Title Transfers in South Dakota
- Obtain the properly assigned title from the seller.
- Fill out a bill of sale with the seller.
- Complete a title and registration application.
- Submit all documents, plus fee payment, to your local county treasurer.
Keep reading for more detail regarding South Dakota title transfers.
New Residents to South Dakota
Once you've established residency in South Dakota, you have 90 days to title it with the SD Motor Vehicle Division (DMV).
At your local county treasurer's office, you'll need to:
- Complete an Application for Motor Vehicle Title and Registration (Form MV-1001).
- Make sure to fill out the odometer disclosure section if your vehicle is 9 years old or less.
- Attach your current title to your application.
- Submit payment for the titling fee and excise tax, plus fees to register your car.
Buying or Selling a Vehicle in South Dakota
Buying from a Dealer
When you buy a car at a dealership, the dealer will typically take care of the titling and registration for you.
If they DO NOT, make sure that the dealer:
- Provides you with the Manufacturer's Statement/Certification of Origin (MSO/MCO), OR the original vehicle title.
- Fills out the price certification section on the Application for Motor Vehicle Title and Registration (Form MV-1001).
- Completes the odometer disclosure section on the title or MCO/MSO (for vehicles 9 years old or less).
Within 45 days of buying the car, you will need to submit to your county treasurer:
- All paperwork provided by the dealer.
- The completed Application for Motor Vehicle Title and Registration (Form MV-1001).
- Payment for your registration and titling fees plus excise tax.
Buying from a Private Seller
When buying a car from another person, you'll need to apply for a new South Dakota title in your name within 45 days.
The seller will need to:
- Give you the vehicle title properly signed over to you as the new owner.
- Complete the odometer disclosure section on the Application for Motor Vehicle Title and Registration (Form MV-1001), if the car is 9 years old or less.
- Complete a Bill of Sale (Form Form 1025) that includes:
- Vehicle information (make, model, year, etc.)
- Date and price of sale.
- Buyer/seller information and signatures.
- Obtains/provides a proof of lien release, if there is a lien on the vehicle.
Once you have these documents, visit your local South Dakota county treasurer with:
- All paperwork given to you by the seller.
- A completed Application for Motor Vehicle Title and Registration (Form MV-1001).
- Payment for your titling fees and taxes, plus fees for your vehicle registration.
Selling a Vehicle in South Dakota
If you're selling your South Dakota vehicle, you'll FIRST need to apply for a seller's permit. This will allow the buyer to drive the vehicle from your property after the sale. You can apply for this permit:
- Online.
- In person at your county treasurer's office.
The permit will be valid for 30 days, and it's free.
You'll then need to provide the buyer with:
- A properly-assigned vehicle title indicating the new owner.
- A Bill of Sale (Form Form 1025) that includes:
- Make, model, and year of the vehicle.
- Date and price of sale.
- Your information and signature.
- The buyer's information.
- Proof of lien release, if there is a lien on the vehicle.
- An odometer disclosure filled out on the Application for Motor Vehicle Title and Registration (Form MV-1001), if the car is under 9 years old or less.
Lastly, you'll need to complete a Seller's Report of Sale online after selling your car.
Gifting or Inheriting a Vehicle in SD
Gifted Vehicles
When transferring a vehicle to another person as a gift, simply follow the steps listed above in Buying or Selling a Vehicle.
NOTE: If a vehicle is being transferred between family members, you will be exempt from paying any tax. You will simply be responsible for the title transfer fee.
Inherited Vehicles
The process and documents required to transfer ownership to an heir after an owner has passed away differs based on the whether the estate is probated or not.
Probated estate:
The personal representative of the estate will complete the title transfer.
The county treasurer will need from the representative and the heir (if different than the representative):
- The original title certificate.
- A copy of the representative's appointment papers.
- The driver's license and Social Security numbers of each person taking ownership of the vehicle.
- A completed South Dakota Exemptions form (Form 2040).
- Payment for transfer fees.
If the personal representative is selling the vehicle rather than transferring it to an heir, follow the steps for selling a vehicle to a private party, and attach a copy of the appointment papers to the title.
Non-probated estate:
If no personal representative has been appointed for the estate, the vehicle's title will be transferred to the deceased's immediate heir(s). You must wait 30 days after the owner's death to apply.
To do so, the county treasurer must receive:
- An Affidavit of Vehicle Ownership by Succession (Form MV215), naming the heir(s) taking possession of the vehicle title.
- Each heir's:
- Driver's license number.
- Social Security number.
- The original vehicle title.
- A completed Application for Motor Vehicle Title and Registration (Form MV-1001).
- Payment for the titling fee.
In a non-probated estate title transfer, you CANNOT immediately sell the vehicle to another party upon the owner's death, as you can with a probated estate. You must first transfer the vehicle to an heir; after this is complete, the heir can then sell the vehicle should they wish to do so.
Removing Liens from a South Dakota Title
Once you have paid off your car loan, your lienholder has 20 days to release the lien on your vehicle.
If the lienholder is in possession of the title, they will send it to a South Dakota county treasurer.
If you (the owner) are in possession of the title, your lienholder will send you a release of lien, which you can then take to your county treasurer along with your title certificate to have the lien notation removed.
Titling Fees in South Dakota
Here are the basic fees you'll pay when titling a vehicle in South Dakota:
- Standard titling fee: $10.
- Late application fee: $1 for every 1 week past the grace period of 45 days.
- Maximum late fee: $50 total.
- Title transfer fee: $10.
- Lien notations: $10.
- Lien releases: Free.
- Duplicate title: $10.
- Excise tax*: 4% of the vehicle's purchase price.
* NOTE: If you've recently moved to South Dakota and you paid excise tax in your previous state, you won't have to pay it again as long as it was equal to or more than South Dakota's 4% tax. If it was less, you'll pay for the remainder up to the 4% owed. Make sure to bring proof of any excise or sales tax paid in your previous state.
Duplicate SD Vehicle Titles
If you lost or misplaced your South Dakota title, here's how to get a replacement:
- Complete an Application for a Duplicate Certificate of Title (Form MV-010).
- Gather payment for your duplicate title fee.
- Submit your form and payment:
- In person to your local county treasurer.
- By mail to:
- SD Motor Vehicle Division
- 445 E. Capitol Ave.
- Pierre, SD 57501