South Dakota Arrest Records Search | Criminal Records
South Dakota · Arrests, county jail custody, court cases and fingerprint-based criminal history
Find the South Dakota Arrest, Court Record and Criminal History That Actually Answers Your Question
South Dakota does not combine every arrest, jail booking, warrant and criminal case into one public database. Current custody stays with local jails, statewide adult court information comes through the Unified Judicial System, and fingerprint-based criminal history is maintained by DCI.
This guide shows which search to use, what each record proves, current court and DCI fees, how to find older records, where DOC fits, and how South Dakota expungement works.
SOUTH DAKOTA RECORD ROUTER
VERIFYING
STEP 1 · ARREST
COUNTY JAIL / SHERIFF
STEP 2 · CASE
UJS COURT RECORD
STEP 3 · HISTORY
DCI FINGERPRINT RECORD
IDENTITY + DISPOSITION
ARREST + OUTCOME VERIFIED
Arrest is not conviction. An arrest means a person was taken into custody to answer for an alleged offense. Use the court record to determine what was actually filed and how every charge ended.
Live jail search
County-by-county, not statewide.
eCourts
Free registration for public case summaries.
PARS
$20 per statewide criminal search.
DCI personal history
$30, fingerprint based.
DOC locator
State-prison felony offenders only.
Choose the right South Dakota record first
COUNTY SHERIFF / JAIL
Was the person arrested recently?
Use the jail or sheriff in the county where booking occurred.
Best for current custody, booking, bond and local jail services.
eCOURTS
What happened in court?
Search public adult cases by party name or case number after free registration.
Best for a known defendant or known case.
PARS
Need a statewide court-record search?
PARS searches available statewide criminal-court information for a $20 name-search fee.
Best when you do not know which South Dakota county has the case.
DCI
Need your official state criminal history?
DCI’s repository is fingerprint based and includes South Dakota misdemeanor and felony arrest history that enters the state system.
Best for your own official state-only criminal-history record.
Search a South Dakota arrest from custody to final disposition
Identify the county or city of arrest
Current jail information remains local. Start with the sheriff, county jail or city police agency.
Check current custody
Use the county jail’s official inmate search when one exists.
Record the exact booking information
Save the legal name, DOB/age, booking date, charges, bond and booking identifier shown.
Identify the arresting agency
A county jail can hold someone arrested by city police, Highway Patrol, another county, tribal authorities or federal officers.
Search eCourts for the criminal case
Registration is free and confidential.
Open South Dakota eCourts
If the county is unknown, use PARS
A statewide PARS name search currently costs $20.
Open PARS
Read the final disposition—not only the arrest charge
Compare each count separately for dismissal, acquittal, plea, conviction, sentence or another court result.
Use DCI only when you need the fingerprint-based state criminal history
The DCI personal state-only check currently costs $30.
There is no single statewide South Dakota jail roster
Do not use South Dakota DOC to look for a newly arrested county-jail detainee. DOC’s public locator is for felony offenders sentenced to the Department of Corrections.
Determine where the arrest happened
County jail custody usually begins with the sheriff or regional facility serving that location.
Open the official county website
Look for Sheriff, Jail, Corrections, Current Inmates, Who’s Behind Bars or Detainee Search.
Search current inmates
Compare the person’s name with age/DOB, charge, booking date and other available identifiers.
Check more than one county if the location is uncertain
Arrest location, court jurisdiction and jail placement are not always identical.
Call the jail when the online list is unclear
Ask whether the person is held, released or transferred.
Continue to UJS
Current custody does not establish prosecution or conviction.
Official jail searches for major South Dakota counties
| County | Official jail route | Useful fact |
|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha | Minnehaha County Jail | Use the official “Who’s Behind Bars” link for Sioux Falls-area jail custody. |
| Pennington | Pennington Current Inmates | The public inmate list is currently updated every 15 minutes. |
| Brown | Brown County Jail | Aberdeen-area jail information and services are maintained by Brown County Sheriff. |
For every other county, use the county’s official Sheriff/Jail page. Do not assume Minnehaha, Pennington or Brown County providers, mail addresses, bond systems or visitation rules apply statewide.
