South Dakota criminal records are spread across several official systems. The Unified Judicial System provides eCourts, Public Access Records Search and courthouse terminals; the Division of Criminal Investigation maintains the state’s fingerprint-based criminal-history repository; and the Department of Corrections provides an Offender Locator. This guide explains which source to use and what each system actually contains.
Which South Dakota Criminal Record System Should You Use?
Individual court case
Search public open case information using a party name or case number. Registration is required, but registration is free.
Statewide criminal record summary
Paid statewide name search covering qualifying public criminal court information from 1989 forward.
Actual case documents
Contact the county clerk for older files, complete court records and records not available remotely.
State criminal history
South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation maintains fingerprint-based state criminal-history records.
Correctional information
Use the Department of Corrections Offender Locator for qualifying state custody and supervision information.
Federal criminal cases
Federal prosecutions are handled by the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota and PACER.
South Dakota eCourts: Free Registered Case Search
South Dakota’s eCourts system provides electronic access to summaries of public, open court case information.
Public users must create an account, but registration is currently free and confidential.
Search options include:
- party name
- case number
- public criminal cases
- other qualifying open public court matters
Open eCourts
Go to the official South Dakota eCourts site.
Create a public account
Registration requires a valid email account and does not carry a registration fee.
Search by party or case number
A case number is usually the most precise search method.
Review the case summary
Check charges, court activity and disposition information rather than relying on the existence of a case.
South Dakota PARS: Statewide Criminal Court Record Search
The Unified Judicial System also provides Public Access Record Search (PARS).
PARS is different from eCourts. It is designed to provide a summary of public court information for statewide criminal-record searching.
PARS can be used to search:
- criminal court information
- domestic protection orders
- stalking protection orders
- foreign protection orders
Users can search as a guest and pay per search. Organizations running multiple searches can ask UJS about a drawdown account.
South Dakota Court Records SearchHow Far Back Does South Dakota PARS Go?
1989 to present
UJS states that qualifying criminal cases are available through PARS from 1989 to the present, unless the case is sealed.
Find a South Dakota Criminal Court Date
South Dakota provides a separate public tool for upcoming court dates.
Users can search by:
- party name plus date of birth
- case number
The search provides future court dates for qualifying criminal, civil and family cases.
How to Read a South Dakota Criminal Court Docket
| Docket item | General meaning | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint / Information | The criminal accusation filed against the defendant. | A filed charge is not proof of guilt. |
| Initial appearance | An early court appearance following a charge or arrest. | Check later plea and disposition entries. |
| Arraignment | The defendant responds formally to the criminal charge. | Arraignment does not establish conviction. |
| Plea | The defendant’s formal response or negotiated resolution. | Check which counts the plea actually covers. |
| Dismissed | The qualifying charge or case was dismissed. | Check whether other charges remain. |
| Acquitted | The defendant was found not guilty. | This is not a conviction. |
| Convicted | A qualifying finding or plea resulted in conviction. | Check offense level and sentence. |
| Sentence | The court-ordered consequences of the qualifying disposition. | Review custody, suspended time, fines and supervision separately. |
How to Obtain the Actual South Dakota Criminal Court Record
A PARS report is a summary. If you need the actual open court record, South Dakota provides public-access computer terminals in courthouses statewide.
Use eCourts or PARS to identify the case
Record the county, case number and defendant information.
Find the county clerk of courts
Use UJS Court Finder to identify the court maintaining the file.
Use the courthouse public-access terminal
Open court records referenced in PARS can be viewed or printed from public terminals.
Ask for the specific document
For example, request the judgment, sentencing order, complaint or other public filed record.
Older South Dakota Criminal Court Records
For criminal cases filed before 1989, statewide PARS is not the correct search.
Contact the clerk of courts for the county where the case was filed. Older files may not have been scanned into the current electronic system.
Which South Dakota Court Records Are Not Public?
Access to court records is governed by SDCL Chapter 15-15A.
Records excluded from ordinary public access can include:
- juvenile cases
- sealed criminal cases
- sealed documents
- other records excluded by statute
- records restricted by court order
South Dakota Arrest and Police Records
Court dockets and police reports are separate records.
