Selling or junking a car in South Dakota

How do I sign over a car title in South Dakota?

The seller completes the assignment on the back of the title, including the odometer disclosure (hand-printed names, signatures and addresses of buyer and seller, sale date and odometer reading). DOR says a seller needs a bill of sale. The seller must give the buyer a seller's permit, printed online or from the county treasurer and valid 45 days. The seller has 45 days to deliver the title, and the buyer must title within 45 days. Damage disclosure has not been required since July 1, 2015. The DOR's title assignment requirements do not include a notary.

How do I get a duplicate title in South Dakota?

Duplicate Title Application (Form 1002) plus a $10 fee, submitted to your local county treasurer's office. A duplicate can only be requested when the original title has been lost, mutilated or destroyed.

Do I need to file a release of liability in South Dakota?

Report the sale online in the Vehicle Registration & Plates portal (select the vehicle, then 'report of sale'), or complete the tear-off Report of Sale at the bottom of newer titles and send it to the county treasurer. It only notifies the state that a sale happened.

What do I do with the plates after selling a car in South Dakota?

SD is a 'plate with owner' state, so the seller keeps the plates and can transfer them to a newly acquired vehicle at the county treasurer's office (bring the old plates).

What happens to the title when a car is junked or salvaged in South Dakota?

An owner dismantling a vehicle to sell its parts must apply for a Junking Certificate (or have a recycler convert the record to 'Junking Certificate/Parts Only'). The title must accompany the application with lienholder consent, and a title fee applies. A vehicle with a junking certificate can never get a regular title again. If a vehicle is destroyed or crushed, the owner removes the plates and submits the title with a destruction affidavit within 15 days (SDCL 32-3-51).

What can I do about an abandoned vehicle on my property in South Dakota?

A removal agency may not remove abandoned vehicles from private property without the landowner's or tenant's written permission (SDCL 32-36-4.1). Within 45 days after removal it must send certified-mail notice on a DOR form to the owner and lienholders, or publish notice if they can't be identified; if it waits more than 10 days, it can't charge storage past day 10 until notice is mailed (32-36-8). Title vests in the removal agency 30 days after notice is sent (32-36-9), and it then applies for a salvage title or a title stamped 'abandoned vehicle' (32-36-11).

Official sources

1. SD DOR - Individual FAQs (motor vehicle)
2. SD DOR - All Vehicles: Title, Fees & Registration
3. SD Motor Vehicle Division 2023 Procedures Manual
4. SDCL Chapter 32-36 Abandoned, Derelict and Junk Motor Vehicles

This guide summarizes public rules and is not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with South Dakota Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (titles handled through county treasurers) before you sell.