Understand what each South Dakota record proves
| Record | What it can establish | What it cannot prove alone |
|---|---|---|
| County booking record | A current/recent local jail custody event. | Conviction or final court disposition. |
| Arrest report | Law-enforcement allegations and releasable incident details. | What prosecutors ultimately filed. |
| eCourts case | Public case summary connected with a particular court case. | A complete fingerprint-based criminal history. |
| PARS result | Available statewide public criminal-court information by name. | Current jail status or a complete police report. |
| DCI criminal history | Fingerprint-supported South Dakota repository history. | Federal, out-of-state and certain excluded records in a state-only check. |
| DOC Offender Locator | Public information on felony offenders sentenced to DOC prison. | County jail, probation or every South Dakota arrest. |
| Warrant information | Possible current judicial process when verified. | Guilt or conviction. |
Verify the person before using a South Dakota arrest result
Full legal name matches
Middle name or suffix is consistent
DOB or age is consistent
Arrest/booking date matches
County and arresting agency match
Court case follows the same event
Every charge is reviewed separately
Final disposition is verified
Name searches can produce false matches. The safest official statewide criminal-history identification method is fingerprint based through South Dakota DCI.
Why you may not find a South Dakota arrest
The arrest is very recent
Booking and court data may still be processing.
You searched the wrong county
The person may be held in a neighboring or regional jail.
The person was released
A current-inmate list may remove the person while the court case remains public.
The case predates 1989
PARS criminal coverage begins in 1989; use the county Clerk for older cases.
The matter is juvenile
UJS public record searches exclude confidential juvenile cases.
The record was sealed or expunged
Public access can be removed even though limited nonpublic records are retained as permitted by law.
The case belongs to tribal court
State UJS searches do not replace the applicable tribal court or tribal detention system.
The matter is federal
A federal prosecution or federal custody record uses federal systems rather than South Dakota’s state-only records.
Search South Dakota eCourts before paying for PARS
eCourts allows registered users to view summaries of public cases by searching a party name or case number. Registration is currently free and confidential.
Open eCourts
Open South Dakota eCourts
Create a free account
Registration is required before using the system.
Search by case number when known
This reduces same-name errors.
Otherwise search the defendant as a party
Compare the results to the arrest location and date.
Open the correct public case
Review court location, case number and charges.
Read later entries
Look for amended charges, dismissal, plea, judgment, sentence and other final actions.
eCourts is a case-search tool. It is not a replacement for a fingerprint-based DCI criminal-history report.
Use PARS when you do not know which county has the criminal case
Public Access Record Search — PARS
Current fee: $20 per search
Fee applies even when the search returns no record.
Current fee: $20 per search
Fee applies even when the search returns no record.
Open PARS
Open PARS
Use guest/pay-as-you-go access for an occasional search
Organizations making multiple searches can contact UJS about a drawdown account.
Enter the subject carefully
A separate fee applies to each submitted search.
Review the statewide criminal summary
PARS includes available public criminal-case information from 1989 forward unless sealed.
Identify the county and case
Use the result to locate the actual Clerk/court record.
View open court records at courthouse terminals when needed
UJS maintains public-access terminals at South Dakota courthouses.
A named party, legal representative or qualifying agency can use the applicable UJS record-request route instead of paying the ordinary public search charge in circumstances recognized by UJS.
How to search South Dakota criminal cases before 1989
PARS criminal-case coverage begins in 1989. An empty PARS result does not prove that no older case exists.
Identify the county where the case was filed
Use the arrest location, old paperwork or known residence as starting clues.
Find the appropriate Clerk of Courts
Open South Dakota Court Finder
Provide the defendant’s full name
Add approximate year, DOB and known charge if available.
