South Dakota Genealogy

USA (1,379,301) > South Dakota (12,519)

South Dakota map


By Record Type

record type help


Overview of South Dakota records


If you're not sure which records would be helpful, you can try our Ancestor Source Finder tool.

Birth Records (215)
Cemetery Records (3,893)
Census Records (3,224)
Church Records (485)
City Directories (674)
Court Records (6)
Death Records (326)
Histories and Genealogies (267)
Immigration Records (180)
Land Records (181)
Map Records (879)
Marriage Records (188)
Military Records (378)
Minority Records (17)
Miscellaneous Records (89)
Newspapers and Obituaries (1,298)
Probate Records (14)
School Records (648)
Tax Records (11)

By County

Aurora County (191)
Beadle County (354)
Bennett County (101)
Bon Homme County (250)
Brookings County (285)
Brown County (384)
Brule County (197)
Buffalo County (73)
Butte County (144)
Campbell County (145)
Charles Mix County (258)
Clark County (180)
Clay County (208)
Codington County (212)
Corson County (140)
Custer County (103)
Davison County (222)
Day County (220)
Deuel County (168)
Dewey County (131)
Douglas County (143)
Edmunds County (180)
Fall River County (159)
Faulk County (142)
Grant County (193)
Gregory County (172)
Haakon County (124)
Hamlin County (168)
Hand County (193)
Hanson County (107)
Harding County (94)
Hughes County (163)
Hutchinson County (253)
Hyde County (108)
Jackson County (127)
Jerauld County (132)
Jones County (86)
Kingsbury County (246)
Lake County (202)
Lawrence County (281)
Lincoln County (274)
Lyman County (173)
Marshall County (151)
McCook County (166)
McPherson County (192)
Meade County (172)
Mellette County (183)
Miner County (174)
Minnehaha County (564)
Moody County (211)
Oglala Lakota County (157)
Pennington County (308)
Perkins County (148)
Potter County (125)
Roberts County (304)
Sanborn County (160)
Spink County (236)
Stanley County (88)
Sully County (88)
Todd County (130)
Tripp County (175)
Turner County (263)
Union County (246)
Walworth County (145)
Yankton County (338)
Ziebach County (77)

