You do not need to live in South Dakota or hold a South Dakota ID in order to register your vehicle in the state. All you need is proof of insurance
, your vehicle’s title, two forms of paperwork, and payment. South Dakota’s low excise tax and lack of emissions testing make it an ideal place to register your vehicle—even if you live out of state.
Initial vehicle registrations must be done in person at the County Clerk’s office, but subsequent renewals may be done online.
Motorcycles, motorhomes, heavy trucks, and other special vehicles may be subject to additional registration fees or requirements.
How to register a car in South Dakota
Quick fact: South Dakota has more than 1.2 million registered vehicles, but there are only about 900,000 people living there.
The fifth-least-populated state in the country is a good place to register a car if you want to pay less in taxes and registration fees. South Dakota also doesn't require a vehicle or emissions inspection, which makes the whole process of registering a car pretty easy.
To register your vehicle in the state of South Dakota, you’ll need to take a trip to your local County Treasurer’s office
. After the initial registration process is complete, you can renew your registration online, by mail, or through a DMV kiosk. Registration fees vary based on your vehicle’s weight and age:
For vehicle models less than nine years old: You pay $75.60 in registration fees.
For vehicle models older than nine years: You pay $50.40 in registration fees.
Electric (not hybrid!) vehicle owners should be aware that registering an all-electric car also comes with an additional $50 fee.
You’ll also need $10 for the title fee and will be responsible for paying the 4% South Dakota excise tax.
Thankfully, South Dakota is a very tax-friendly state:
New residents from high sales tax states: If you are moving from a state that has an excise tax rate higher than 4%, you do not have to pay any additional taxes.
New residents from low sales tax states: On the flip side, if you’re moving from a tax-free state or state with excise taxes lower than 4%, you must pay the difference in taxes in order to match the 4% South Dakota excise tax.
If you just moved to South Dakota
Just bought a home in South Dakota? The state offers a generous 90-day window to register your vehicle.
While you don’t need a South Dakota driver’s license in order to register your vehicle, you also have 90 days to complete that process as well. Head down to your local county treasurer’s office and bring the following documents with you:
Vehicle title (or duplicate title) from the state you’ve moved from
Proof of insurance in South Dakota
If your vehicle is less than 20 years old and weighs less than 16,000 lbs, you will also need to fill out an Odometer Disclosure
form Payment for the registration fee, title fee, and excise tax (if applicable)
Acceptable forms of payment generally include checks, cash, and debit and credit cards.
If you just bought a car in South Dakota
If you’re already an established South Dakota resident and you purchase a new vehicle, you will also need to get it registered with the state. The timeline is a little tighter if you’ve just purchased a new (or new-to-you) car: you have only 45 days to title and register your vehicle.
Most of the time when you purchase a vehicle from a dealership, they’ll handle the registration paperwork for you. If they don't—or if you purchase from a private seller—you’ll need the following forms:
Car title with your name on it or Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin
If you purchased the vehicle from a private seller, you will need a Bill of Sale
Proof of insurance in South Dakota
Payment for the registration fee, title fee, and excise tax (again, if applicable)
Note that if your new ride is a motorcycle or moped, there may be additional registration requirements.
Minimum insurance requirements in South Dakota
Before you hit the wide open South Dakota roads, you’ll first need to make sure your car insurance policy meets the state’s minimum requirements
: At least $25,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per accident
At least $50,000 of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident
Although this may seem like a lot of coverage, it does leave your car unprotected in the event of other unforeseeable events like theft, natural disasters, or collisions. For protection against those kinds of events, it's wise to add comprehensive coverage
and collision insurance
to your policy. How to renew your South Dakota vehicle registration
You must renew your South Dakota car registration every year, and the month you must renew it during corresponds to the first letter of your last name:
T, U, V, W, X, Y, or Z: November
If that feels a little confusing, you’re not alone—but basically, Bob Jones would have until the end of March to register his vehicle, while Suzy Smith would have until the end of September to register hers.
To help keep you on track, the South Dakota Department of Motor Vehicles will send you a renewal notice postcard. Don’t throw it away—you’ll need it to renew your registration in person or through the mail!
Thankfully, there are several ways to renew your South Dakota vehicle registration:
In person: To renew in person, you’ll go to your local county treasurer’s office. You’ll need your photo ID, your renewal notice, and payment for the renewal fee. If you did not receive your renewal notice (or accidentally threw it away), bring the car title or other proof of ownership.
By mail: To renew your vehicle registration by mail, send your renewal notice and payment to your local county treasurer’s office and allow two weeks for processing. When renewing by mail, you can only pay with checks, cashier’s checks, or money orders, and you will have to pay an extra $1 mailing fee.
Online: Use the My SD Cars
online portal to renew your vehicle registration online. All you need is your South Dakota drivers license and birth date. From there, you can pay your registration fees online via eCheck or a Discover, MasterCard, or Visa debit or credit card. EChecks are subject to a $1.50 processing fee, and cards are subject to a 2.25% processing fee. After you complete your renewal online, your registration sticker will be mailed to you within two weeks. At a renewal kiosk: Perhaps the easiest way to renew your registration is with a DMV Now Renewal Kiosk
. These kiosks are super simple to use, all you need is your license and a valid form of payment (eCheck or debit/credit card).
Whatever method you choose, stay on top of registration renewal. Failing to register your vehicle in South Dakota on time will result in potential financial consequences, from late fees to traffic citations.
How to replace a lost or stolen registration sticker or license plate
Don’t panic if your sticker falls off at the carwash. Just fill out an application for replacement of license plates, registration stickers, or lost title application
and send it to your local county treasurer’s office and they can print you a new one. “My policy of 2.5 years lapsed, and I needed to look for something cheaper. Jerry
found me a better policy with Progressive in 30 minutes––and I didn’t have to talk to anyone on the phone. Amazing!” —Jacques S.
4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers FAQs
No. You do not need a vehicle inspection in South Dakota, nor do you need to pass an emissions test in order to renew your vehicle registration.
