Vital records, as their name suggests, are connected with central life events: birth, marriage, and death. Maintained by civil authorities, they are prime sources of genealogical information; but, unfortunately, official vital records are available only for relatively recent periods. These records, despite their recent creation in the United States, are critically important in genealogical research, often supplying details on family members well back into the nineteenth century. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, by Loretto Szucs and Sandra Luebking.
South Dakota Birth Records DatabaseThis site contains information from birth records with birth dates of over 100 years of age as required by South Dakota Codified Law 34-25-8. At this time this site contains 99,461 records
Ancestry.com South Dakota State Database
A large collection of databases of births, deaths, marriages, census, obituaries, directories, estate records, and service records.
South Dakota State Vital Records Office
Vital Records, Dept of Health
600 East Capitol
Pierre, SD 57501-2536
(605) 773-4961
Make check or money order payable to South Dakota Department of Health.
Birth Death
$10.00 Since July 1905
The State Office has access to other records for some events that occurred before 1905. If the records are not available at the State office, they should be available from the Register of Deeds in the county where the event occurred. Fees vary.
Marriage Divorce $7.00
You may complete a record request and submit it with your fee. (Use ADOBE)
Since 1943 Available from the Register of Deeds in the county where the event occurred. Fees vary.