Ask for the case number and final disposition first
This prevents paying for unnecessary pages.
Request the specific judgment or order needed
Ask the Clerk about current reproduction and certification fees.
Find a South Dakota criminal court date without paying for PARS
UJS Find Court Date searches public criminal, civil and family court dates by party name/DOB or case number.
Open Find Court Date
Find a South Dakota court date
Search the defendant’s name and DOB
Or use the case number when known.
Review all future dates
Save the county, courthouse, time and hearing type.
Call the Clerk if a known hearing does not appear
UJS warns that an empty online result does not necessarily prove that no hearing is scheduled.
Request the arrest record from the agency that created it
South Dakota’s open-record law does not make every investigative police file publicly available. Records forming part of a law-enforcement investigation, intelligence file, complaint or similar protected material can be exempt from mandatory disclosure.
Identify the arresting agency
It may be a county sheriff, municipal police department, South Dakota Highway Patrol, tribal agency or another authority.
Request a specific record
Ask for the releasable arrest report, booking record, incident summary or other specifically identified document rather than “everything.”
Include identifiers
Provide the legal name, DOB, date/time, location, report number, booking number and court case number when known.
Request electronic delivery where possible
Ask for records in the format in which the agency maintains them when practical.
Ask for an estimate before specialized work
South Dakota law allows government entities to charge for certain retrieval/reproduction or specialized services.
If something is withheld, ask what legal rule applies
A law-enforcement investigation can contain both releasable and restricted material.
Copy-ready records request
I request an electronic copy of the releasable arrest or booking record concerning [full legal name], DOB [date if known], for the incident on [date] at [location]. Known identifiers are report number [number], booking number [number] and court case number [number]. Please provide an estimate before processing if charges will exceed $[amount], and identify the legal basis for any records or portions withheld.
Do not rely on a fake “South Dakota statewide warrant search”
There is no single verified official statewide public warrant database that replaces the sheriff, police agency and issuing court.
Identify the county connected to the alleged warrant
Start with the court case, alleged offense or arresting agency.
Search the county sheriff’s official site
Some South Dakota sheriffs publish warrant tools or wanted-person information; others require direct verification.
Search eCourts for the related criminal case
Look for warrant-related docket activity.
Read the newest entry
An older warrant may later have been served, quashed, recalled or otherwise addressed.
Confirm with the issuing authority
Use the responsible sheriff or Clerk/court for current status.
If the warrant may concern you, contact defense counsel
Counsel can advise on appearance and surrender procedures.
Never confront or attempt to detain someone based on online warrant information.
South Dakota bond rules must be verified locally
State law and court schedules establish legal frameworks, but actual bond status, holds, payment location and release processing depend on the defendant’s case and local facility.
Confirm current custody
Make sure the person is still at the same county jail.
List every active charge
One arrest may include multiple cases or holds.
Read the current court order
Do not rely only on an initial booking amount.
Ask the jail which payment methods are currently accepted
Providers vary by county.
Check for outside holds
Another warrant, jurisdiction or legal hold may prevent immediate release.
Save all receipts
Keep the case number, amount and payment confirmation.
Ask the South Dakota court to appoint an attorney
A person charged with a crime who believes they cannot afford counsel can submit South Dakota UJS’s UJS-224R Application for Court-Appointed Attorney.
Confirm a criminal charge has been filed
The UJS application is for an adult defendant in a criminal action.
Complete UJS-224R
Provide the financial and case information requested by the court.
File it with the court handling the criminal case
Use Court Finder when the county office is unknown.
Wait for the court’s eligibility decision
Filing the application does not itself appoint a lawyer.
Use victim advocates separately from defense counsel
Victim advocate and defense attorney are different roles. A court-appointed lawyer represents the accused. Victim/Witness specialists help victims navigate the criminal justice process and connect with services.
