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South Dakota County
Day County, South Dakota
Waubay National Wildlife Refuge and the northeast South Dakota lake country - from the Waubay National Wildlife Refuge (the 4,600-acre federal refuge in Day County encompasses a remarkable complex of glacial lakes, wetlands, and upland prairie that supports exceptional waterfowl nesting, migratory bird staging, and wildlife diversity - the refuge's rising lake levels in recent decades have created one of the most dynamic wetland ecosystems in the Prairie Pothole Region) to Day County's position in the Coteau des Prairies lake country producing extraordinary pheasant and waterfowl hunting.
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Office: Day County Emergency Management – 711 W. 1st Street, Suite 110, Webster, SD 57274 | (605) 345-9519 | Fax: (605) 345-3289
Services: Coordinates disaster preparedness and response countywide; administers Ordinance #03-01, requiring a burn permit for all open burning in the county (available from the Day County Sheriff’s Office)
Related: Day County Ambulance – 711 W. 1st Street, Suite 109, Webster, SD 57274, (605) 345-0911; Day County Sheriff – (605) 345-3222.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-12 serves Webster, the county seat, in the “Glacial Lakes” region of northeastern South Dakota, dotted with numerous natural lakes
Transit: Limited; primarily auto-dependent – confirm current regional options directly with the county.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Day County Planning & Zoning Office – 711 W 1st Street, Suite 203, Webster, SD 57274 | (605) 345-9502 | Fax: (605) 345-9503
Services: Building permits and zoning administration for unincorporated Day County
Notes: City of Webster issues its own separate building permits for in-city projects, reviewed at regular city council meetings – contact Webster City Hall, (605) 345-3241.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Day County Veterans Service Officer – Day County Courthouse, Webster, SD
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Webster Public Library – 800 Main Street, Webster, SD 57274 | (605) 345-3263 | Hours: Mon 1–6 PM, Tue 9–11 AM & 1–6 PM, Wed 1–5 PM, Thu 9–11 AM & 1–6 PM, Fri 1–6 PM (closed Sat/Sun)
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Day County is genuinely home to WAUBAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, a 4,650-acre sanctuary of lakes, marshes, native tallgrass prairie, and bur oak forest established in 1935, right in the depths of a devastating national drought that was simultaneously decimating waterfowl populations across the country; the refuge takes its name from the Dakota word “wabé” (sometimes rendered “wabe”), genuinely meaning “a place where numbers of birds make their nests” – an entirely fitting name, as the refuge has recorded an extraordinary 245 different bird species over the years, with more than 100 species regularly nesting there each season, spanning both eastern and western North American bird ranges; Waubay sits at a genuinely unique ecological crossroads, marking the southern edge of the breeding range for red-necked grebes and LeConte’s sparrows, while simultaneously representing the northern edge of range for red-bellied woodpeckers, northern cardinals, and yellow-billed cuckoos; the refuge’s centerpiece, Waubay Lake, is a naturally occurring lake known for genuinely dramatic water-level swings characteristic of the broader Prairie Pothole Region – during the severe drought of the 1930s, Waubay Lake actually went completely dry, only to see levels rise by as much as 15 feet during a period of heavy precipitation between 1993 and 1997, an increase so significant it permanently flooded stands of trees that had stood for 100 years or more, fundamentally transforming shallow, cattail-ringed wetlands into deep, open-water lakes now capable of supporting a genuine sport fishery for walleye and yellow perch; Day County itself, formed by the Dakota Territorial Legislature in 1880, is named for Merritt H. Day, a pioneer and territorial legislator, and the current Day County Courthouse dates to 1963, built to replace an earlier 1903 courthouse that was destroyed by fire in 1962
Notes: Waubay National Wildlife Refuge’s genuine, extensively documented status as one of the most bird-rich habitats in the Prairie Pothole Region – sitting at a rare overlap of eastern and western species ranges – is a distinctive natural landmark found here.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Day County GIS – accessible via day.sdcounties.org
Parcel Search: Day County Director of Equalization
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Day County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Notes: No dedicated county-run animal shelter or animal control department was confirmed in available sources for Day County. For strays or animal concerns, contact the Day County Sheriff’s Office, (605) 345-3222. The nearest confirmed regional shelters are in larger South Dakota cities such as Aberdeen or Watertown – contact directly to confirm whether they accept intake from Day County residents.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) – danr.sd.gov
Notes: Contact your specific municipality directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Day County is genuinely home to Waubay National Wildlife Refuge, one of the most bird-rich habitats in the Prairie Pothole Region with 245 recorded species. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and courthouse pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Day County
Day County is northeast South Dakota’s Waubay Lakes wildlife refuge county – the glacial lake complex and prairie pothole wetlands of the Waubay National Wildlife Refuge support exceptional waterfowl populations in one of the Prairie Pothole Region’s most productive corners.
