Perform a Free South Dakota Warrant Search (Resource)

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Free South Dakota Warrant Search

Find out if you or someone else has a warrant out for their arrest in South Dakota, free of charge.

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Execute a free South Dakota warrant search on anyone in just minutes using the guidance offered in this streamlined resource.

If you are dealing with a legal issue, you may want to perform a search to make sure you do not have any active warrants. Search tools and other resources can also be used to check on warrants for others, whether to protect yourself or satisfy your curiosity.

The South Dakota Sunshine Law, enacted to ensure people can view and inspect public records developed by government agencies, allows people to access warrant details. Below is information that will help you better understand how to access warrant information in South Dakota and the steps you need to take to successfully find the information you are looking for without any fees.

Who Is Authorized To Access & View Warrants Issued in South Dakota?

Any interested person can view information on a warrant in South Dakota in accordance with the requirements of the state’s Sunshine Law.¹ If you want to find out if you have a warrant or someone else, you are authorized to do so under this statute.

There are several different types of warrants, but depending on which one you are searching for, there may be some that are not publicly available. Some examples of information that may be restricted include warrants that are part of an ongoing law enforcement investigation, those that have not been executed, or if they are part of an expunged record. The South Carolina Sunshine Law provides exceptions for these types of situations.

Absent certain limited exceptions, warrant information can be searched by anyone for any reason. Below, you will learn the steps to take to find this information.

Conducting a South Dakota Warrant Search: An Overview

If you are looking to perform a warrant search in South Dakota, you want to gather the necessary information to perform an effective search. At a starting point, you will want the person’s full name to be able to effectively search online or in person.

Since South Dakota does not have a free unified court system for accessing warrant information, it will also be helpful to know the county where the warrant was issued.

If you have additional information, the search process may be even easier. Additional information that may assist you with your search includes the person’s date of birth as well as other descriptive information (e.g., sex, race, etc.).

Warrant information is available from various agencies. Where you should search first depends on the information you possess and the type of warrant you are looking for.

An effective plan if you are limited to just a person’s name is to begin your search broadly at the county level and then work your way down to city options. Agencies that maintain warrant information include the Clerk of Court, County Sheriff’s Office, Jail, and city police departments.

A person may also want to search for warrants issued by federal agencies. While there are options available, there are no free search engines for public use.

Depending on the agency and location, you may be able to find warrant information through online search tools, which is an individual’s quickest option. However, more detailed information is often available if you search for records in person or submit a formal request.

How To Check Online if You or Someone Else Has a Warrant in South Dakota

If you are looking for an online option to check for a South Dakota arrest warrant, the only available database requires payment. The paid option is a public access records search tool provided by the South Dakota Judiciary that can be used to access criminal records and view warrant information for a $20.00 search fee.

While it’s not a warrant search tool, the South Dakota Department of Corrections (DOC) does provide a Most Wanted Escapees List. Here, you can view a list of people (along with their mugshot) of those that have escaped a South Dakota state prison.

The South Dakota DOC also provides a list of parole absconders. Both groups of parties are individuals that would be currently subject to either arrest or bench warrants.

For further warrant information that does not charge a fee, you will have to perform a search at the county or municipal level. These options will be discussed below.

Look Up Warrants in South Dakota at the County Level (Free)

Since there are no free statewide search tools, you will want to focus your South Dakota warrant search at the county level.

The primary impediment to searching at the county level is you need to have more specific information about where the warrant was issued.

However, there are many benefits to searching at the county level. Most counties will have multiple government agencies available from which you can request warrant information. Depending on the county, this information can be obtained online, in person, by mail and over the phone.

Each county will be unique in its process for searching warrants and the tools available for a record seeker to use; below, you’ll find information and resources for conducting a warrant search in South Dakota’s three largest counties.

The largest county by far in South Dakota is Minnehaha County. If you are looking for warrant information in this county, you can use the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office’s online warrant search tool. This warrant search tool covers everything from minor offenses (e.g., traffic violations) to serious felonies (e.g., rape, murder, etc.).

The online warrant information is updated on a daily basis.