South Dakota DCI Victim Services
Statewide assistance / routing: 605-773-3331
Statewide assistance / routing: 605-773-3331
Criminal process
Help understanding where the investigation or prosecution stands.
Local resources
Victim/Witness specialists can connect people with services in their region.
County prosecution
The county State’s Attorney office is another important victim-services contact once prosecution is involved.
Never assume one South Dakota jail’s rules apply to another
Minnehaha County example
- NCIC handles phone/video communication.
- Lobby video visitation is available without visitor charge.
- Remote video has a provider charge.
- JailATM can be used for deposits.
Pennington County example
- Separate jail-provider rules apply.
- The jail publishes its own deposit fees.
- Its current-inmate list is updated approximately every 15 minutes.
Confirm the exact facility
A sheriff, regional jail or state prison can have different providers.
Open only that facility’s official page
Use its current Visitation, Mail, Telephone or Inmate Account page.
Confirm custody immediately before paying
Do not send money after release or transfer.
Use the provider linked by the facility
Avoid paid advertisements and unofficial jail directories.
Check legal-mail rules separately
Privileged legal mail often follows different handling rules from personal correspondence.
Get your fingerprint-based South Dakota criminal history from DCI
South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation — Identification Section
Criminal Justice Training Center
1302 E. Highway 14, Suite 5
Pierre, SD 57501-8505
Phone: 605-773-3331
State-only personal background fee: $30
Criminal Justice Training Center
1302 E. Highway 14, Suite 5
Pierre, SD 57501-8505
Phone: 605-773-3331
State-only personal background fee: $30
South Dakota’s Computerized Criminal History repository is fingerprint based. It contains qualifying misdemeanor and felony arrest data entering the South Dakota criminal-justice system, penitentiary entries and follow-up criminal information.
Choose Personal / State Only
This is the option for an individual requesting a copy of their own South Dakota criminal history.
For electronic submission, locate a South Dakota Livescan facility first
Contact the facility before paying because an appointment is usually necessary.
Create the online background-check request
Complete the DCI information and authorization.
Open current DCI background-check instructions
Pay the $30 DCI processing fee
Electronic requests currently allow credit-card or bank-account payment.
Print your receipt
The Livescan location needs the receipt before fingerprint submission.
Complete electronic fingerprints within 10 days
DCI warns that failing to submit them within that window can cause the request/payment information to be deleted and require a new submission.
DCI does not refund the background-check processing fee. A Livescan or local fingerprinting agency can also charge its own fingerprint-service fee.
What the state-only result does not include
Federal charges are not included
Out-of-state records are not included
Juvenile offenses are generally excluded unless prosecuted as an adult
Sealed information is generally excluded from ordinary personal state-only results
Minor traffic violations are not included
A state-only check is not an FBI Identity History Summary
Request your South Dakota criminal history through the mail
Order the South Dakota state applicant fingerprint card
DCI provides necessary state-only fingerprint cards without a card charge.
Order a DCI fingerprint card
Complete the demographic information
DCI requires the minimum requested identifying information on the card.
Complete and sign the Authorization and Release
Include the correct address where the result should be returned.
Get a fully rolled set of fingerprints
Take the card to a law-enforcement agency that provides fingerprinting.
Prepare $30 payment
Use a check or money order. Do not send cash.
Do not fold the fingerprint card
Mail the card, signed authorization and payment following DCI’s current mail instructions.
Open DCI mail requirements
Expect a record copy or no-record letter
DCI’s current FAQ states that ordinary criminal background processing is approximately five business days plus mailing time once a complete request is received.
Correct the source before assuming the record can be erased
Obtain your fingerprint-based DCI record
This confirms that the disputed entry is actually associated with your fingerprints.
Find the matching UJS court case
Compare the charge, disposition and sentence.
Get a certified or official court order when the disposition is wrong
The court record is critical when a dismissal, acquittal or sentence is missing.
