To title a mobile home, you will need:
- Certificate of Title or Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin for new mobile homes.
- 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 Social Security Number is required.)
- Purchase Agreement or Valid Bill of Sale (if the title is not already in your name).
Note: Additional documents may be required based on individual circumstances. Cross-outs, white-out, or alterations on documents may void them or require a correction affidavit.
Before a moving permit is able to be issued by the Treasurer’s Office you must first go to the Planning and Zoning department. They will give you a paper that you must bring to the Treasurer’s Office when applying for the moving permit.
Anytime a mobile home is being moved a moving permit must be issued. The applicant must be the owner of the home, or have written authorization from the owner. If it is newly purchased and is being moved before the title is being transferred the valid bill of sale will be required.
In order for a moving permit to be issued all property taxes that have been assessed must be paid. If the mobile home is moving out of a different county, you will need to pay the assessed taxes at that county and obtain a Mobile Home Tax Affidavit showing the taxes have been paid.
South Dakota collects taxes a year in arrears (2023 taxes are collected in 2024), so the previous year and current year taxes will need to be paid before the moving permit may be issued. If the mobile home will be moving after November 1st additional taxes may be required for a moving permit.
- Title Transfer Fee: $10.00
- State Technology Fee: $2.00
- Excise Tax: 4% (see how this is calculated below)
- Moving Permit Fee: $15.00 (cash, cashier’s check, or money order only)
- Property Taxes (See below for further details)
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.
- Yes, expedited service is available for an additional $25.00 administrative fee. Mark the package as Attn: EXPEDITE and include the expedite fee in your payment.
- Additional documents sent by mail must also be marked for expedited service and include the required fee.
- 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
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, length x width, odometer (if 20 years old or newer)
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
Yes. A title is a legal document that is required for mobile homes in South Dakota. While the primary purpose of a title is to establish who owns the home, titles also provide information such as make, model year, length x width, 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.
A completed purchase agreement or bill of sale is required for all title transfers and must include the vehicle information (year, make, model, color, width x length, complete VIN), the date of sale, sale price, seller name, buyer name, and be signed by the seller. 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.
In lieu of sales and use taxes, South Dakota imposes a 4% excise tax on mobile homes the first time they are titled in South Dakota, and property tax is assessed on the home for subsequent years. If the home was purchased from someone that has a South Dakota title no excise tax will be collected and all assessed property taxes must be paid. If the mobile home is new (Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin) or the seller has an out of state title, excise tax may be collected. 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 mobile home 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.
Please contact our office for the process to change the title in the event the mobile home has been permanently affixed to a foundation (surrendered to real estate), or if the mobile home is no longer permanently affixed to a foundation (removal from real estate).
You may give us a call at 605-394-2163 or send us on email through our Contact Us.
Taxes on mobile homes are assessed through the Department of Equalization and are collected a year in arrears. When the title is being transferred, and\or a moving permit is being issued all assessed taxes must be paid.
Example: A mobile home with a South Dakota title was purchased and the title transfer is being done in May 2024. The 2023 taxes (payable in 2024) and the 2024 taxes (payable in 2025) have both been assessed on the home and will need to be paid.
If getting a moving permit for a mobile home that will be moving after November 1st, please contact our office for more information on the taxes payable.
