South Dakota License Plate Lookup

License Plate Lookup in South Dakota

A South Dakota license plate lookup is a process of searching for the details of a vehicle using the information on the license plate. An inquirer may use the license plate lookup to get essential information about the vehicle and the vehicle's owner including selected South Dakota traffic records. Specific information obtainable from a license plate lookup include:

Mileage record or possible adjustment of mileage record
History of flood damage, hail damage, and fire damage
Criminal record history of the driver
Motor vehicle title
Vehicle recalls
History of vehicle service, inspection, and registration
The safety rating
Accident history

There are no special requirements to conduct a license plate lookup in South Dakota. An interested person may undertake a license plate lookup in the state using either of the following options:

Paid service from private database companies: Some private database companies purchase information, organize, and sell these to customers. License plate lookup with these private database companies is the easiest option for inquirers because it involves the least effort.
In-person request to the South Dakota Public Safety Department by visiting the following address:

South Dakota Department of Public Safety
118 West Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501

Private database companies may offer free license plate lookup services in South Dakota, but only limited information will be provided.

What is a South Dakota License Plate?

A South Dakota license plate is a metallic plate bearing a unique combination of numbers and alphabets allocated to a vehicle in the state. Cars, trucks, and motorhomes can have up to seven characters in combination, while motorcycles may have only six characters. If there is a space between the letters, the space is counted as a character. South Dakota license plates do not bear special characters such as #, &, @, etc. The unique combination of numbers and letters on the license plates helps identify vehicles and can be used to track vehicle registration information. The local counties issue the license plates in South Dakota. The treasurer's offices in the respective counties handle vehicle titling and the registration of license plates. South Dakota mandates the registration of all automobiles and the collection of license plates. The state requires most classes of vehicles to have front and rear plates. Motorcycles and trailers are allowed to have only rear plates. However, a person may drive a car without a license plate in South Dakota if they have a temporary seller's permit. A temporary seller's permit is valid for 45 days from the vehicle's date of purchase.

A South Dakota license plate is the owner's property, not the state's. A person may transfer the license plate from an old vehicle to a newly acquired vehicle. However, this transfer must be done at the local county treasurer's office. South Dakota issues personalized and specialty plates and commercial vehicle plates.

How Do I Get a License Plate in South Dakota?

An applicant for a license plate in South Dakota is required to visit the treasurer's office in their county of residence and provide their social security number or South Dakota driver's license number. An alternative way to get a license plate is to apply online by creating an account with "My SD Cars". A license plate applicant will need to pay a 4% motor vehicle excise tax. Motorhome owners are required to pay 4% initial registration fees. Vehicles and motorhomes not registered within 45 days of purchase will be subject to interest and penalty charges. Interest will be calculated for the number of months for which the vehicle was not registered after 45 days from the vehicle's purchase date. For the first month after the 45 days, period interest may be calculated at the rate of 1% or $5, whichever is greater. Subsequent months will be calculated at 1% for each month. The maximum fine applicable is $50. Registrations made after 60 days from the date of purchase will be subject to a penalty equal to 10% of the tax or $10, whichever is greater. Applicants are also required to pay a title fee of $10.

South Dakota has different license fees for different categories of automobiles. These include:

Passenger License Plates vs Commercial License Plates

Commercial license plates are given to vehicles used for business to differentiate them from vehicles meant for personal uses. Passenger vehicles are automobiles other than motorcycles that carry passengers for non-commercial purposes. A passenger vehicle is designed to accommodate a maximum of nine persons. To register a passenger vehicle, an applicant is only required to download and complete a standard Motor Vehicle/Boat Title & Registration Application. The completed form must be signed and submitted to the local county treasurer's office. The applicant should also pay the total fees applicable for the type of vehicle stated in the form at the county treasurer's office. An applicant for a commercial license plate will also complete a copy of the standard Motor Vehicle/Boat Title & Registration Application and submit it to their local county treasurer. However, they will need to pay license plate fees based on the vehicle's weight and the year the vehicle was manufactured. The state has standard tables where applicants can check for the amount they are required to pay for:

If the vehicle's weight is 28 tonnes or more, the applicant will also be required to submit a stamped verified copy of Form 2290, Schedule 1 (proof of filing/payment of the Federal Heavy Vehicle Use tax).

