Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
South Dakota County
Spink County, South Dakota
Redfield's pheasant hunting capital and James River grain country - from Spink County's pheasant hunting heritage (the grain fields, wetlands, and shelterbelts of Spink County produce exceptional ring-necked pheasant populations - the county is among the top pheasant hunting destinations in South Dakota, which itself is the premier pheasant hunting state in the United States - the October and November pheasant season brings hunters from across the country to Redfield's surrounding farmland) and the James River valley's productive wheat, corn, and soybean farming.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Spink County Emergency Management – Spink County Courthouse, 1st Floor, 210 East 7th Avenue, Redfield, SD 57469
Services: County-level disaster planning; the Spink County Mitigation Plan is maintained jointly with the City of Redfield.
Related: Spink County Sheriff’s Department – 24-hour communications center with Enhanced 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-281 and US-212 meet at Redfield, the county seat, in east-central South Dakota, about 42 miles from Aberdeen; historically served by both the Chicago & Northwestern and Milwaukee Road rail lines
Transit: Limited; primarily auto-dependent – confirm current regional options directly with the county.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Spink County Equalization / Planning and Zoning – 210 East 7th Avenue, Redfield, SD 57469 | (605) 472-4585
Services: Building permits, variances, special exceptions, rezoning, and temporary CAFO permits; the Planning and Zoning Commission meets during regular Spink County Commission meetings.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Spink County Veterans Service Officer – Spink County Courthouse, Redfield, SD
Services: Access to South Dakota Historical Newspapers (1875-1924) and U.S. Newsstream databases, Libby app ebooks/audiobooks; free library cards for city residents, $15/year for those outside city limits.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Spink County’s seat, Redfield, genuinely and officially carries the registered title “The Pheasant Capital of the World®,” a claim to fame dating back to June 1908, when local residents H.P. Packard, H.J. Schalkle, and H.A. Hagmann secured three pairs of Chinese ringneck pheasants from Grants Pass, Oregon and released them at Hagmann’s Grove just north of Redfield – the very first successful introduction of the species anywhere in South Dakota; the pheasant population grew steadily in the years that followed, and in 1911 the state game department purchased 48 additional pairs with privately subscribed funds and released them near Redfield as well; the results were remarkable – Spink County went on to host the very first one-day open pheasant hunting season in South Dakota history on October 30, 1919, and within fifteen years, every single county in the state was hosting pheasant hunts; in 1943, the South Dakota State Legislature formally declared the ring-necked pheasant the official state bird, a direct legacy of what began with those three pairs of birds released on a Spink County farm; today, pheasant hunting generates an estimated $281 million annually for South Dakota’s economy, and Redfield continues to draw hunters from across the country and internationally each fall – the city even hosted the National Pheasant Fest, drawing roughly 29,000 attendees to showcase its status as the genuine birthplace of South Dakota pheasant hunting; visitors can also explore Fisher Grove State Park, eight miles east of Redfield along the James River, named for Frank I. Fisher, the first permanent European settler in Spink County, offering camping, swimming, fishing, and a ten-hole golf course
Notes: Redfield’s genuine, extensively documented status as the birthplace of South Dakota’s pheasant hunting tradition – and the direct reason the ring-necked pheasant became the state’s official bird – is one of the most historically significant wildlife stories found anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Spink County GIS – contact the Spink County Courthouse for current parcel/GIS access
Parcel Search: Spink County Register of Deeds – Redfield, SD
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Spink County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Notes: No dedicated county-run animal shelter or animal control department was confirmed in available sources for Spink County. For strays or animal concerns, contact the Spink County Sheriff’s Department. The nearest confirmed regional shelters are in larger South Dakota cities such as Aberdeen (Aberdeen Area Humane Society) or Huron – contact directly to confirm whether they accept intake from Spink County residents.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) – danr.sd.gov
Notes: Redfield City Landfill – Summer Hours: Tue/Thu 9 AM–5 PM; check current seasonal hours and holiday closures directly with the City of Redfield.
NOTES
Spink County’s seat, Redfield, is genuinely and officially registered as “The Pheasant Capital of the World,” the birthplace of South Dakota’s pheasant hunting tradition since 1908. 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 Spink County
Spink County is north-central South Dakota’s pheasant hunting heartland – the grain fields and wetlands produce exceptional pheasant populations that draw hunters from across the country to one of America’s premier upland bird destinations, and the James River valley’s productive farmland anchors a traditional Great Plains agricultural community.
Redfield (the county seat, population ~2,300) serves Spink County’s grain farming and pheasant hunting communities in the north-central South Dakota James River corridor.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Spink County Director of Equalization at 210 E. 7th Avenue, Redfield, SD 57469, phone 605-472-4573. SD homestead exemption available for owner-occupied properties.
Courts & Legal
Spink County Circuit Court at 210 E. 7th Avenue, Redfield, SD 57469, phone 605-472-5571, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF COURTS
210 East 7th Ave, Redfield, SD 57469
(605) 472-4535
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Spink County Clerk of Courts, Redfield (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The 1927 Spink County Courthouse, NRHP-listed, is a significant local landmark.
Local societies
No dedicated Spink 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, Spink County 210 East 7th Avenue, Redfield, SD 57469 (605) 472-4535
Spink County was created in 1873 and organized in 1879, named for Solomon L. Spink, in northeastern South Dakota, seated in Redfield. The 1927 Spink County Courthouse, Classical Revival in style, designed by architect Beaver Wade Day of Toltz, King & Day Inc., is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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 Spink 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 Spink 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
210 East 7th Ave, Redfield, SD 57469
(605) 472-1234
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
AUDITOR (ELECTIONS)
210 East 7th Ave, Redfield, SD 57469
(605) 472-4535
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Public Health
210 East 7th Ave, Redfield, SD 57469
(605) 472-4535
Social Services
210 East 7th Ave, Redfield, SD 57469
(605) 472-4535
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Spink County Public Health Nursing Service – Redfield, SD
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
