Buffalo County Background Information
The state of South Dakota contains Buffalo County. A local census found that Buffalo County had 1,948 people in 2020. The current county seat in Buffalo County is Gann Valley.
It was created in 1864 and was organized in 1871.
It was named for American buffalo. The American bison or simply bison (Bison bison), also commonly known as the American buffalo or simply buffalo, is an American species of bison that once roamed North America in vast herds.
Buffalo County Arrest Records
Arrest records are kept on all crimes within the Buffalo County area. Buffalo County crimes are put into violent crimes and property crimes. Property crimes can include things such as burglary, vehicle theft, and larceny. Robbery, aggravated assault, murder, and forcible rape make up the four main violent crime categorizations. Crimes for this county have not maintained frequent reporting, and as such, cannot be recorded. Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office can be contacted at:
Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff: Wayne Willman
112 Osman Avenue
Gann Valley, SD 57341
Phone: (605) 293-3231
Buffalo County Criminal Records
Buffalo County records their criminal activity in the form of criminal records. These records cover murders, rapes, burglaries, arson, motor vehicle theft, assaults, and crimes of a sexual nature. All police records in Buffalo County are updated. Individuals of Buffalo County can use a search tool to get access to the records in question. Anyone on release or in jail can be searched for using the tool. Buffalo County legally keeps current sex offender registers. These consist of any offender living, attending school, working, or imprisoned in the Buffalo County area. This register is made available to all citizens of Buffalo County.
Residents living in Buffalo County can also search online for offenders in the area. A given zip code acts as the focal point of a resident's search. The website will then list all sex offenders found within a given radius of this pinpointed location in Buffalo County. People may also use the tool to search for specific offenders. Non-compliant and incarcerated offenders are also shown in the results.
Buffalo County Court Records
The criminal, civil, and family cases in Buffalo County are all supervised by the county courthouse. All Buffalo County court records are managed by the court clerk. Buffalo County residents can access court records at:
Buffalo County Courthouse
300 South Courtland
Suite #111
Chamberlain, SD 57325
Phone: (605) 734-4580
Fax: (605) 734-4582
In the state of South Dakota, there is one federal district court, a state supreme court, and trial courts of general and limited jurisdiction. The Federal district courts hear appeals from state courts and are also the point of origination for federal cases and lawsuits. South Dakota Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has five judgeships. South Dakota Circuit Courts are courts of general jurisdiction. The 66 counties in the state are divided into seven judicial circuits with forty-one judicial circuit judges.
NOTE - Mail, email, or fax can all be used to send records to requesters in Buffalo County. Buffalo County official records can only be delivered via mail.
Buffalo County Public Records
The state keeps vital records on each individual resident in South Dakota, including Buffalo County. All important life events are reported in these records. These records can include vital records on divorces, marriages, births, deaths, and more. Counties such as Buffalo County help to collect these records. These counties, such as Buffalo County, are usually put in charge of accumulating reports and sending copies to the state government.
Every county clerk collects marriage records in South Dakota. The South Dakota Department of Health: Office of Vital Records collects all Buffalo County records. Birth certificates, death certificates, divorce decrees, marriage licenses, divorce certificates, and marriage certificates make up the principal vital records. All vital state records are kept in one central registry. In the future, these vital records can be utilized for statistical analysis.
Any public record can be copied and accessed by residents in Buffalo County. The state of South Dakota passed the Sunshine Law back in 1967, meaning that citizens now have the fundamental right to access any public records. Buffalo County citizens can access public records in-person at:
Buffalo County Clerk’s Office
112 Osman Avenue
Gann Valley, SD 57341
Phone: (605) 293-3239
Fax: (605) 293-3240
Then again, Buffalo County does charge per record copy. First copies of birth records cost $15. Death records in Buffalo County cost $15. Marriage records in Buffalo County cost $15.
NOTE - If requesters want to obtain records face-to-face, they must adhere to various rules in Buffalo County. The office is open between 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. CST from Monday to Friday to attain records in-person in Buffalo County. Photo ID is needed to purchase records in Buffalo County. State IDs and driver's licenses will do just fine. Only public record applications put in writing will be accepted in Buffalo County.
