Pennington County, South Dakota public records

In Pennington County, deeds are recorded by the Pennington County Register of Deeds; property values come from the Pennington County Equalization Department; court files are kept by the Pennington County Clerk of Court.

Last checked against official sources on November 7, 2026.

On this page

1. Where to get each record
2. Deeds and land records
3. Property values, owners and tax bills
4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
5. Marriage records
6. Divorce records
7. Birth certificates
8. Death certificates
9. Probate records and wills
10. Business names (DBA)
11. Voter records
12. Historical records
13. Good to know about Pennington County records
14. Office addresses, phones and hours
15. Questions people ask
16. Official copies vs look-alike sites
17. Sources

Where to get each record

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Pennington County are recorded by the Pennington County Register of Deeds.³

Copy fee

$1.00 per page²

Certified copy fee

$5.00 first page plus $1.00 each additional page²

How to order

Contact the Register of Deeds; a UCC Search Request form and a recording and copy fee summary are linked on the office page³

Holdings

Land records dating back to 1883⁹

How deeds work in South Dakota

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Pennington County Equalization Department sets property values⁴; the Pennington County Treasurer bills and collects the tax⁵.

Assessor search: public or restricted

Unavailable at check⁴

Tax bill search

public.penncosd.gov/PropertyTax⁶

Tax search: cost

Online payment: e-check $1.95, card 2%; cost of searching not stated⁶

Bulk files

2026 property files by class are downloadable from the Equalization page¹²

Parcel map (GIS)

rcgov.org/…¹³

Appealing a value

2026 deadlines: property in a municipality, written notice by March 12; outside a municipality, by April 7¹⁴

How property tax works in South Dakota

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

Criminal records and background checks

Summary

Statewide PARS criminal summary search, $20 per search (fee charged even if no record is found)¹⁶

How South Dakota courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Pennington County Register of Deeds.³

Marriage license fee

$40.00 cash; $42.50 by card; no personal checks⁸

Copy fee

$15.00⁸

Validity

Valid 90 days, no waiting period⁸

South Dakota marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Divorce records are held by the Clerk of Courts Office⁹

Birth certificates

Kept by the Pennington County Register of Deeds - Vital Records.¹⁰

Fee

$15.00 each, back to 1905¹⁰

Payment

Money order by mail or cash in the office; no personal checks¹⁰

Online

VitalChek by card, additional $11.50 for expedited processing¹⁰

Ordering a South Dakota birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by the Pennington County Register of Deeds - Vital Records.¹⁰

Fee

$15.00¹⁰

Ordering a South Dakota death certificate

Probate records and wills

Probate records are held by the Clerk of Courts Office⁹

Finding a will or probate case in South Dakota

Business names (DBA)

Kept by the Pennington County Register of Deeds.³

Fee

$10.00; terminations free¹¹

Voter records

Kept by the Pennington County Auditor.¹⁷

Role

The Auditor maintains voter registration and election history¹⁷

Register

Mail the form to Pennington County Auditor, PO Box 6160, Rapid City SD 57709-6160¹⁸

Historical records

Marriage records from June 23, 1887; burial records from July 1, 1941; land records from 1883 (state directory)⁹

Good to know about Pennington County records

• County reports a cybersecurity incident affecting public services; Property Search and Public Access listed as unavailable¹⁹
• Property tax drop boxes are at both 900 Concourse Drive and 130 Kansas City Street⁶
• Military discharge records are held but are not available for public access⁹
• About 57,000 parcels valued over $20 billion⁴
• Sheridan was the first county seat²⁰

Office addresses, phones and hours

Questions people ask

Other counties in South Dakota with a full guide: Minnehaha County. Every county in the state: South Dakota county list.

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. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureauchecked November 4, 2026
2. Summary of Recording and Copy Fees (Pennington County Register of Deeds)Pennington County, SDchecked November 7, 2026
3. Pennington County, SDchecked November 4, 2026
4. Pennington County, SDchecked November 4, 2026
5. Pennington County, SDchecked November 4, 2026
6. Pennington County, SDchecked November 4, 2026
7. Pennington County | South Dakota Unified Judicial System | SD UJSSouth Dakota Unified Judicial Systemchecked November 7, 2026
8. Pennington County, SDchecked November 4, 2026
9. Skip to main contentchecked November 4, 2026
10. Pennington County, SDchecked November 4, 2026
11. Pennington County, SDchecked November 4, 2026
12. Pennington County, SDchecked November 4, 2026
13. RapidMap - Interactive Web Maps | Rapid City South Dakotachecked November 4, 2026
14. Pennington County, SDchecked November 4, 2026
15. Seventh Circuit Court | South Dakota Unified Judicial System | SD UJSchecked November 4, 2026
16. Public Access to Court Records | South Dakota Unified Judicial SystemSouth Dakota Unified Judicial Systemchecked November 7, 2026
17. Pennington County, SDchecked November 4, 2026
18. Pennington County, SDchecked November 4, 2026
19. Pennington County, SDchecked November 4, 2026
20. Pennington County, SDchecked November 4, 2026
21. Pennington County, SDchecked November 4, 2026
22. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureauchecked November 4, 2026