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How to get a South Dakota marriage certificate

In South Dakota, order a certified marriage certificate from the South Dakota Department of Health, Vital Records Office.1 County Registers of Deeds furnish certified marriage copies; tribal marriages only from the tribe.2 Each certified copy costs $153. You can order online, by mail, in person, at a local office or by phone. Only the people the state lists below can order a certified copy.

Last checked against official sources.

On this page
  1. Ways to order
  2. What a South Dakota marriage certificate costs
  3. Who can order a South Dakota marriage certificate
  4. ID you need
  5. What the application asks for
  6. Which office holds a marriage record
  7. Forms
  8. Years held and older records
  9. Special situations
  10. Warnings from the office
  11. The state office
  12. Questions people ask
  13. Sources

Current notice from the office

  • New Vital Records Services Portal for Parents Worksheets and Marriage License Applications (not for ordering certificates)1

Ways to order

HowCost per copyProcessing timePayment
Online through VitalChek Network, Inc.$154, plus $6.504 VitalChek fee
+ 2 possible extra charges		––
By mail$153–Check and money order4
In person$153
+ one extra charge		–Cash, check, money order and card4
At a local office$155 (Minnehaha County)––
By phone$156
+ one extra charge		–Card6

Not offered: online directly with the vital records office.7

Online through VitalChek Network, Inc.

Vendor
VitalChek Network, Inc.4
Vendor status
The state's only authorized vendor4
Fees
  • Per copy $154
  • VitalChek fee $6.504
  • Expedite Fee (Regular Mail) $54
  • Optional UPS Next Day $17.504
  • Each additional copy in the same order $154
  • Total for one copy, regular mail $26.504
  • Total for one copy, UPS Next Day $444
Expedited service
$17.50. UPS Next Day shipping instead of regular mail4

Good to know

  • Genealogy requests by mail only; no online or phone orders4
  • Credit card must be in the applicant's name4
  • Online/phone identity: copy of government photo ID or electronic authentication8

Go to the ordering site4

By mail

Fees
  • Per copy $153
Expedited service
Optional prepaid priority return envelope for faster return4
Payment
Check and money order4
Mail to
Vital Records, South Dakota Department of Health, 221 West Capitol Ave, Pierre, SD 57501
1

Good to know

  • Records cannot be faxed or e-mailed4

Open the application or mail instructions4

In person

Fees
  • Per copy $153
  • Credit/Debit Card $2.504
Payment
Cash, check, money order and card4
Office
State Office (Vital Records), 221 West Capitol Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501
4
Hours
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Central Time, Monday - Friday1

Open the official page1

At a local office

Run by
County Register of Deeds (local registrar)9
Fees
  • Per copy $155

Find a local office10

By phone

Run by
VitalChek Network, Inc. (orders placed at 605-773-4961)4
Fees
  • Per copy $156
  • Expedited service $11.503
Payment
Card6

Good to know

  • No genealogy orders by phone4

What a South Dakota marriage certificate costs

First certified copy
$153
Each additional copy
$156
Expedite fee
$11.503
If no record is found
The fee is kept as a search fee4
Fees in effect since
Nov. 5, 202611

Types of copies

CopyAccepted forFee
Certified copy12Identification and other legal purposes12$153
Informational copy12Not for legal proof of identification12$153
Certified photostatic copy (photocopy of the original record)12Legal purposes12$156
Informational photostatic copy13Genealogy; not legal use12$156
Notification of Records Searched4–$153

No-fee copies

  • Military/veterans: free certified copies for a claim against the government14

Who can order a South Dakota marriage certificate

The state names these people and bodies as able to order a certified copy. Each line gives the official wording.

