RV & Motorhome Registration in South Dakota

When to Register

All RVs and motor homes (new and used) must be registered within 30 days of purchase. If you just moved here from out of state, you'll have 90 days to register your RV or motor home.

Just so we're talking about the same thing, this is how the state defines recreational vehicles and motor homes:

• Recreational Vehicle―"A vehicular portable structure built on a chassis designed to be used as a temporary dwelling for travel, recreational, and vacation uses, and permanently identified as 'travel trailer' by the manufacturer of the trailer. A trailer identification plate may not be used on a recreational vehicle."

• Motor Home―"A vehicle designed to provide temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use, built on or permanently attached to a self-propelled motor vehicle chassis or on a chassis cab or van that is an integral part of the completed vehicle."

How to Register

Visit your local treasurer's office with:

• A completed Application for Motor Vehicle Title and Registration.

• Proper identification.

• A completed Power of Attorney form (only if someone other than the vehicle owner is to sign the registration).

• A completed bill of sale, purchase order, or sales contract (for out-of-state vehicle purchases only).

• Payment for registration fees. If you're registering an RV, you'll have to pay a fee based on the non-commercial trailer fee schedule. If you're registering a motor home, you'll have to pay the fee using the non-commercial motor home schedule.

Once you've properly registered your vehicle and paid the fees, you'll be given the registration paper, which needs to be kept in the vehicle.

After You Register

You'll need to renew your registration every year on a schedule determined by the first letter of the vehicle owner's last name.

Of course, you'll also have to get a title for your vehicle, and pay fees for that, too. Again, this will occur at the county treasurer's office. We talk about the titling process in our Title Transfers section.

For more information on the registration process, check out the state's registration home page.

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