Webster (the county seat, population ~1,500) serves Day County’s agricultural and outdoor recreation communities on the Coteau des Prairies.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Day County Director of Equalization at 711 W. 1st Street, Webster, SD 57274, phone 605-345-3390. SD residential owner-occupied exemptions apply.
Courts & Legal
Day County Circuit Court at 711 W. 1st Street, Webster, SD 57274, phone 605-345-3208, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF COURTS
711 West 1st St, Webster, SD 57274
(605) 345-3771
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Day County Clerk of Courts, Webster (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Day County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Clerk of Courts, Day County 711 West 1st Street, Webster, SD 57274 (605) 345-3771
Day County was founded in 1880, named for pioneer and 1879 Dakota Territory figure Merritt H. Day, in northeastern South Dakota, seated in Webster.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
South Dakota HAS adopted the Uniform Probate Code (Articles I, II, III, IV, and VIII, effective July 1, 1995). Probate proceedings are handled by the Circuit Court in the county where the decedent lived, generally administered under the supervision of the Clerk of Courts.
Small Estate Affidavit – Collection of Personal Property (SDCL § 29A-3-1201) – available when the total gross value of the entire estate, wherever located, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $50,000. At least 30 days must have passed since death, no petition for appointment of a personal representative is pending or has been granted anywhere, and the decedent had no outstanding debts to the Department of Social Services for medical assistance or institutional/nursing home care. A separate affidavit exists for South Dakota real estate under $50,000, which must also be filed with the Register of Deeds where the property sits.
Informal Probate – the most common track in South Dakota, used when heirs and beneficiaries are getting along and no disputes are expected.
Unsupervised Formal Probate and Supervised Formal Probate – for more complex or contested situations.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files an application or petition with the Clerk of Courts in Day County, along with the original will if one exists.
For informal probate, the clerk reviews the application administratively and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration without a hearing in most cases.
Formal proceedings require notice to interested parties and, if contested, a hearing before the circuit judge.
The personal representative gathers and inventories assets, notifies creditors, and pays valid debts and expenses.
After debts and taxes are satisfied, remaining assets are distributed according to the will or South Dakota’s intestacy statutes (SDCL Chapter 29A-2).
The estate is formally closed by filing a sworn closing statement or a petition for formal order of discharge (SDCL § 29A-3-1003).
What it costs
Court costs are set by law and paid to the Clerk of Courts; confirm current fees with Day County directly.
South Dakota has NO state estate tax and NO state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
A surviving spouse cannot be disinherited in South Dakota unless the spouse agrees.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
711 West 1st St, Webster, SD 57274
(605) 345-3336
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
AUDITOR (ELECTIONS)
711 West 1st St, Webster, SD 57274
(605) 345-3771
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
711 West 1st St, Webster, SD 57274
(605) 345-3771
Department of Social Services
711 West 1st St, Webster, SD 57274
(605) 345-3771
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Day County Public Health Nursing Service – Webster, SD
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
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