Obtain Free South Dakota Marriage Records: License Search

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Free South Dakota Marriage Record Search

Access anyone's marital information in South Dakota, free of charge.

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Access free South Dakota marriage records on anyone.

Marriage records often refer to marriage certificates, which contain information about both parties, their personal details, and the date of marriage. Whether you’re searching for your own documents or information on someone else, there are several ways to request and obtain marriage records in South Dakota — going back to 1905 and beyond.

Utilize this resource for guidance when seeking marital details within the state.

Are Marriage Records & Certificates Publicly Available in South Dakota?

In South Dakota, marriage records and other vital records are not open for public inspection without an application.

According to the South Dakota Department of Health, both certified and informational (non-certified) copies are available, as per Administrative Rules Chapter 44:09:06.¹ Certified copies contain a raised seal and a signature of the issuing agent.

Non-certified copies do not contain this seal or signature. They are issued on plain paper and contain a notice, “For informational purposes only. Not for legal proof of identification.”

Most copies will be computer-generated (both certified and non-certified). If the computer-generated copy doesn’t contain the necessary information, photostatic copies may be requested instead. These photocopies are typically used for genealogy purposes. They can be certified copies (with a raised seal and signature) or informational (without a seal or signature).

Anyone may look up marriage licenses in South Dakota and obtain non-certified copies of the marriage certificates.

Unlike certified copies, informational copies may not be used for identification or any legal purpose. If you simply want to find out if someone is married in South Dakota (such as someone you’re dating and considering as a future spouse), you can avail yourself of this option.

As per Statute 34-25-52, only the registrants listed in the marriage certificate or their spouses, parents, legal guardians, or children may obtain a certified copy.² The registrant may also appoint a designated agent to apply for a certified copy on their behalf.

This designation must be signed by the registrant and notarized, according to the South Dakota legislature; there is a section for this on the application form.

Other authorized agents, such as the registrant’s attorney or physician, may also obtain certified copies.

The state may also issue a certified copy if it determines that it is necessary to protect someone’s personal or property rights, even if they are not directly related to or authorized by the registrant to submit a request for a certified copy.

Over 5,000 marriages are registered every year in South Dakota, based on South Dakota marriage statistics from the Vital Records report of 2021.³ With hundreds of new marriages being recorded every month, the demand to search free marriage records is higher than ever.

While the number of people living together is significantly higher, common law marriage is not recognized in South Dakota.

How To Look Up South Dakota Marriage Records & Spousal Information

In this section, you will learn all you need to know about looking up marriage records in South Dakota.

You can apply for a certified or non-certified marriage certificate copy through the mail, in person, over the phone, or online. For more information, you can always email [email protected].

To apply by mail, fill out the South Dakota Vital Records Request form.⁴ Include your personal details, the details of the registrant in the marriage certificate, and a clear copy of your photo ID. Fill out and notarize the designated agent section, if a designated agent is submitting the application.

If you do not have a copy of your photo ID, the form must be signed in front of a notary public.

Instead of submitting a copy of your photo ID or signing the application form in front of a notary, you may also submit a clear copy of any two of the following:

• Social security card
• Car registration or title with your current address
• Utility bill with your current address
• Bank statement with your current address
• Pay stub with your social security card and the address of the business

You must also pay the appropriate fee, which is set at $15 per copy. Accepted payment methods by mail include checks and money orders made out to Vital Records. Mail your application, copy of ID or proof of address, and a check or money order to the following address:

State Office of Vital Records
221 West Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501

You may also mail it to a Register of Deeds office. Use the Find a Register of Deeds tool and select your county from the drop-down menu to find the closest one to you.⁵

You can request copies of marriage records issued from 1950 and onward from any Register of Deeds office in South Dakota. For marriage certificates issued prior to 1950, you must submit your application to the State Office in the capital or the Register of Deeds office in the county where the marriage license was first issued.

To submit a request in person, visit the address listed previously in this section.

Alternatively, visit a Register of Deeds office in your local county. Use the Find a Register of Deeds Office tool (linked above) and select your county to find the closest one to you.

You will have to fill out an application form and pay a $15 fee. You must also provide a valid photo ID or two of the following forms of secondary identification:

• Social security card
• Car registration or title with your current address
• Utility bill with your current address
• Bank statement with your current address
• Pay stub with your social security card and current address

Accepted payment methods in person at the State Office include cash, debit or credit card (involves a $2.50 surcharge), check, or money order. Acceptable payment methods at local Register of Deeds Offices may vary.

South Dakota has authorized VitalChek, a third-party provider, to process online and telephone applications. An additional expediting fee of $11.50 will apply, as well as shipping fees (depending on the shipping method you select). Call 605-773-4961 or visit VitalChek to make your request.

If you are looking for archived indexes containing marriage records, scroll down to the appropriate section below.

Searching Counties & Cities in South Dakota for Marriage Records or Licenses

In South Dakota, marriage records are handled by the Vital Records System of the Department of Health, which maintains records from 1905 onward.

Copies can be obtained directly from the Department of Health in Pierre or from one of the 64 Register of Deeds offices throughout the state, which are all part of the Vital Records System.

Some counties may contain records before 1905 as well. For example, the Beadle County Register of Deeds office maintains standard marriage records all the way back to 1880.

You may also choose to use a Register of Deeds office instead of the main Department of Health office for faster processing. For example, you may get quicker results when visiting an office in person or applying by mail to an office close to you instead of mailing your application into the capital.