If you need the underlying arrest or incident report, request it from the agency that created it, such as:
- city police department
- county sheriff
- South Dakota Highway Patrol
- Division of Criminal Investigation
South Dakota public-record laws can restrict investigative, confidential, security-sensitive or other protected information.
South Dakota DCI Criminal-History Records
The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation Identification Section maintains the state’s criminal-history repository.
South Dakota’s repository is fingerprint based. DCI receives sentencing information electronically from the Unified Judicial System and forwards qualifying state arrest information to the FBI.
South Dakota Criminal Background Check Fees
| Background check | Current fee | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Personal South Dakota state-only criminal history | $30 | Individual requesting their own South Dakota record. |
| State + FBI background check | $50 | Authorized employment or licensing agencies with appropriate statutory/FBI authority. |
| Local fingerprint collection | Varies | Police, sheriff or LiveScan provider may charge a separate fingerprint fee. |
How to Get Your Own South Dakota Criminal-History Record
DCI allows a person to request a copy of their own South Dakota state criminal history.
The current process requires:
- completed background-check request
- signed authorization and release
- complete rolled fingerprints
- required identifying information
- payment
DCI’s mail procedure says the fingerprint card should contain at least the applicant’s:
- name
- date of birth
- gender
- Social Security number
Division of Criminal Investigation
Criminal Justice Training Center1302 E Hwy 14, Suite 5
Pierre, SD 57501-8505
Phone: 605-773-3331
South Dakota Warrant Information
South Dakota does not present PARS or eCourts as a guaranteed real-time statewide active-warrant database.
A court docket can contain useful case activity, but current warrant status may require confirmation from the court, sheriff or law-enforcement agency responsible for the warrant.
South Dakota DOC Offender Locator
The South Dakota Department of Corrections provides an Offender Locator to help the public identify where a qualifying offender is housed or which parole office supervises the person.
DOC public offender information is subject to SDCL 24-2-20.
For a person recently arrested and held in a county jail rather than a state DOC facility, check the relevant county sheriff or jail instead.
South Dakota DOC Offender LocatorSouth Dakota Supreme Court Criminal Appeals
The South Dakota Supreme Court is the state’s highest court.
Criminal appellate research can include:
- published Supreme Court opinions
- summary dispositions
- Supreme Court calendars
- additional records requested from the Supreme Court Clerk
When a search does not show an older opinion, use the site’s Archived Results option.
Search South Dakota Supreme Court OpinionsSouth Dakota Criminal Record Expungement
South Dakota defines expungement as sealing criminal-justice records rather than physically destroying them.
Under SDCL 23A-3-26, an expungement can cover records held by:
- courts
- detention facilities
- correctional facilities
- law-enforcement agencies
- criminal-justice agencies
- Department of Public Safety
When Can a South Dakota Arrest Record Be Expunged?
Under SDCL 23A-3-27, an arrested person can seek expungement:
| Situation | When application may be made |
|---|---|
| No accusatory instrument was filed | After 1 year from arrest |
| Prosecutor formally dismissed the entire case | After 1 year from dismissal |
| Acquittal | At any time after acquittal |
| Dismissed case with compelling necessity | Within 1 year after dismissal |
Automatic Removal of Certain Minor South Dakota Cases From the Public Record
South Dakota also provides automatic public-record removal for certain lower-level cases.
Under SDCL 23A-3-34, a charge or conviction from a case where the highest charged offense was a:
- petty offense
- municipal ordinance violation
- Class 2 misdemeanor
is automatically removed from the defendant’s public record after 5 years if:
- all court-ordered conditions were satisfied
- the defendant was not convicted of another offense during those 5 years
South Dakota Diversion and Expungement
South Dakota provides a specific expungement pathway for people who successfully complete qualifying diversion programs.
Once the prosecutor files the dismissal and notice of completion required by law, the court must grant qualifying expungement without requiring a separate motion.
South Dakota Juvenile Criminal Records
Juvenile cases are confidential and are not included in ordinary public criminal-record searches.