Correct the originating source
Arresting-agency information should be addressed with that agency; court information with the Clerk/court.
Contact DCI Identification Section
Explain the exact fingerprint-based entry that remains wrong and provide the supporting official documents requested.
Recheck after correction
Separate government and private databases may update on different schedules.
Correction versus expungement: correction fixes false or incomplete information. Expungement seals an accurate record when the legal requirements are satisfied.
Use South Dakota DOC only for sentenced felony offenders
The DOC Offender Locator contains public information about felony offenders sentenced to the South Dakota Department of Corrections.
DOC locator can help with
- South Dakota prison offenders.
- DOC number searches.
- Name searches.
- Current state institution information.
DOC locator does not include
- County-jail-only sentences.
- Current local jail detainees.
- Probation-only cases.
- Other non-DOC supervision.
- Every South Dakota arrest.
South Dakota Department of Corrections
3200 East Highway 34, c/o 500 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501
Main: 605-773-3478
Locator correction questions: 605-367-5190 or 605-367-5140
3200 East Highway 34, c/o 500 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501
Main: 605-773-3478
Locator correction questions: 605-367-5190 or 605-367-5140
State, tribal and federal arrest systems are not interchangeable
South Dakota includes tribal jurisdictions as well as state, local and federal law enforcement. A state UJS or county-jail search can therefore be the wrong system for some arrests.
State/local case
Use county jail, South Dakota UJS and DCI as appropriate.
Tribal case
Use the applicable tribal court, tribal law-enforcement agency or detention facility.
Federal case
Use federal court/custody resources rather than expecting it to appear as an ordinary South Dakota state case.
Seal an eligible South Dakota arrest record
In South Dakota, expungement means sealing. It does not mean every record is physically destroyed.
When an arrest can qualify under SDCL 23A-3-27
| Case outcome | When a motion may be filed |
|---|---|
| Arrest but no accusatory instrument filed | After one year from the arrest date. |
| Prosecutor formally dismissed entire criminal case | After one year from the date of dismissal. |
| Acquittal | At any time after acquittal. |
| Entire case dismissed and compelling necessity exists | Within one year from dismissal. |
South Dakota also allows a court to issue an expungement for arrests occurring before July 1, 2010. The statute states there is no statute of limitation for making an application.
Complete filing workflow
Find the criminal case and disposition
Use eCourts, PARS or the appropriate Clerk.
File in the court that would have jurisdiction over the crime
This is not a centralized DCI application.
Use South Dakota’s UJS expungement packet
Current forms include UJS-232 and UJS-390 through UJS-395.
Open official expungement forms
Complete the Motion for Expungement
State the arrest, charges, disposition and legal basis for the request.
Pay the filing fee or request a waiver
SDCL 23A-3-28 ties the fee to the civil-action filing fee. Under the current 2026 fee statute, that filing fee is $25. The court may waive the fee for a person who establishes indigency.
Serve the prosecuting attorney
The motion must be served at least 14 days before any expungement hearing.
Prepare for a hearing unless properly waived
The defendant/arrested person, prosecutor and victim can waive the hearing as allowed by law.
Meet the required burden
The court may grant relief when clear and convincing evidence shows that the ends of justice and the best interests of the public and arrested person/defendant will be served.
Keep the signed expungement order
Store certified copies permanently.
What a granted order does
Court records
Official records covered by the order are sealed.
Law enforcement
Records concerning detection, apprehension, arrest and detention are included within South Dakota’s expungement definition.
DCI
The court reports the expungement to DCI.
Nonpublic record
DCI retains a limited nonpublic disposition record for uses specified by South Dakota law.
No physical destruction
South Dakota defines expungement as sealing, not destroying all records.
Legal status
The statute restores the person, in contemplation of law, to the status occupied before the arrest or charging event covered by the order.