To use this search tool, you can enter a person’s last name or a city to see a list of matching warrants in Minnehaha County. Once you complete your search, all matches will provide you with the following information:

• Offender’s full name
• Complete address
• Date of birth
• Bond amount
• Bond type
• Warrant description (this will contain information on the criminal or traffic violation)
• The date the warrant was issued

To get more detailed warrant information, you can contact the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office by phone at 605-367-4300.⁵ They are available Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. They are located at:

Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office
320 West Fourth Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57104

You can also get limited warrant information through the Minnehaha County Jail Search Tool. For additional information from the jail, you can call them at 605-367-4321 or go to the address below:

Minnehaha County Jail
305 W. 4th St. 
Sioux Falls, SD 57104

You can also find warrant information by searching criminal records. A good starting point for accessing criminal records is by contacting the Minnehaha County Clerk of Court. They are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

You can call them at 605-367-5900 or talk to someone in person at the following location:

Minnehaha County Clerk of Court
425 North Dakota Ave.
Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Pennington County has the second largest population in South Dakota. If a citizen wants to access warrant information, they can use the search tool maintained by the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.⁷ This search tool allows you to search active warrants in Pennington County by an offender’s last name.

The search results will reveal the full name and address of a person with an active warrant. You can also view the charge that led to the arrest warrant. The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office also has a separate Felony Alert Warrant List.

Here, you can view the mugshot and details on individuals who have warrants for their arrest for a felony.

For additional information, you can contact the Warrants Division of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office at 605-394-6117. The Warrants Division is available Monday through Friday, from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM. You can also talk to someone at their office located at the following address:

Pennington County Sheriff’s Office
Warrants Division
300 Kansas City St. 
Rapid City, South Dakota 57701

Access to Pennington County criminal case records can provide details on warrant information as well. For information on how to access these records, you can contact the Pennington County Clerk of Court. They are open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 4:55 PM.

You can call them at 605-394-2570 or visit them at:

Pennington County Clerk of Court
315 St. Joseph Street, #5
Rapid City, South Dakota 57709

The third largest county by population in South Dakota is Lincoln County. For warrant information in this county, you can start by contacting the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.⁹ You can call them for information about active warrants at 605-764-5651.

If you want to talk to someone in person, you can go to the address below:

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office
128 North Main Street
Canton, South Dakota 57013 

You can also get limited warrant information through the Lincoln County Jail’s Inmate Search Tool. You can also call them at 605-764-5651 or go to the jail located at the address above for additional information.

Another option for warrant information is to contact the Lincoln County Clerk of Court.¹⁰ They can provide you with information on how to search criminal case records for warrant information.

The Lincoln County Clerk of Court is open from Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You can call them at 605-987-5891 or go to this address:

Lincoln County Clerk of Court
104 North Main St. 
Canton, South Dakota 57013

Tip: For other counties, try finding available resources by searching the county name along with “warrant search.”

Access Warrant Information Through Municipal Agencies & Courts

You may also want to search for warrant information at the local municipal level. This is the narrowest search option, but there may be some benefits to being able to perform a South Dakota warrant search with a local agency as long as you have sufficient information.

The most populated city in South Dakota is Sioux Falls. If you are looking for warrant information in this city, you can contact the Sioux Falls Police Department.¹¹ Their information desk is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

To check on the availability of warrant information, you can call them at 605-367-7212 or go to:

Sioux Falls Police Department
320 W. 4th Street
Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57104

Rapid City is the second largest city in South Dakota. If you are seeking warrant information here, contact the Rapid City Police Department. For warrant information, call their Police Records division at 605-394-4117 or send an email to [email protected].

You can also go to the police department’s office at the following location:

Rapid City Police Department
300 Kansas City St. #302
Rapid City, South Dakota 57701

Aberdeen has the third largest population for cities in South Dakota. For warrant information, get in touch with the Aberdeen Police Department. To ask about available warrant information, you can call them at 605-626-7025 or go to the address below:

Aberdeen Police Department
114 Second Ave. SE
Aberdeen, South Dakota 57401

Check Beyond South Dakota Borders & Run a Federal Warrant Search

So far, this article has focused on how to access and view South Dakota state warrants. However, you may also want to search for warrants issued by federal agencies. Unlike state warrants, there are limited options at the federal level.

