In South Dakota, ATVs and off-road vehicles are not required to be registered unless they are street legal. To qualify for registration as a street-legal vehicle:
- The vehicle must be titled as street legal or the Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO) must indicate it is intended for use on public highways.
- If the vehicle is not titled as street legal or the MSO indicates it is not intended for highway use, the Low Speed & Off-Road Vehicle Affidavit must be completed once all required street-legal accessories have been installed.
- After the accessories are installed and the affidavit is signed, the vehicle may then be registered for street use.
To title a new or used ATV/off-road vehicle or snowmobile in South Dakota, you will need the following:
- Ownership Document: Either the Title, Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin, or registration.
- Proof of ownership is mandatory to title a new or used ATV\off-road vehicle or snowmobile in South Dakota. If the ATV\off-road vehicle or snowmobile was purchased from a seller in a state that requires a title, the title is needed. If it was purchased from a seller in a state that only requires registration, the original paper registration or a properly assigned Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin is acceptable.
- Purchase Agreement or Valid Bill of Sale.
- South Dakota Motor Vehicle and Boat Title Application (MV-1001).
- Driver’s License or State-Issued ID for all owners. If using an out-of-state ID, a proof of Social Security Number is also required.
- Out of State Dealer Tax Assessment (Form 1004) if taxes were paid out of state at the time of purchase.
- Low Speed and Off-Road Vehicle Affidavit (for ATV\off-road)
Additional documents may be required depending on the transaction. Note that any cross-outs, white-out, or alterations to documents may void them or require an affidavit for correction.
- Title Transfer Fee: $10.00
- State Technology Fee: $2.00
- Lienholder Notation Fee: $10.00 (if applicable)
- Excise Tax: 4% (see below FAQ)
- Reassignment of South Dakota Plates: $7.00
- County Wheel Tax: $5.00 per wheel
- Non-Resident Fee: $100.00 (if applicable)
- Registration\Highway Patrol\Solid Waste fees (see FAQ)
Yes, documents can be processed by mail. Here’s how:
If processing through the mail all documents will need to be mailed to our office. Paperwork mailed in is receipted in and worked in the order it is received- not necessarily on the day it arrives from your chosen carrier. Expect up to two weeks plus processing time. If additional documents are needed and mailed in, they will follow the normal mail process. Requests to the contrary are subject to Administrative fees.
It is the sender’s responsibility to follow up on processing to avoid interest and penalties. Title work starts accruing interest if not completed 45 days from your purchase date. We do not go by when the paperwork is mailed/received in our office. You are responsible to have all documents in and paid for. You are strongly encouraged to mail in advance to avoid penalties.
Once your paperwork has been reviewed you will be contacted for payment or for any missing documents. Please include valid contact information with your paperwork. A $3.00 long distance call fee may be applicable. We will reach out via email if an email address is given- watch your junk or spam folder so you don’t miss any correspondence regarding your transaction.
Transactions done through the mail will be charged a $25.00 administrative fee and a postage and handling fee to mail the plates and registration ($7.50 per set of plates and registration, $1.50 per registration only).
Please send documents to:
Pennington County Treasurer's Office
PO Box 6160
Rapid City, SD 57709
You can obtain an estimate by pre-loading your documents on the state's portal: Home - my605Drive.
*You will still need bring in\mail in all original paper documents and print the pre-application that is generated when pre-loading your documents.
You may also call the Treasurer's Office at 605-394-2163 or send us an email through our Contact Us page. Please note that all quotes are based on the information you provide and are considered estimates.
- Mark your documents as EXPEDITE in the cover letter and ensure all payments are included.
- Expedited requests are processed faster, but additional documents must also be marked for expedite service.
The following payment methods are accepted:
- Checks, Money Orders, and Cashier’s Checks (payable to Pennington County Treasurer).
- No counter, starter, PMB, or out-of-state checks will be accepted.
- Credit/Debit Cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover are accepted, with a 2% service charge.
- The issued card holder must be present with valid ID for the card to be accepted.
- Our system is not setup to take prepaid debit cards, gift cards or loaded employee payroll cards.
- Cash
Yes. A vehicle title is a legal document that is required to register a vehicle in South Dakota. While the primary purpose of a title is to establish who owns the vehicle, titles also provide vehicle information such as make, model year, weight and the vehicle identification number (VIN). Both the buyer and seller must follow specific procedures to ensure the title is correctly transferred from one owner to the next.
If the vehicle is brand new, instead of a certificate of title, you may have a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin. Once the title transfer is completed you will receive a South Dakota title. If there is a lien holder the title will be held electronically until the lien is released.
