South Dakota Public Records

First Name Last Name

For earlier records, write to the treasurer of the county in question.

South Dakota Land Records
South Dakota is a federal-land state. Most lands were acquired from the federal government or from other individuals. The original patents and copies of tract books and township plats are at the Bureau of Land Management, 222 North 32nd Street, Box 30157, Billings, MT 59107. The United States General Land Office unapproved homestead files, 1905–20, are housed at the South Dakota State Historical Society, as are tract books for land claims, 1864–1915. The National Archives in Washington, D.C., has the land-entry case files as described in Inventory No. 22 and the GLO headquarters original tract books and township plats. The records of South Dakota's land offices are mostly in the National Archives‹Rocky Mountain Region in Denver, Colorado. See Charles L. Green, The Administration of the Public Domain in South Dakota (Pierre, S.D.: Hipple Printing, 1939), and N. Thomas, "Distribution of the Public Domain in Dakota Territory" (M.A. thesis, University of South Dakota, 1944).
Once granted by the federal government, later land transactions were filed with the county register of deeds. For further information on land and property research, consult:
Hone, E. Wade. Land and Property Research in the United States. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1997.

South Dakota Court Records
Court records include probate records (which include wills), guardianship, naturalization, and a wide variety of other sources, ranging from criminal trials to simple road orders. All contain information about individuals within the area. It should be remembered that there are different levels of jurisdiction for courts in the United States, all of which should be considered for research under various circumstances. Court of Common Pleas, Orphan's Court, Probate Court, District Court, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and other titles are among those encountered. To study more about court records in general, see "Research in Court Records," by Arlene H. Eakle, in:
Szucs, Loretto Dennis, and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, eds. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. Rev. ed. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1997.

South Dakota Military Records
Microfilmed copies of Union volunteers from the Dakota territories during the Civil War are available from the National Archives and other interlibrary loan resources. They also may be searched at the South Dakota State Historical Society. A publication which may be useful to the genealogist with early pioneer ancestors is Memorandum and Official Records Concerning Dakota Militia, Organized in 1862 for the Protection of the Frontier Settlements from the Hostile Sioux Indians, compiled by R. E. McDowell in connection with Senate Bill No. 5353, Doc. 241, 58th Congress, 2nd session, Washington, D.C., 1904.
A roster of soldiers from the First Infantry Regiment, South Dakota Volunteers in the Spanish American War, has been published in Doane Robinson's History of South Dakota, 2 vols. (Chicago: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1904). South Dakota World War II History Commission records may be used at the state archives and, although there are some restrictions, World War II service records from South Dakota may also be researched there. The South Dakota State Archives military benefit records, including mothers' pension records for Deuel (1913–40), Hughes (1923–40), Kingsbury (1922–40), Lawrence (1918–40), McCook (1917–31), Mellette (1914–40), Minnehaha (1913–40), Union (1922–40), and Walworth (1926–40) counties. These records do have restricted access. They also hold militia lists for Edmunds (1918–19) and McCook (1889–1920). Additionally, some soldiers' discharge papers may be found in the register of deeds office. For further information, consult:
Neagles, James C. U.S. Military Records: A Guide to Federal and State Sources. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1994.

Additional Sources
The South Dakota State Historical Society published an extensive collection in forty-one volumes between 1902–82 of historical material entitled South Dakota Historical Collections. An index, published in 1989, is available from the society. Volumes circulate from the state library; a few are still in print and available for sale at the society.
Kingsbury, George Washington, and George Martin Smith. History of Dakota Territory and South Dakota: Its History and Its People. 5 vols. Chicago: S. J. Clarke, 1915.
Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk. South Dakota Geographic Names. Brevet Press, 1973.
Turchen, Lesta Van Der West, and James D. McLaird. County and Community: A Bibliography of South Dakota Local Histories. Mitchell, S.D.: the author, 1979.

Cost of copy: $7.00

Address:
Vital Records
State Department of Health
600 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501-2536

Remarks: State office has records filed after July 1905.

Money order should be made payable to South Dakota Department of Health. Personal checks are accepted. To verify current fees the telephone number is (605) 773-4961. This will be a recorded message. Information on how to obtain certified copies is also available via the internet at http://www.state.sd.us/doh/vitalrec/vital.htm.

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Event: Marriage

Cost of copy: $7.00

Address:
Vital Records
State Department of Health
600 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501-2536

Remarks: Records since July 1905. Marriages can also be obtained from the County Register of Deeds where the marriage occurred.

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Event: Divorce

Cost of copy: $7.00

Address:
Vital Records
State Department of Health
600 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501-2536

Remarks: Records since July 1905. Divorces can also be obtained from the Clerk of Courts in the county where the divorce was granted.

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