How Can I Find the Owner of a License Plate in South Dakota?

South Dakota has over 1.2 million vehicles registered with the Department of Revenue. Each of these is identifiable by the details supplied while registering for the vehicle title. Persons interested in finding the owner of a license plate may visit the office of the South Dakota Department of Revenue using the following address:

445 East Capitol Avenue,
Pierre,
SD 57501

However, the South Dakota Department of Revenue may be selective in the amount of information they make available. The U.S. Code 18 § 2721, popularly referred to as the Driver's Privacy Protection Act, disallows state vehicle management authorities from releasing certain registrants' personal information. Information restricted from release by vehicle management authorities includes photographs or images of registrants, social security numbers, medical information, and disability information. However, the code gives conditions where information may be released to a third party. These conditions include that if the request is:

Made by a government agency while carrying their official duties.
Made by a legitimate corporate organization, their subsidiary, or staff to verify the correctness of registrants' personal information in their record.
Made in order to provide to owners of vehicles towed in the state.
Connected with theft or safety of the driver.
Made by an employer in the course of obtaining the information of a commercial driver's license holder.
Made in response for individual motor vehicle records requests if the person's express consent has the information obtained.
Made in connection with the use of private toll transportation facilities.
Made for survey purposes, marketing and solicitations if the express consent of the owners of the information had been sought.
Made for the use of any licensed private investigative service agencies in the course of official duties.
Made for research activities, also to produce statistical reports. However, this is only allowed if the personal information is not published, used to contact the persons concerned, or disclosed to other parties.
Made for uses specifically authorized by the law of South Dakota if the use is related to the operation of a motor vehicle or public safety.

The information obtainable from the South Dakota Department of Revenue should contain the owner's identity of the license plate. However, if the information obtained does not contain the identity of the owner of the license plate, they may use the information obtained to further search for the identity of the owner. This may be done using phone number lookup or third-party license plate lookup sites.

Third-party aggregate sites are a reliable alternative for obtaining license plate information. These sites are maintained by independent establishments which collate the information from government-run repositories. Obtaining records from these sites often proves substantially easier than government alternatives. However, requestors may be required to provide any information required to facilitate the record search and pay any required fees to access the record of interest.

South Dakota License Plate Renewal

There are four methods to renew annual vehicle registration and license plates in South Dakota. These include in-person renewal at the respective county of residence of the applicant, by mail through the county office, online renewal, and through designated license renewal kiosks.

In-Person Renewal

For in-person renewal, applicants are required to visit their local county treasurer's office with their renewal notice and a photo identity card (This may be either a driver's license ID card). The applicant may be required to present proof of ownership of the vehicle, such as title or license renewal form, in situations where the vehicle is not shown on the renewal notice postcard. The respective local county treasurer's office determines and advises applicants on acceptable methods to make required payments.

Renewal by mail.

An applicant may mail the renewal postcard and payment for their outstanding fees to their county treasurer's office. If the vehicle to be renewed is not shown on the postcard, the applicant will be required to mail the vehicle's proof of ownership and their postcard. This may be either the title or the vehicle's license renewal form. Acceptable payment methods when using the mail renewal method include:

In-state check
Cashier's check
Money order

Applicants are also required to include postage fees of:

$5 for each plate/plates
$1 for each decal/decals

Other details required to be mailed along with the application include the driver's license number of the applicant or ID number from a government-issued ID card. The application process may take two weeks after the mail application is received.

Internet Renewal Method

To use the internet renewal method, an applicant must have a valid driver's license or a South Dakota ID issued by the South Dakota Department of Public Safety. The ID must also bear their date of birth. Suppose the application for a license plate is for a business organization. In that case, they will be required to have the following information before they can access the application system.

A Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)
A State assigned customer number (This should be as indicated on the vehicle's renewal notice given by the state)

The required costs for an internet license renewal application include:

A $1 mailing fee for each registration renewal
Processing fee (This is $1.5 if the payment is made with an eCheck, or 2.25% of the amount if the payment is made with debit or credit card)

Through license renewal kiosks

South Dakota licenses designated license plate renewal kiosks, otherwise known as DMV Now kiosks. These license plate kiosks offer vehicle license plate renewals on the spot. An applicant can check online for the DMV Now kiosk closest to them. To use a DMV Now service, an applicant will need to scan the barcode on their South Dakota driver's license or South Dakota Identification card. This will bring forth all the vehicle owner's registrations. They can then select the registration they want to renew. The acceptable means of payment when using a license plate renewal kiosk is through a credit or debit card (This includes only a Discover card, Visa Card, or Mastercard).

Can You Look Up License Plates with VIN?

Yes. A person may look up a license plate using a VIN. This may be done by contacting the South Dakota Department of Revenue through the local county treasurer's office in their county of residence. They may also use the SDCars online VIN Check. Other third-party websites offer free license plate lookups in South Dakota.

VIN Number Lookup

VIN is an abbreviation of the phrase ‘Vehicle Identification Number'. The VIN can be found on the driver's side of the vehicle's dashboard. A VIN lookup provides information about the vehicle's registration, thefts, warranty claims, insurance coverage, and recalls. The South Dakota Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division conducts VIN lookup using the SDCars online. Note that VIN is always in numbers; hence, figures that look O and I should be typed in as numbers 0 and 1, respectively.

Can Civilians Lookup License Plates in South Dakota?

Based on the South Dakota open records laws, the public can access certain license plate records from the appropriate government agency. Therefore, civilians can retrieve license plate information by mail or in person at the South Dakota DMV. Per South Dakota Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), the driver’s personal information is confidential, so it might not be revealed to civilians during a license plate search. Examples of such information are the driver’s name, telephone number, address, Social Security number, and driver’s license number. Disclosure of personal information is permitted if it is needed:

For private toll transportation services.
For court, agency, or self-regulatory body proceedings.
To notify car owners that their vehicle has been towed or impounded.
By insurance companies for claims investigations, anti fraud activities, rating, or underwriting.
For research purposes, but should not be further disclosed or used to contact the record holders.
For use by licensed private investigative agencies or security services for purposes approved by the DPPA.
For use by a business to run background checks and verify the accuracy of personal information submitted by potential employees.
By any government agency or private person or entity acting on behalf of a federal, state, or local agency in conducting its functions.
For any state-authorized purpose relating to the operation of a motor vehicle or public safety or for use in connection with car safety, prevention of car theft, and promotion of driver safety.

What Do Police See When They Run Your Plates in South Dakota?

Before pulling over a car, a South Dakota police officer will run a license plate search through a database in case the driver is a potential criminal, and they should proceed with caution. This allows the police officer to obtain the following information:

Vehicle information (the year the vehicle was made, the make and model, the vehicle identification number (VIN), license plate expiration date, and any suspensions placed on the plate)
Driver information (driver's name, license information, address, date of birth and Social Security number, eye color, and height)
Criminal history (active warrants and traffic violations)

Free License Plate Lookup in South Dakota

Most third-party sites provide online databases where individuals can find free license plate information. The search typically turns out limited vehicle history reports. Requesters who want a more extensive search result may have to pay a small fee. A free license plate search through third-party sites reveals the car accident history, lien and repossession records, mileage rollback, flood, hail, ad fire damage, and service, inspection, and registration history.

Alternatively, South Dakota residents may visit the DMV during office hours to request license plate information. The DMV might allow them to view such information for free. It is advisable to call the office prior to the visit to ask if a free request is possible.

How to Search for Ticket by License Plate in South Dakota

The South Dakota DMV allows in-person requests for ticket searches by license plate. For online options, individuals can use the South Dakota Unified Judicial System Portal. However, the search criteria are by citation number or case number. Generally, individuals should be able to find the following information when they conduct a traffic ticket search:

Vehicle Information, including make/model, color, license plate number, driver’s license number, and registration number.
the Alleged Offense details (the time, place, and exact location of the offense)
Description of the traffic violation and the vehicle code section that was violated.
Officer identification (name, badge number, and signature)

Drivers should be careful of traffic violations so they do not accrue points that would lead to suspending their driver’s license.