If a vehicle is registered in another state that does not require a title for that vehicle type, the ownership document may be the vehicle registration. The original paper registration from the seller will be required along with the bill of sale.
A completed purchase agreement or bill of sale is required for all title transfers and must include the vehicle information (year, make, model, complete VIN), the date of sale, sale price, seller name, buyer name, and be signed by the seller and buyer. Many states have a section on their titles to fill in the required information and a place for the seller and buyer to sign. If any of the required information is missing, or not filled out, a separate bill of sale will be needed (Form 1025).
If purchased from a dealer the purchase agreement or bill of sale will be needed. Any trade-in vehicle information will need to be listed on the purchase agreement for calculating excise tax.
Any cross outs, white out, or other alterations to documents may void them or require an affidavit for correction.
A South Dakota Motor Vehicle and Boat Title Application must be included with all title transfer paperwork. If you have purchased from a South Dakota dealer this should already be included in your title paperwork. If there is more than one buyer both people may need to sign depending on how the names are connected.
Names connected by ‘AND’ or without any designation require both buyers to sign the application.
Names connected by ‘OR’ require only one signature
Instructions for filling out the application
Section A: Mark whether this a boat or motor vehicle transfer
Section B: Fill in the vehicle information- full VIN, year, make, model, color, and include how many wheels with the color
Section C: For each owner fill out the name, address and South Dakota Driver’s License or ID number, or full SSN. If more than one owner fill in the ownership type (or, and, trust, trustee, or DBA)
Section D: Title mailing address if different than the owner’s address
Section E: Contact name, email address and phone number
Section F: Skip this section
Section G: If there is a lien holder fill in their name and address as it should appear on the title
Section H: Printed name and signature of the owners
In lieu of sales and use taxes, South Dakota imposes a 4% excise tax on most motor vehicle transactions unless exempt. The excise tax is based on the purchase price listed on the bill of sale, purchase order, sales contract, or on the NADA clean retail value.
Purchase price is defined as total consideration of the vehicle price and all accessories not charged tax- including but not limited to rebates, document fees, extended warranties, service contracts and GAP Waiver. Trade in allowances are deducted from the total purchase price only if verified by VIN on the purchase contract AND if that trade in was titled in the name of the applicant.
Exclusions: Discounts are not rebates and are therefore not excise taxable. Insurance is not excise taxable.
If the vehicle was purchased for a nominal amount (less then fair value) excise tax may be calculated based on the NADA clean retail value of the vehicle.
If the vehicle is transferred without consideration (no money exchanged) between spouses, between a parent and a child, or between siblings the vehicle is exempt from tax. Otherwise excise tax will be figured on the NADA clean retail value.
A valid bill of sale still needs to be completed and late fees will accrue if not transferred within 45 days from the date of sale.
If the deceased’s estate is going through probate the court appointed personal representative will need to sign as seller on the title and the PR paperwork sealed by the courts will be needed to show they have authority to sell the vehicle. The original paper title will be required to transfer the title, along with the odometer disclosure if less then 20 years old and a valid bill of sale. If the title has been lost the personal representative may apply for a duplicate title.
If the deceased’s estate is NOT going through probate a Succession Affidavit will need to be filled out by the qualifying heir. Section C of the affidavit lists the requirements to qualify for transfer by succession, including it having been at least 30 days from the date of death and the estate not going through the courts. If the vehicle is titled in another state, the succession process will need to be done in that state (if the state allows it) before it may be transferred in South Dakota. If it is titled in South Dakota the title may be transferred by succession without the original paper title if it is unable to be located.
Yes, South Dakota title and registration statutes do not expressly prohibit an out-of-state applicant from titling and registering here. However, your state may prohibit registering your vehicle in another state. No refunds will be issued for any reason.
If you have an out of state driver’s license or ID you will need to provide a clear copy of proof of your social security number. Acceptable proof is a copy of your social security card or a W2, 1098,1099, paystub or military orders with the full SSN on them.
Yes, if the vehicle meets all the requirements to be street legal. You may purchase an annual pass for $50.00. You will need a copy of your ownership document (Title, Registration, Insurance Card) and a copy of the Driver's License or State ID and proof of social security for all owners.
You will also need to complete the Non-Resident Off-Road Vehicle Permit Application and all owners will need to sign. When processing through the mail additional administrative and postage fees will apply.
Motor Scooters (50 CCs and over) are required to be titled and licensed in South Dakota. The Low Speed and Off-Road Vehicle Affidavit is not required.
Mopeds (under 50 CCs) are optional to title and license, and toy ATVs are not titled in South Dakota.
If you are unsure if you need to title your ATV\Off-Road vehicle please contact our office at 605-394-2163, or Contact Us by email.
