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South Dakota · How-To Guide

How do I access court records?

Clerk of Courts (county level - each of South Dakota's 66 counties / 7 judicial circuits) / South Dakota Unified Judicial System (state level)
Step by Step

How to do it

  1. Identify what type of record you need: Circuit Court (felonies, major civil, family/domestic, probate), Magistrate Court (misdemeanors, minor civil up to $12,000, traffic), or SD Supreme Court
  2. Search online:
  3. SOUTH DAKOTA UNIFIED JUDICIAL SYSTEM (UJS) - COURT CASE LOOKUP: ujs.sd.gov - South Dakota's statewide court website; provides access to case information for Circuit Court and Magistrate Court cases; searchable by party name, case number, or attorney
  4. SD UJS PUBLIC ACCESS: Available at ujs.sd.gov/home/cases.aspx or similar; covers civil and criminal dockets
  5. For full case documents or certified copies: contact the Clerk of Courts in the county where the case was filed
  6. In-person access: visit the county courthouse; bring photo ID and case details
Details

What you need to know

Required Docs
  • Valid photo ID (for in-person requests)
  • Case number or full legal name of parties
Fee
Online case search: free for basic docket information; certified copies: typically $0.50-$1 per page; contact specific county Clerk of Courts for current schedule
Processing Time
Online: immediate where available; same day or by mail for certified copies
Online Option
Yes - ujs.sd.gov (SD Unified Judicial System case lookup)
Where to Go
County Clerk of Courts in county where case was filed
County-specific variations apply

SD's 66 counties are organized into 7 judicial circuits. Minnehaha County (Sioux Falls - 2nd Circuit), Pennington County (Rapid City - 7th Circuit), Brown County (Aberdeen - 5th Circuit), Codington County (Watertown - 5th Circuit), and other more populated counties have the busiest court systems. Small rural SD counties (Jones, Haakon, Ziebach, Corson, Buffalo) have very minimal court activity and staffing.

South Dakota Notes

Important state-specific details

  • SD Unified Judicial System (ujs.sd.gov): statewide court portal; good online access to case dockets.
  • Marriage records: held at County Register of Deeds (not Clerk of Courts).
  • Divorce certificates: ONLY from SD Department of Health Vital Records (not county); divorce decrees: from Clerk of Courts in county where divorce was filed.
  • Criminal history background checks: SD Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) - dci.sd.gov | (605) 773-3331; fee-based.
  • SD Sex Offender Registry: sor.sd.gov - searchable online.
  • Tribal courts: SD tribal nations operate their own independent court systems; tribal court records are separate from state UJS and not accessible through SD state portals.
  • SD Open Records Law (SDCL Chapter 1-27): public records presumed open; agencies must respond promptly; fees allowed for reproduction costs and staff time over one hour.
Official Source

State office contact

State Office
South Dakota Unified Judicial System - ujs.sd.gov | (605) 773-3474; SD DCI (criminal records) - dci.sd.gov | (605) 773-3331