South Dakota vital records · Death Certificate
South Dakota Death Certificate
How to get a certified South Dakota death certificate: the official fee, processing time, who is eligible, what ID to bring, and every county office that issues death records — or order online and skip the visit.
- $15.00
- Death Certificate fee
- 2–5 weeks
- Processing time
- 65
- Offices issuing
- 65
- Counties
How to get a South Dakota death certificate
- 1Online (fastest). Prepare your application through our partner Vital Records Online ↗. Your request is checked for errors before it reaches the South Dakota office.
- 2In person. Visit one of the 65 county offices that issue death records; most print certified copies while you wait.
- 3By mail. Send the application form ↗, a copy of your ID and the $15.00 fee to South Dakota Department of Health - Vital Records Office, VITAL RECORDS, South Dakota Department of Health, 221 West Capitol Ave, Pierre, SD 57501.
South Dakota death certificate fees, processing & requirements
- Fee
- $15
- Additional copy
- $15
- Rush fee
- Mail-ins: just need to submit a prepaid priority mail envelope and they will expedite the processing online (vitalchek): $11.50
- Processing time
- “Processing times may vary depending on location. You may submit your request to the State Office in a prepaid priority envelope for expedited processing (optional).”
- Rush processing
- Not specified
Who can request
- Attorneys
- Authorized Agent
- Children
- Designated Agent
- Funeral Director
- Heir
- Legal Guardian
- Other person of interest (personal and property rights)
- Parents
- Person on Record
- Physician
- Spouse
Required information
- Date of Death
- Full Name of Person of Record
- Mailing Address
- Place of Death
- Sex
- State File Number
- Your Name
- Your Relationship to the Person of Record
- Your Signature
Accepted ID
- Driver's License
- Passport
- State ID
- Tribal ID
- US Military ID
- Visa
Secondary ID
- Bank Statement
- Pay Stub
- Social Security Card
- Utility Bill
- Vehicle Registration
Notarization: Yes (if cannot provide valid ID)
South Dakota Department of Health - Vital Records Office (SD-DOH - Vital Records Office)
- Address
- 221 West Capitol Ave Pierre, SD 57501
- Mailing
- VITAL RECORDS South Dakota Department of Health 221 West Capitol Ave Pierre, SD 57501
- Phone
- (605) 773-4961
- Website
- Official site ↗
- Hours
- 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Skip the trip. Order a South Dakota death certificate online through our partner, Vital Records Online — application review, status updates and delivery to your door.
Order online ↗Where to get a death certificate in South Dakota: county offices
65 offices in 65 South Dakota counties are confirmed to issue death records. Fees shown are the office's own published fee; others charge the state fee of $15.00.
- Aurora County 1
- Beadle County 1
- Bennett County 1
- Bon Homme County 1
- Brookings County 1
- Brown County 1
- Brule County 1
- Buffalo County 1
- Butte County 1
- Campbell County 1
- Charles Mix County 1
- Clark County 1
- Clay County 1
- Codington County 1
- Corson County 1
- Custer County 1
- Davison County 1
- Day County 1
- Deuel County 1
- Dewey County 1
- Douglas County 1
- Edmunds County 1
- Fall River County 1
- Faulk County 1
- Grant County 1
- Gregory County 1
- Haakon County 1
- Hamlin County 1
- Hand County 1
- Hanson County 1
- Harding County 1
- Hughes County 1
- Hutchinson County 1
- Hyde County 1
- Jackson County 1
- Jerauld County 1
- Jones County 1
- Kingsbury County 1
- Lake County 1
- Lawrence County 1
- Lincoln County 1
- Lyman County 1
- Marshall County 1
- McCook County 1
- McPherson County 1
- Meade County 1
- Mellette County 1
- Miner County 1
- Minnehaha County 1
- Moody County 1
- Oglala Lakota County 1
- Pennington County 1
- Perkins County 1
- Potter County 1
- Roberts County 1
- Sanborn County 1
- Sioux Falls County 1
- Spink County 1
- Stanley County 1
- Sully County 1
- Todd County 1
- Union County 1
- Walworth County 1
- Yankton County 1
- Ziebach County 1
Showing 60 of 65 offices — open a county above for the full list.
* State fee — this office has not published its own.
More South Dakota vital records
South Dakota death certificate FAQs
How much does a South Dakota death certificate cost?
A certified South Dakota death certificate costs $15.00 ($15), and additional copies ordered at the same time are $15.
How long does it take to get a death certificate in South Dakota?
Standard processing is “Processing times may vary depending on location. You may submit your request to the State Office in a prepaid priority envelope for expedited processing (optional).”. Expedited service: Not specified (Mail-ins: just need to submit a prepaid priority mail envelope and they will expedite the processing online (vitalchek): $11.50). In-person requests at a county office are often same-day.
Where do I get a death certificate in South Dakota?
65 South Dakota offices across 65 counties issue death records: county clerks, registers of deeds and health departments listed on this page. You can also apply by mail to the state vital records office (South Dakota Department of Health - Vital Records Office), or order online.
Who can request a South Dakota death certificate?
South Dakota issues certified copies to: Attorneys, Authorized Agent, Children, Designated Agent, Funeral Director, Heir, Legal Guardian, Other person of interest (personal and property rights), Parents, Person on Record, Physician, Spouse.
What ID do I need for a South Dakota death certificate?
Accepted primary ID: Driver's License, Passport, State ID, Tribal ID, US Military ID, Visa. If you have no primary ID, bring two of: Bank Statement, Pay Stub, Social Security Card, Utility Bill, Vehicle Registration.
Can I order a South Dakota death certificate online?
Yes. Prepare and submit your South Dakota death certificate application online through our partner, Vital Records Online, and skip the in-person visit.
Public records: South Dakota Sunshine Law. Fees and processing times are set by South Dakota and its counties and change without notice — confirm with the office before applying.