Some lower-level South Dakota cases leave public view after five years
SDCL 23A-3-34 provides automatic public-record removal when the highest charged offense in the case was a petty offense, municipal ordinance violation or Class 2 misdemeanor and the statutory conditions are met.
Five years have passed
Highest charge was petty offense, municipal violation or Class 2 misdemeanor
All court-ordered conditions were satisfied
No further conviction occurred during those five years
Automatic removal is not physical destruction. The case record remains available to authorized court personnel and may be used as permitted by law, including for enhancement purposes.
Successful diversion can lead to expungement without the normal motion
Successfully complete every term of the diversion program
Failure to complete diversion prevents this statutory route.
Remain free of disqualifying new charges
The statute requires no new crimes, other than petty offenses or minor traffic citations, for one year and 30 days after successful completion.
The State’s Attorney files dismissal and notice of completion
The prosecutor must file the documents specified by statute once the requirements are met.
The court grants expungement
SDCL 23A-3-37 provides that the court grants the expungement upon those filings without requiring the arrested person to file the ordinary expungement motion.
Diversion availability itself is not guaranteed. South Dakota law does not require a State’s Attorney to offer or create a diversion program.
South Dakota criminal-record contacts
DCI Identification Section
1302 E. Highway 14, Suite 5
Pierre, SD 57501-8505
Pierre, SD 57501-8505
DCI Victim Services
Ask for victim-services routing.
South Dakota UJS
eCourts, PARS, court dates and Court Finder.
UJS Self-Help Form Line
Questions about UJS self-represented forms.
PARS
Open statewide criminal search
Current public search fee: $20.
South Dakota DCI map
South Dakota statewide map
Use the cheapest correct search instead of paying for the wrong record
| Question | Best source | Current cost |
|---|---|---|
| Is someone in a county jail now? | County Sheriff / Jail | Usually free to search where online lookup exists |
| What is happening in a known public court case? | eCourts | Free registration |
| Does this person have public South Dakota criminal court records statewide? | PARS | $20 per search |
| What is my fingerprint-based South Dakota criminal history? | DCI Personal / State Only | $30 DCI processing fee plus possible fingerprinting fee |
| Is this person serving a South Dakota state-prison sentence? | DOC Offender Locator | Free |
| Can my eligible arrest record be sealed? | Court expungement process | Current filing fee tied to $25 civil-action filing fee unless waived, plus possible service costs |
South Dakota arrest and criminal-record questions answered
How do I search South Dakota arrest records?
Start with the county sheriff or jail for recent custody, then use eCourts for a known public case or PARS for a statewide criminal-court name search.
Is there a statewide South Dakota jail roster?
No single official roster covers all county jails. Current local custody remains with county or regional facilities.
Is South Dakota eCourts free?
Registration is currently free and confidential. It can be used to search summaries of public cases by party name or case number.
How much does PARS cost?
UJS currently charges $20 for each PARS search, even when no records are returned.
How far back does PARS search?
Available public South Dakota criminal cases generally run from 1989 to present unless sealed. Contact the county Clerk for pre-1989 cases.
How do I get my official South Dakota criminal history?
Use the South Dakota DCI Identification Section. The personal state-only check is fingerprint based and currently costs $30.
Can I search South Dakota warrants statewide?
There is no single official statewide public warrant search that replaces local verification. Check the responsible sheriff or police agency and the related court case.
Does South Dakota DOC show county jail inmates?
No. Its public locator covers felony offenders sentenced to DOC prison and excludes county-jail-only sentences, probation and other non-DOC supervision.
Can an arrest record be expunged?
Some records qualify under SDCL 23A-3-27. Eligibility can arise after no charges are filed, dismissal, acquittal or qualifying dismissal based on compelling necessity. Expungement seals records rather than physically destroying them.
Are any South Dakota records removed automatically?
Yes. Qualifying cases whose highest offense was a petty offense, municipal ordinance violation or Class 2 misdemeanor are automatically removed from the public record after five years when all statutory requirements are met.
