Clay County Information
South Dakota is home to Clay County. In 2020, Clay County had a population of 14,967, based upon a local census. In Clay County, the current seat is Vermillion.
It was formed in 1862.
It was named for Henry Clay. He was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the Senate and House.
Clay County comprises the Vermillion, SD Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Sioux City-Vermillion, IA-SD-NE Combined Statistical Area.
Clay County Arrest Records
In Clay County, the authorities keep arrest records on each individual crime. Crimes in Clay County are broken into two primary categories, violent crime and property crime. 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. Back in 2021, there were 0 violent and 57 property crimes in Clay County. Clay County Sheriff’s Office can be contacted at:
Clay County Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff: Andy Howe
15 N Washington Street
Vermillion, SD 57069
Phone: (605) 677-7100
Email: ccso@claysheriff.org
Clay County Criminal Records
Clay 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. In Clay County, criminal records are consistently up to date. In Clay County, citizens can use a search tool to get access to the records. Anyone on release or in jail can be searched for using the tool. The Clay County sex offender register is updated constantly. Each individual offender living, working, attending school, or incarcerated in the Clay County area must be on this list. All Clay County residents may access an up-to-date copy of this register.
Local offenders can be found by citizens of Clay County by using online searches. A resident must simply enter a zip code to act as the center of their search. All offenders within those coordinates will then be revealed to the Clay County resident. People may also use the tools to look up individual known offenders. The results will show all jailed and non-compliant offenders too.
Clay County Court Records
The criminal, civil, and family cases in Clay County are all overseen by the county courthouse. Court records in Clay County are handled by the court clerk. Clay County residents can access court records at:
Clay County Courthouse
PO Box 377
211 West Main St #300
Vermillion, SD 57069
Office Hours:
8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri
Phone: (605) 677-6756
Fax: (605) 677-8885
Email: claycoclerk@ujs.state.sd.us
There is one federal district court, a state supreme court, and trial courts of general and limited jurisdiction in South Dakota. 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 - Common records in Clay County can be sent by mail, email, or fax. Nonetheless, official Clay County records may only be delivered via mail.
Clay County Public Records
The state of South Dakota keeps vital records on each and every citizen. All important life events are recorded in these documents. Marriages, divorces, births, and deaths are all reported in these vital files. Clay County, and other counties in South Dakota, assist in the collection of these vital records. Clay County may be put in charge of amassing and sending copies to the state.
South Dakota requires all county clerks to collect marriage records. Clay County records are held at the South Dakota Department of Health: Office of Vital Records. The principal vital records are birth certificates, death certificates, divorce decrees, marriage licenses, divorce certificates, marriage certificates, and more. In the state of South Dakota, every single one of these vital records is located together in one central registry, including those from Clay County. These records can then be used for statistical analysis.
Any public record can be copied and accessed by residents in Clay County. Clay County citizens have the right to access these reports since South Dakota passed the Sunshine Law in 1967. To get hold of public records in Clay County, citizens must enquire at:
Clay County Clerk’s Office
211 W Main St
Vermillion, SD 57069
Phone: (605) 677-7130
Fax: (605) 677-7104
However, Clay County charges a fee per record copied. Birth records in Clay County cost $15. First copies of death records cost $15. First copies of marriage records cost $15 in Clay County.
NOTE - There are various rules that need to be followed for Clay County requesters to obtain records. The office is open between 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. CST from Monday to Friday. Those looking to request records must also bring some form of photo identification. State IDs and driver's licenses will do just fine. In Clay County, requesters must also put their public record requests in writing.
