South Dakota Free Public Records Directory

The Great Plains state of South Dakota is known as the “Mount Rushmore State” in honor of the monument featuring the faces of four US presidents carved into mountain granite: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The 40th state to join the union in 1889, South Dakota, like its border state North Dakota, takes its name from the Dakota, a Native American tribe of the Great Sioux Nation confederacy. South Dakota is bordered by the states of Minnesota to the east, Iowa to the southeast, Nebraska to the south, Montana to the northwest, Wyoming to the west, and North Dakota to the north. It is the 17th largest state in the country with 78,116 square miles of territory, but is the fifth-smallest in population, and the fifth-least densely populated state. In 2017, the US Census Bureau estimated the total population of North Dakota at 869,666. ^[1] The population of Sioux Falls in the 2010 Census was 153,888, making it the most populous city in the state. Pierre, the state capital, had a population of 13,646 recorded in the same census year, making it the second smallest populated state capital in the country. The first? Montpelier, Vermont, with 7,855 residents in the 2010 US Census.

Most of the South Dakota’s population resides in the eastern region. The state is divided geographically by the Missouri River. Eastern South Dakota is home to farming; agriculture is the leading industry in the state. The state commonly ranks among the top 10 in the US for its production of corn, hay, honey, rye, soybeans, sunflowers, and wheat. West of the Missouri River, ranching dominates the landscape. It is estimated that for every resident, 5 head of cattle exist in the state. ^[2]

In the southwest quadrant of the state, the Black Hills region plays an important role in South Dakota’s economy with its many tourist attractions. The area has sacred significance to its First Nation inhabitants; it was an established Sioux Nation territory until forced relocation. The Black Hills, due to its unique geography, now draws millions of visitors to Mount Rushmore, national cave parks, significant excavation sites, and the Crazy Horse Memorial. Mount Rushmore features the famous 60-foot high busts of four American presidents; national cave parks including Wild Cave and Jewel Cave National Monument attract tourists and amateur spelunkers alike. The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs offers visitors the opportunity to see the largest concentration of mammoth remains in the world. Ice Age fossils are also displayed, and active dig sites can be viewed. The Crazy Horse Memorial, upon completion, will be the largest mountain carving in the world. Begun in 1948, this sculpture depicts the legendary Lakota Chief and warrior astride his horse pointing into the distance.

Mountain memorials honor great US leaders in South Dakota. But whatever draws you to explore this state, if you need public record information from South Dakota, please visit our site for all your research needs!

Abbreviation	SD, S.D.
Capital	Pierre
Population	869,666 (2017 est.)
Area size	78,116 sq. mi
Demonym	South Dakotan
Primary languages spoken	English
Governor	Dennis Daugaard
Lieutenant Governor	Matt Michels
U.S. Senators	John Thune, Mike Rounds
U.S. House Delegation	1 Republican
Time Zone	Eastern – Central: UTC -6/-5 Western - Mountain: UTC -7/-6

*The map and data in the table are from Wikipedia.

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There are two types of public records; 1) personal public records that document major life milestones such as birth certificates, death certificates, divorce records, and marriage records, etc.; and 2) government records that are made public such as property tax records, recorded land records, voter records, crime data, jail inmate records, and court records. ^[4] The Freedom of Information Act is a national law that releases government agency public records and makes it possible to view most public records. Since there are a multitude of records available, it can be difficult to know how or where to access them. When you are ready to start your search, you’ll find our Public Records Directory website easy to use since all of the records can be searched by federal, state, county, city, town or type of record. The links provided will connect you to the best website for the record search, provide details about the record, or provide contact information for those records without search capabilities.

South Dakota Public Record laws were revamped in 2009. The laws governing access to public records are not limited to residents only; non-citizens can request South Dakota records and the fees assessed must reflect the actual administrative cost of mailing, transmittal, or reproduction. South Dakota agencies have 10 days to grant or deny a records request.