South Dakota Self Help and Legal Research
This page provides information about Self Help and Legal Research resources in South Dakota.
Links are grouped by those that cover courts statewide, for multiple counties, and then by individual county.
South Dakota - Statewide Courts Self Help
South Dakota Constitution and Statutes
Search South Dakota Constitution, Codified Laws, and Session Laws by keyword, or browse by table or contents or year.
Child Support Services
The South Dakota Department of Social Services offers information and services related to child support, including making or changing a child support order, paternity, locating an absent parent, and child support enforcement.
Traffic and Motor Vehicle Information
The South Dakota Department of Public Safety offers information about motor vehicle laws, registration, and driver licenses, with links to online manuals, applications and forms, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Small Claims Information
View a brochure on South Dakota small claims court procedures.
Child Abuse and Neglect
View the South Dakota Guide to Child Abuse and Neglect Cases.
Self-Representation Guide
The South Dakota Unified Judicial System offers a detailed guide on representing yourself in South Dakota courts.
Drug Treatment Court Information
View information about the South Dakota Drug, DUI, and Veterans Courts, alternative courts for non-violent, adult felony offenders affected by addiction. A map of court locations is included.
Self-Help Brochures
The South Dakota State Bar offers self-help brochures on a variety of legal topics, including health care, wills, trusts, elder and juvenile law, employment, property, protection orders, and family law.
Expungement Information
Instructions for filing a motion to expunge (seal) a criminal record in South Dakota courts are provided.
Legal Information for Seniors
The South Dakota Attorney General's Office provides information to seniors about legal issues, including elder abuse, health care, estate planning, and benefits. Links to additional online resources and alerts about consumer fraud and financial scams are also available.
Crime Victim Assistance
The South Dakota Department of Social Services provides assistance to victims of crime through its Victims Services Program. Resources offered include shelter and temporary housing, legal advocacy, crisis counseling, compensation, and financial grant information.
Foreclosure Prevention Assistance
View resources for preventing foreclosure in South Dakota, including local housing counseling agencies, legal service providers, and the State Bar Association.
South Dakota Multiple County Courts Self Help
3rd Judicial Circuit Procedures
View information about local procedures for weddings, juvenile and family court, small claims, misdemeanors, and representing yourself in Beadle, Brookings, Clark, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Hand, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Miner, Moody, and Sanborn Counties.
4th Judicial Circuit Procedures
View information about local procedures for weddings, juvenile and family court, small claims, misdemeanors, how to get your license back, and representing yourself in Butte, Corson, Dewey, Harding, Lawrence, Meade, Perkins, and Ziebach Counties.
5th Judicial Circuit Procedures
View information about local procedures for weddings, small claims, juvenile and family court, misdemeanors, adult criminal court, how to get your license back, and representing yourself in Brown, Campbell, Day, Edmunds, Faulk, Marshall, McPherson, Roberts, Spink, and Walworth Counties.
2nd Judicial Circuit Small Claims Information
View information about small claims cases in Lincoln and Minnehaha Counties
2nd Judicial Circuit Law Libraries
View information about the law libraries in Lincoln and Minnehaha Counties, which are open to the public for legal research.
2nd Judicial Circuit Video Conferences and Appearances
View information about video conferences and appearances in court proceedings in Lincoln and Minnehaha Counties. A link to request a video appearance is included.
3rd Judicial Circuit Information
View answers to frequently asked questions about court procedures in in Beadle, Brookings, Clark, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Hand, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Miner, Moody, and Sanborn Counties.
5th Judicial Circuit Information
View answers to frequently asked questions about court procedures in Brown, Campbell, Day, Edmunds, Faulk, Marshall, McPherson, Roberts, Spink, and Walworth Counties.
6th Judicial Circuit Information
View answers to frequently asked questions about court procedures in Bennett, Gregory, Haakon, Hughes, Hyde, Jackson, Jones, Lyman, Mellette, Potter, Stanley, Sully, Todd, and Tripp Counties.
Brookings County - Courts Self Help Resources
Brookings County State's Attorney Information
The Brookings County State's Attorney's Office offers information about child abuse and neglect, bad checks, domestic violence, DWI, drug crimes, juvenile court, mental commitments, property crimes, protection orders, sexual offenses, victims' rights, and witness issues.
Brown County - Courts Self Help Resources
Brown County Victim Help
Brown County Crime Victim's Assistance offers information about its services for crime victims, and links to victims' rights and property crimes information.
Codington County - Courts Self Help Resources
Codington County Victims/Witness Assistance
The Codington County State's Attorney's Office offers information about its services for victims and witnesses.
Minnehaha County - Courts Self Help Resources
Minnehaha County State's Attorney Information
The Minnehaha County State's Attorney's Office offers information about mental commitments, assistance for crime victims and witnesses, protection orders, and various types of criminal cases. Links are displayed in the left column.
Pennington County - Courts Self Help Resources
Pennington County Eviction Information
The Pennington County Sheriff's Office offers information about the eviction process.
Pennington County State's Attorney Information
The Penningtonake County State's Attorney's Office offers information about its Victims' Assistance Program, victims' rights, restitution, and questions and answers about criminal procedure; and its Juvenile Diversion Program that includes Teen Court and a Truancy Intervention Program.
Spink County - Courts Self Help Resources
Spink County Teen Court
View information about Spink County Teen Court, an alternative court for young offenders.
Union County - Courts Self Help Resources
Union County State's Attorney Information
The Union County State's Attorney's Office offers information about domestic violence, victims' rights, speeding tickets, and the juvenile court process. Press releases with information about criminal trial results and consumer protection issues are included.
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