UJS expressly states that its public case-search resources are for adult matters.
Federal Criminal Court Records in South Dakota
Federal criminal prosecutions are separate from South Dakota state criminal cases.
The federal trial court is the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota.
Its electronic case system has been used for federal civil and criminal filings since July 3, 2003.
Public federal dockets and unrestricted electronic documents can be accessed through PACER .
South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation Location
Criminal Justice Training Center
Division of Criminal Investigation1302 E Hwy 14, Suite 5
Pierre, SD 57501-8505
Phone: 605-773-3331
South Dakota Supreme Court
500 East Capitol AvenuePierre, SD 57501-5070
Phone: 605-773-3511
South Dakota Criminal Court Record Search Tips
Use eCourts for one known case
Registration is free and allows party-name or case-number searching.
Use PARS for statewide criminal search
PARS is better suited when you want a statewide public criminal-court summary by name.
Remember the $20 PARS fee
The charge applies even when no record is returned.
Pre-1989? Contact the clerk
PARS criminal coverage starts in 1989.
Use courthouse terminals for full records
A statewide search summary is not necessarily the complete court file.
DCI is fingerprint-based
Use DCI when you need your own official South Dakota state criminal-history record.
Recent jail booking? Search the county
A county jail inmate may not appear as a state DOC offender.
Check final disposition
Dismissed and acquitted cases should never be presented as convictions.
Federal means PACER
Federal prosecutions are not part of South Dakota UJS criminal searches.
Employment, Licensing and Other Background-Check Uses
A PARS search or eCourts docket lookup should not automatically be treated as a legally compliant employment, housing, credit, insurance or licensing background report.
South Dakota DCI background checks use fingerprints and a signed waiver, and authorized State/FBI checks follow additional statutory rules.
South Dakota Criminal Court Records: Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where can I search South Dakota criminal court cases?
Use South Dakota eCourts for a public case search by party name or case number, or use Public Access Record Search (PARS) for a statewide criminal-court summary.
2. Is South Dakota eCourts free?
Registration is currently free. Public users must create an account before using eCourts.
3. How much does a South Dakota PARS search cost?
PARS currently costs $20 per search. The charge applies even if the search returns no records.
4. How far back does South Dakota PARS criminal coverage go?
Qualifying criminal cases are available from 1989 to the present unless sealed. Older criminal cases must be requested from the county clerk of courts.
5. Can I view the full criminal court file through PARS?
PARS provides a summary. Open court records can be viewed or printed from public-access terminals in South Dakota courthouses, and copies can be requested from the clerk.
6. How much does a South Dakota personal criminal-history check cost?
South Dakota DCI currently charges $30 for a personal state-only fingerprint-based criminal-history check.
7. Does a South Dakota state-only DCI check include federal and out-of-state records?
No. DCI states that a state-only response does not include federal charges, out-of-state information, sealed records, minor traffic violations, or juvenile offenses unless charged as an adult.
8. Can a South Dakota arrest record be expunged?
Yes, in qualifying situations. South Dakota law provides procedures based on circumstances such as no charge being filed, dismissal, acquittal or qualifying diversion completion.
9. Are some minor South Dakota cases automatically removed from public view?
Yes. Petty offenses, municipal ordinance violations and Class 2 misdemeanor cases can be automatically removed from the public record after five qualifying years under SDCL 23A-3-34.
10. Do South Dakota state court searches include federal cases?
No. Federal criminal records are maintained by the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota and are searched through PACER.
Official South Dakota Sources
- South Dakota Unified Judicial System — Cases and Records
- South Dakota UJS — Court Records Search / PARS
- South Dakota eCourts
- South Dakota UJS — Court Finder
- South Dakota Supreme Court — Opinions
- South Dakota DCI — Criminal History
- South Dakota DCI — Background Check Requirements
- South Dakota DCI — Background Checks by Mail
- South Dakota Department of Corrections
- South Dakota DOC — Offender Locator
- SDCL 23A-3-27 — Arrest Record Expungement
- SDCL 23A-3-34 — Automatic Removal From Public Record
- U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota
- PACER — Federal Court Records