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State guides / South Dakota

South Dakota property data

South Dakota keeps its land records county by county, all 66 of them, each with its own systems. Here's what's public, what's hard to get, and what Deedplat puts on one map.

  • 66Counties
  • PublicSale prices
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What you can get in South Dakota

South Dakota makes most property records public, including what each property sold for. The catch is that every county keeps them differently.

Public everywhere

Every county has these, and Deedplat loads them all.

  • Owners and mailing addressesFrom the county Director of Equalization
  • Sale pricesEvery deed must be filed with a Certificate of Real Estate Value, the transfer fee is based on that value, and county equalization offices such as Minnehaha's publish sales lists.
  • Deeds and mortgagesRegister of Deeds in each county
  • Assessed valuesCounty equalization offices value all property every year at its full and true value.
  • Tax lien salesRun county by county
  • Foreclosure filings and salesCourt filings or recorded notices, depending on the route
  • Lot linesCounty parcel maps

Depends on the town

Cities keep their own building permits, code enforcement cases and rental records, and requests for them go to the city under the state public records law.

  • Code violations and condemnations
  • Building permits
  • Rental registration and inspections
  • Zoning maps and ordinances
  • Water and sewer liens

Not public

What no office will hand over, so you know where the line is.

  • Owner phone numbers and emails
  • Rents and leases
  • Active listingsThose live in the MLS
  • Mortgage balancesThe original loan amount is recorded; what's left is not

How property changes hands here

Distressed property reaches the market through a few channels, and they differ by county.

Tax lien certificates

Each county treasurer can auction the tax lien on delinquent property, usually once a year in December, and the bidder who accepts the lowest interest rate wins a certificate. If no one bids, the county keeps the certificate. After three years for property inside a city, or four years outside one, the holder can start the tax deed process, which gives the owner 60 more days to redeem after notice is served.

Foreclosure, two ways

Lenders can foreclose through the courts or, when the mortgage allows it, by advertisement outside court, though the borrower can ask a court to require a judicial case. Sales are usually held by the county sheriff, and the owner then has a redemption period, generally one year, or 180 days for a short-term redemption mortgage.

Land banks

South Dakota does not have a land bank law.

Transfer tax

The state transfer fee is 50 cents per $500 of value, or $1 per $1,000, collected by the Register of Deeds.

Worth knowing

A foreclosure sale buyer usually waits out a redemption period before getting a deed, generally one year, or 180 days when the loan is a short-term redemption mortgage.

Worth knowing

Tax certificate interest is bid down at auction, so the return depends on how competitive the sale is, and not every county sells certificates to private bidders.

Every county in South Dakota

Choose any county to get started.

Questions

Are property sale prices public in South Dakota?

Yes. Each deed is filed with a Certificate of Real Estate Value, the transfer fee is based on that value, and county equalization offices publish sales data.

How do tax sales work in South Dakota?

The county treasurer can auction the tax lien, and the bidder offering the lowest interest rate gets a certificate. After three years for city property, or four years elsewhere, the holder can start the tax deed process, and the owner gets 60 more days to redeem after notice.

Where are deeds and mortgages recorded in South Dakota?

With the Register of Deeds in the county where the property sits.

How often are South Dakota properties reassessed?

Every year. Each county's Director of Equalization values property annually at full and true value.

Is foreclosure judicial in South Dakota?

It can be either. Lenders can sue in court or foreclose by advertisement when the mortgage allows, but the borrower can ask the court to require a judicial case. After the sheriff's sale, the owner usually has one year, or 180 days for some loans, to redeem.

Can I get records Deedplat doesn't have?

Yes. South Dakota's public records law, SDCL Chapter 1-27, lets anyone request records from state and local governments, such as permits or code enforcement files. We file those requests for you, clean up the results and add them to your map.

Sources for this guide

Laws and fees change. We checked these sources in October 2026; confirm with the county before you act.

Every parcel, on one map

Deedplat is in beta. Pick any South Dakota county to get started.

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