  • The person named on the record12
    Proof: Not stated for the registrant4
  • Spouse and child12
  • A parent named on the record and legal guardian12
  • Grandparent and brother or sister12
  • Grandchild over 18 (listed on the application form)6
  • Attorney or legal representative and funeral director12
    Proof for each of the 5 lines above: May be required4
  • Designated agent (notarized designation by an eligible person)12
    Proof: Notarized designation15
  • Anyone with a personal or property right to the record12
    Proof: May be required4

Other kinds of copies

  • Informational copy Anyone: The department or authorized local registrars shall upon receipt of an application, issue informational copies to any applicant of any vital record.16
    Proof: Not required for informational copies17

ID you need

Photo ID
Required12
Accepted ID
  • Photocopy of driver's license
  • Photocopy of state ID card
  • Photocopy of tribal ID
  • Photocopy of passport or Visa
  • Photocopy of military ID12
Without that ID
  • Social Security card
  • Utility bill with current address
  • Bank statement with current address
  • Pay stub (must include your name, Social Security number plus name, and address of business)
  • Car registration or title with current address
12
Notarization
Mail applications: notarized signature OR a clear copy of a photo ID4
ID copy with a mail order
Include a copy of your ID8

What the application asks for

Have these details ready before you fill in the form or start an online order.17

  • Applicant's full name, address, signature, phone
  • Type of record
  • For a certified copy: relationship to registrant
  • Names of both parties and the date of the event, or enough information to locate the record

Which office holds a marriage record

Certified copies come from the office that recorded the signed license, and also from the state vital records office1; the years each office holds are listed below. Marriage license vs certificate explains the difference and which copy agencies ask for.

Forms

Years held and older records

Years the issuing office holds
1905 to today13
Older records
Some county Registers of Deeds hold records filed before 190513

Special situations

Military and veterans
Free copies for military/veterans' claims18
If no record is found
If the county cannot find it, the request goes to DOH; if DOH cannot find it, the fee is kept and a "no record letter" is issued5

Warnings from the office

  • VitalChek is the only authorized third-party vendor4
  • Copies cannot be faxed or e-mailed4
  • The fee is required before any search4
  • Not open for public inspection1

The state office

Office
South Dakota Department of Health, Vital Records Office1
Mailing address
Vital Records, South Dakota Department of Health, 221 West Capitol Ave, Pierre, SD 57501
1
Walk-in address
State Office (Vital Records), 221 West Capitol Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501
4
Hours
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Central Time, Monday - Friday1

Questions people ask

How much is a certified South Dakota marriage certificate?

Each certified copy costs $15.36

Can I order a South Dakota marriage certificate online?

Yes. Online through VitalChek Network, Inc.4

What ID do I need?

The state accepts: Photocopy of driver's license; Photocopy of state ID card; Photocopy of tribal ID; Photocopy of passport or Visa; Photocopy of military ID.12

Where are older South Dakota marriage certificates kept?

Some county Registers of Deeds hold records filed before 1905.13

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these official sources, checked on November 5, 2026. Tap a source number next to a fact to read the exact words.

  1. Vital recordsSouth Dakota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated September 14, 2026
  2. Section 25-1-10South Dakota Legislature (Legislative Research Council)
  3. Vital records feesSouth Dakota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated January 9, 2025
  4. Order Vital RecordsSouth Dakota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated September 14, 2026
  5. Register of Deeds: Vital RecordsMinnehaha County Register of Deeds
  6. South Dakota Vital Records Request (application)South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records
  7. Vital Records Services PortalSouth Dakota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated September 14, 2026
  8. Section 44:09:06:06South Dakota Legislature (Legislative Research Council)dated November 5, 2026
  9. Section 34-25-4.1South Dakota Legislature (Legislative Research Council)
  10. Find a Register of Deeds OfficeSouth Dakota Department of Health
  11. Section 44:09:06:02South Dakota Legislature (Legislative Research Council)dated November 5, 2026
  12. Vital Records Eligibility & IdentificationSouth Dakota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated January 9, 2025
  13. Genealogy resourcesSouth Dakota Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordsdated February 13, 2026
  14. Military Fee Waiver RequestSouth Dakota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records
  15. Section 44:09:06:05South Dakota Legislature (Legislative Research Council)dated November 5, 2026
  16. Section 34-25-52South Dakota Legislature (Legislative Research Council)
  17. Section 44:09:06:04South Dakota Legislature (Legislative Research Council)dated November 5, 2026
  18. Section 34-25-54South Dakota Legislature (Legislative Research Council)