However, if the record was issued prior to 1950, you must visit the Register of Deeds office in the county where the marriage was first licensed or solemnized or the State Office in the capital.

To obtain marriage records from your county, you can either visit the Register of Deeds office in person or mail in an application.

When you visit in person, you must provide a primary photo ID or two forms of secondary identification (such as a social security card and a pay stub). When you mail in your application, you must include a photocopy of your ID, photocopies of two secondary IDs, or a notarized application form.

The fee is $15 per marriage record at each Register of Deeds office. Acceptable payment methods and hours of operation may vary, so call in advance to find out more.

While anyone can obtain an informational copy of a marriage certificate from a Register of Deeds office, you must meet eligibility requirements to obtain a certified copy with an official seal and signature. Eligibility requirements are listed above.

Visit the list of Register of Deeds offices in South Dakota and choose your county from the drop-down menu or scroll through the list (counties are listed in alphabetical order). There, you will find information such as:

• The Register of Deeds office address for mail-in application and in-person visits
• An email address and/or phone number to contact for more information
• Whether marriage records from prior to 1905 are available
• Directions to each Register of Deeds office (click on “Get Directions” to open it up in Google Maps)

For example, in Sioux Falls, you can obtain public marriage records dating back to 1872 by visiting or submitting your Minnehaha County Vital Records Request form to:

Minnehaha County Register of Deeds
415 N. Dakota Ave.
Sioux Falls, SD 57104-2465

Phone: 605-367-4223

The application fee is $15 per record copy. You can also contact Minnehaha County by filling out the the form on the Register of Deeds’ contact page.⁶

In Rapid City, you can obtain nuptial records by mailing the Pennington County Vital Records Certificate Request form to the office or visiting the following location in person:

Pennington County Register of Deeds
130 Kansas City Street, 210
Rapid City, South Dakota (57701-2818)

Phone: 605.394.2177
Email: [email protected]

The application fee is $15 per record copy. For more contact details, check the Pennington County contact page.

In the city of Aberdeen, you can obtain a marriage certificate copy by visiting or mailing the Brown County Vital Records Request form to:

Brown County Register of Deeds
25 Market St.
Aberdeen, SD 57401

Phone: 605-626-7140
Email: [email protected]

The application fee is $15 per record copy. You can also contact Brown County by filling out the form on the county’s contact page.

Acquiring a marriage record isn’t just for ascertaining someone’s marital status or to help enforce a prenup. You may also obtain archived marriage records for genealogy research.

How To Access the South Dakota Marriage Index for Family Lineage & Genealogy Research

If you are interested in a marriage license search for genealogical research, such as to discover your family’s lineage, you must go through the same process outlined above. Genealogical records are also managed by the Register of Deeds offices throughout the state.

However, such requests should be submitted by mail, according to the South Dakota Department of Health Genealogy Resources page.⁸

The mail order process allows you to provide various alternative spellings of names and places or alternative dates. This added flexibility helps ensure the search for the genealogical record is as thorough as possible.

If the record was issued between 1905 and before 1950, submit your application to the South Dakota Department of Health using the following address:

South Dakota Department of Health
Vital Records
221 West Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501

If it was issued prior to 1905, the record may be available from your county’s Register of Deeds office, but it depends on your county. Visit any of the Register of Deeds offices and look up your county for more information.

You are also able to access archived records from the South Dakota State Archives.

Older marital information might be available from public libraries, churches, historical and genealogical societies, and religious institutions, too.

How To Submit a Marriage License Application in South Dakota

To obtain a marriage license in South Dakota, you will first need to purchase a marriage license from a Register of Deeds office by visiting the office and filling out the marriage license application form, according to the Department of Health.

The cost of a marriage license is $40. Accepted payment methods could vary from one Register of Deeds office to another.

Both parties will have to be present to obtain a marriage license. Each registrant will also be required to provide a photo ID or a certified copy of their birth certificate as proof of age. Your social security number might possibly be required, too(although the physical social security card will not be).

Foreign passports are acceptable as photo IDs if the registrants are foreign nationals.

If a registrant is 16 or 17 years old, their parents or guardians will have to fill out the South Dakota Marriage License Parental Consent form.

The parents may accompany the couple and sign the parental consent form at the county offices when the couple applies for the license. Alternatively, the parents have the option of signing it beforehand at a notary public, and the couple can then bring the signed form when making their application.

The minimum age of marriage in South Dakota is 16.

The next step is solemnizing the marriage, as per South Dakota law.¹¹ This should take place within 90 days of purchasing the marriage license, as the licenses have a 90-day expiration date.

People who may solemnize a marriage include:

• A justice of the supreme court
• A judge of the circuit court
• A magistrate
• Someone authorized by a church to solemnize marriages

Your local Register of Deeds office may maintain a list of authorized individuals who are able to solemnize marriages.

After solemnizing the marriage, the person who solemnized it should return the marriage license to the Register of Deeds office in a span of 10 days. If this does not happen, the marriage will not be recorded in the Vital Records System.

Accessing a marriage certificate copy in South Dakota is a streamlined process if you know how to go about it.

Anyone has the option to obtain certified or non-certified copies of South Dakota marriage records — depending on eligibility — by mailing in the application form to the Department of Health or visiting a Register of Deeds office near them.