A paid service you can search for federal warrant information on is Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER). To use this online tool, you can search by a person’s name. Once you get a list of results, you can click on the case number of a record you want to search for warrant information.

There is both a History and Docket Sheet section in the federal criminal record that will contain any available warrant information.

While there are no specific online search tools, certain federal agencies provide fugitive lists of their most wanted offenders. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has a most wanted fugitive list that provides their fifteen most wanted people. The list includes details on the person’s description as well as the crimes they are wanted for.

The FBI’s Most Wanted List contains their ten most wanted fugitives. Here, you can view the reason they are on the most wanted list, along with a description of the fugitive (including a mugshot). Lastly, you can also get information on the top fugitives for the Drug Enforcement Agency.

The DEA’s Fugitive List provides information on the offender and the federal criminal violations they are wanted for.

Alternative Option: Alternatively, you can submit a FOIA request with a federal agency. A good starting point is the U.S. Marshall Service, as they are responsible for executing many warrants for federal agencies. If you plan to submit a request, you may want to consider reaching out to a criminal defense attorney to assist you with the proper language to use to make this type of FOIA request.

Warrant Types in South Dakota & Their Meaning

Now that you know how to search for this important information, you will want to be able to decipher between the various types of South Dakota warrants. In South Dakota, there are three major categories of warrants, as outlined below.

Arrest Warrants: These are warrants issued to arrest a person for a criminal offense. Law enforcement will have to submit probable cause to a judge that a certain person committed a specific crime to obtain an arrest warrant. Once issued, law enforcement has the authority to arrest the person.

Bench Warrants: These types of warrants are issued when a person does not show up for a scheduled court appearance. This could be a case in which you are out on bail and forgot to show up for the subsequent hearing. A bench warrant in South Dakota can also be issued if you were supposed to make a court appearance as a witness.

Search Warrants: This is a different type of warrant where law enforcement is authorized to search and seize particular property involved in a criminal offense.¹³ Like an arrest warrant, law enforcement must present a judge with probable cause that there is certain property in a specific location that was used in the commission of a crime.

While these are the two major categories, warrants are also described by the type of offense that occurred. With these various warrants, there are sometimes different rules. For example, there are different flexibilities for executing a felony warrant as opposed to one for a misdemeanor.

A felony is a crime that often involves violence and comes with over one year of prison time if convicted. These warrants can be executed at any time, even if it’s in a different location from where it was issued.

Steps To Consider if You or Someone Else Has an Active Arrest Warrant in South Dakota

At this point, you have all the tools you need to search for warrant information. However, you should consider what you will do if you or someone you know has active arrest warrants in South Dakota. Below are important considerations to make if you or someone else has any outstanding warrants.

If you find out someone else has a warrant, you should first consider its severity. If it’s for something minor (e.g., a traffic ticket), then you may want to tell the person if you have a good relationship with them. Otherwise, you may want to notify a family member or friend, and they can better address the situation.

Of course, if the warrant is more serious (e.g., felony), you should consider providing whatever information you have about the person to law enforcement. Typically, your best option is to contact the law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction where the warrant was issued. They will be better equipped to handle a serious warrant situation.

If you find out that you have a warrant, do not ignore it. Depending on the type of warrant, you may be able to have the warrant removed by taking corrective action. This may be scheduling a new court date or paying an overdue fine.

In certain locations in South Dakota, you can also resolve certain matters through the Warrant Resolution Court.

However, if you are dealing with a more serious warrant, you should first contact a South Dakota criminal defense attorney. They will be able to walk you through the process of turning yourself in. Also, you may want to contact a bail bondsman in case you have the option of being released after turning yourself in.

Lastly, make sure you let your family know what is going on.

With this information, you should have a better understanding of the various types of warrants in South Dakota. With the tools and resources provided, you now have several options to perform a South Dakota warrant search.