital record of the divorce. The decree, with its full terms, is a court record held by the county Clerk of Courts.
Who can order
South Dakota vital records are not open to the public. Certified copies go to the person named, a spouse, child, parent or guardian, next of kin (grandparents and siblings), an authorized agent such as an attorney, physician or funeral director, a designated agent named on the application, or someone with a personal or property right. Proof of relationship may be required. Others can get only an informational copy, stamped “For informational purposes only”.
Fee
$15 per certified or informational copy (the search fee; non-refundable if no record is found). Online or phone (VitalChek): add a $6.50 VitalChek fee and a $5 expedite fee per order, for $26.50 for one copy by regular mail; UPS Next Day adds $17.50 ($44 total). Each extra record on the same order adds $15. In person: a $2.50 surcharge applies to credit or debit card payments. Decree copies: set by the Clerk of Courts.
How to order
Online or by phone:VitalChek or 605-773-4961. In person or by mail: State Vital Records Office, 221 W. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD 57501, with the application, ID and fee. Registers of Deeds do not issue divorce certificates. Decree: the Clerk of Courts in the county where the divorce was filed. Tribal divorces: contact the tribe.
ID needed
A photocopy of a government-issued photo ID (state, tribal or federal; U.S. or foreign), such as a driver’s license, state ID, tribal ID, passport or military ID. By mail, you can instead have your application notarized. Without a photo ID, provide copies of two of: Social Security card, utility bill or bank statement with current address, vehicle registration or title, or a pay stub. See eligibility and ID.
Processing time
Not published by DOH; Clerk of Courts times vary. Estimate: contact the office for current timing.
Older records
The state vital records system, which includes divorces and annulments, began in July 1905.
Tip: Don’t go to the Register of Deeds for a divorce record. The certificate comes only from the State Office in Pierre (or VitalChek), and the decree only from the county Clerk of Courts.
Note: Fees, processing times and rules are set by the issuing offices and can change. Times are estimates. Check with the office before you order. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
Other records
Other South Dakota records people search for
Official South Dakota sites for other common lookups. Some records are kept by counties or carry fees; the note on each line says so.
Official South Dakota sites for other records
Court case lookup
SD eCourts Unified Judicial System case records; search and copies carry fees.
Note: Links go to official state sites or services the state designates. Access rules, fees and coverage are set by each office and can change. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
About South Dakota public records
Certificate Information
Vital records are housed and issued by the South Dakota Department of Health. The department currently has almost all birth
records for the state, but death and marriage records are limited. Records for marriages before 1970 and deaths before 1960
must be acquired from the county in which they were filed. Orders can be made by mail, online, over the phone or in person.
Although geneological searches should use the mail to provide more time and a more thorough search. A public record search
costs $15 dollars and an expedited service is available for $11.50 dollars more.
South Dakota Department of Health
Vital Records
207 E Missouri Ave Suite 1A
Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: 605-773-4961
Fax: 605-773-2680
• Birth Records
• Death Records
• Marriage Records
• Divorce Records
Adoption Records
Only adoptees and adoptive parents are legally able to open sealed adoption records. To do so, contact the court where
the adoption was finalized to receive a certified court order to open sealed files. Non-identifying information is available
to any adult age adoptee or their adoptive parents with proper identification and a written request. Information includes:
approximate age of parents, heritage, general physical appearance, hobbies, talents, existence of other family, religion,
and health history. The department of Social Services also maintains a Voluntary Adoption Registry to allow sharing of
information or contact between consenting parties.
Department of Social Services
Division of Child Protection Services
Adoption Unit
700 Governors Drive
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-3227
Property and parcel records in South Dakota are left to the county level government. In most cases the data is handled by the
county treasurer, appraiser, or tax department. Most search tools directly relate to finding the tax valuation to facilitate
payment. In a few cases, the search tools are incorporated into the GIS mapping tool.
