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How to get a copy of a deed in South Dakota

Who holds it: County Register of Deeds (DOH directory lists 66 counties; Oglala Lakota and Todd counties are served at the Fall River (Hot Springs) and Tripp (Winner) offices)1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Fees
  2. Related records in South Dakota
  3. How South Dakota handles it
  4. Deeds in South Dakota counties with a full guide
  5. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  6. Sources

Copy fee

$1 per page for an uncertified copy (hard copy, microfilm, electronic or fax)2

How to search

Contact or visit the Register of Deeds of the county where the land lies; DOH maintains a county-by-county Register of Deeds directory3

Fees

Certified copy fee
$5 for the first page plus $1 for each additional page (includes certificate and seal)2
Recording fee
$30 for the first 50 pages plus $2 per additional page over 50 (deeds, mortgages, other instruments)2
Transfer fee
Real estate transfer fee of $0.50 per $500 of value, paid by grantor; Certificate of Real Estate Value (PT 56) must accompany deeds/contracts for deed4
Maps: state GIS portal
State open GIS data hub: gis.sd.gov (redirects to the state BIT ArcGIS Hub site opendata2017-09-18t192802468z-sdbit.opendata.arcgis.com)5

How South Dakota handles it

  • Register of Deeds is also the local vital-records registrar: it issues marriage licenses and certified birth, death and marriage copies from the statewide database, and accepts vital-record orders6
  • Oglala Lakota County and Todd County have no separate courthouse office in the DOH directory: their Register of Deeds listings use the Fall River County address (906 N. River St., Hot Springs) and the Tripp County address (200 E. 3rd St., Winner)3
  • Tribal records: tribal marriages/divorces only from the tribe; the state sex offender registry links separate tribal registries7

Deeds in South Dakota counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Minnehaha CountyMinnehaha County Register of Deeds8—$1.00 per page9
Pennington CountyPennington County Register of Deeds10—$1.00 per page11

For any other county, see the county list on the South Dakota guide.

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any South Dakota office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: deeds and land records in every state. Everything else in South Dakota: South Dakota public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. SDCL § 7-9-1 Register of deeds duty to keep recordsSouth Dakota Legislature (SDCL)checked November 4, 2026
  2. SDCL § 7-9-15 Register of deeds feesSouth Dakota Legislature (SDCL)checked November 4, 2026
  3. Find a Register of Deeds OfficeSouth Dakota Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  4. SDCL § 43-4-21 Real estate transfer feeSouth Dakota Legislature (SDCL)checked November 4, 2026
  5. South Dakota open GIS data hub (gis.sd.gov redirect)South Dakota Bureau of Information and Telecommunicationschecked November 4, 2026
  6. Genealogy ResourcesSouth Dakota Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  7. Order Vital RecordsSouth Dakota Department of Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  8. Register of DeedsMinnehaha Countychecked November 4, 2026
  9. Recording FeesMinnehaha County Register of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  10. Pennington County, SDchecked November 4, 2026
  11. Summary of Recording and Copy Fees (Pennington County Register of Deeds)Pennington County, SDchecked November 7, 2026