By City

Aberdeen (in Brown County) (152)
Agar (in Sully County) (27)
Alcester (in Union County) (37)
Alexandria (in Hanson County) (35)
Allen (in Bennett County) (39)
Alpena (in Jerauld County) (27)
Andover (in Day County) (33)
Arlington (in Brookings County) (41)
Armour (in Douglas County) (43)
Artas (in Campbell County) (30)
Artesian (in Sanborn County) (48)
Ashton (in Spink County) (34)
Astoria (in Deuel County) (32)
Aurora (in Brookings County) (30)
Avon (in Bon Homme County) (53)
Badger (in Kingsbury County) (32)
Baltic (in Minnehaha County) (34)
Bancroft (in Kingsbury County) (28)
Bath (in Brown County) (31)
Belle Fourche (in Butte County) (65)
Belvidere (in Jackson County) (29)
Beresford (in Lincoln County) (65)
Big Springs (in Union County) (30)
Big Stone City (in Grant County) (40)
Bison (in Perkins County) (26)
Blunt (in Hughes County) (34)
Bonesteel (in Gregory County) (38)
Bowdle (in Edmunds County) (50)
Bradley (in Clark County) (29)
Brandon (in Minnehaha County) (38)
Brandt (in Deuel County) (29)
Bridgewater (in McCook County) (42)
Bristol (in Day County) (39)
Britton (in Marshall County) (44)
Brookings (in Brookings County) (75)
Bruce (in Brookings County) (36)
Bryant (in Hamlin County) (41)
Buffalo (in Harding County) (32)
Buffalo Gap (in Fall River County) (29)
Bullhead (in Corson County) (27)
Burke (in Gregory County) (37)
Butler (in Day County) (27)
Canistota (in McCook County) (35)
Canova (in Miner County) (29)
Canton (in Lincoln County) (70)
Carthage (in Miner County) (39)
Castlewood (in Hamlin County) (35)
Cavour (in Beadle County) (31)
Cedar Butte (in Mellette County) (33)
Centerville (in Turner County) (51)
Central City (in Lawrence County) (30)
Chamberlain (in Brule County) (55)
Chancellor (in Turner County) (35)
Cherry Creek (in Ziebach County) (28)
Chester (in Lake County) (31)
Claire City (in Roberts County) (34)
Clark (in Clark County) (45)
Clear Lake (in Deuel County) (39)
Colman (in Moody County) (52)
Colome (in Tripp County) (33)
Colton (in Minnehaha County) (41)
Columbia (in Brown County) (32)
Conde (in Spink County) (33)
Corn Creek (in Mellette County) (29)
Corsica (in Douglas County) (29)
Cresbard (in Faulk County) (30)
Crooks (in Minnehaha County) (28)
Custer (in Custer County) (46)
Dallas (in Gregory County) (34)
Davis (in Turner County) (31)
De Smet (in Kingsbury County) (53)
Deadwood (in Lawrence County) (94)
Dell Rapids (in Minnehaha County) (58)
Delmont (in Douglas County) (35)
Doland (in Spink County) (41)
Dolton (in Turner County) (29)
Eagle Butte (in Dewey County) (33)
Edgemont (in Fall River County) (32)
Egan (in Moody County) (34)
Elk Point (in Union County) (66)
Elkton (in Brookings County) (37)
Emery (in Hanson County) (30)
Emmet (in Union County) (28)
Erwin (in Kingsbury County) (33)
Esmond (in Kingsbury County) (27)
Estelline (in Hamlin County) (34)
Ethan (in Davison County) (27)
Eureka (in McPherson County) (53)
Fairfax (in Gregory County) (29)
Fairview (in Lincoln County) (29)
Faith (in Meade County) (37)
Faulkton (in Faulk County) (43)
Fedora (in Miner County) (28)
Flandreau (in Moody County) (72)
Florence (in Codington County) (33)
Forest City (in Potter County) (27)
Forestburg (in Sanborn County) (28)
Fort Pierre (in Stanley County) (44)
Fort Thompson (in Buffalo County) (27)
Frankfort (in Spink County) (31)
Frederick (in Brown County) (49)
Freeman (in Hutchinson County) (53)
Gann Valley (in Buffalo County) (27)
Garden City (in Clark County) (27)
Garretson (in Minnehaha County) (49)
Gary (in Deuel County) (42)
Gayville (in Yankton County) (31)
Geddes (in Charles Mix County) (35)
Gettysburg (in Potter County) (41)
Glenham (in Walworth County) (31)
Goodwin (in Deuel County) (28)
Greenwood (in Charles Mix County) (34)
Gregory (in Gregory County) (30)
Grenville (in Day County) (28)
Groton (in Brown County) (44)
Hamill (in Tripp County) (27)
Harrisburg (in Lincoln County) (34)
Harrold (in Hughes County) (30)
Hartford (in Minnehaha County) (41)
Hayti (in Hamlin County) (38)
Hazel (in Hamlin County) (32)
Hecla (in Brown County) (29)
Henry (in Codington County) (35)
Hermosa (in Custer County) (30)
Herreid (in Campbell County) (48)
Hetland (in Kingsbury County) (30)
Highmore (in Hyde County) (38)
Hill City (in Pennington County) (45)
Hitchcock (in Beadle County) (33)
Hosmer (in Edmunds County) (34)
Hot Springs (in Fall River County) (68)
Hoven (in Potter County) (34)
Howard (in Miner County) (55)
Hudson (in Lincoln County) (39)
Humboldt (in Minnehaha County) (42)
Hurley (in Turner County) (39)
Huron (in Beadle County) (155)
Interior (in Jackson County) (27)
Ipswich (in Edmunds County) (45)
Irene (in Yankton County) (35)
Iroquois (in Kingsbury County) (38)
Isabel (in Dewey County) (34)
Jackson Township (in Charles Mix County) (29)
Java (in Walworth County) (38)
Jefferson (in Union County) (31)
Kadoka (in Jackson County) (40)
Kaylor (in Hutchinson County) (32)
Kennebec (in Lyman County) (33)
Keystone (in Pennington County) (31)
Kimball (in Brule County) (57)
Kyle (in Oglala Lakota County) (29)
La Plant (in Dewey County) (30)
Lake Andes (in Charles Mix County) (42)
Lake City (in Marshall County) (28)
Lake Norden (in Hamlin County) (37)
Lake Preston (in Kingsbury County) (35)
Langford (in Marshall County) (33)
Lead (in Lawrence County) (69)
Lebanon (in Potter County) (30)
Lemmon (in Perkins County) (37)
Lennox (in Lincoln County) (38)
Leola (in McPherson County) (43)
Lesterville (in Yankton County) (39)
Letcher (in Sanborn County) (31)
Lily (in Day County) (32)
Little Eagle (in Corson County) (33)
Long Lake (in McPherson County) (30)
Lowry (in Walworth County) (27)
Madison (in Lake County) (76)
Manchester (in Kingsbury County) (29)
Manderson (in Oglala Lakota County) (26)
Marion (in Turner County) (42)
Martin (in Bennett County) (41)
Marty (in Charles Mix County) (30)
Marvin (in Grant County) (33)
McIntosh (in Corson County) (29)
McLaughlin (in Corson County) (40)
Meadow (in Perkins County) (26)
Meckling (in Clay County) (31)
Mellette (in Spink County) (39)
Menno (in Hutchinson County) (47)
Midland (in Haakon County) (36)
Milbank (in Grant County) (58)
Miller (in Hand County) (55)
Milltown (in Hutchinson County) (31)
Mission (in Todd County) (37)
Mission Hill (in Yankton County) (34)
Mitchell (in Davison County) (126)
Mobridge (in Walworth County) (47)
Montrose (in McCook County) (32)
Mound City (in Campbell County) (42)
Mount Vernon (in Davison County) (34)
Murdo (in Jones County) (31)
Naples (in Clark County) (27)
New Effington (in Roberts County) (41)
New Holland (in Douglas County) (27)
New Underwood (in Pennington County) (31)
Newell (in Butte County) (42)
Nisland (in Butte County) (30)
Norris (in Mellette County) (31)
North Sioux City (in Union County) (27)
Northville (in Spink County) (34)
Norway (in Lincoln County) (29)
Nunda (in Lake County) (30)
Oacoma (in Lyman County) (32)
Odessa (in Yankton County) (28)
Oelrichs (in Fall River County) (29)
Oglala (in Oglala Lakota County) (39)
Oldham (in Kingsbury County) (42)
Olivet (in Hutchinson County) (33)
Onida (in Sully County) (33)
Orient (in Faulk County) (28)
Ortley (in Roberts County) (28)
Parker (in Turner County) (49)
Parkston (in Hutchinson County) (39)
Parmelee (in Todd County) (32)
Peever (in Roberts County) (32)
Philip (in Haakon County) (58)
Pickstown (in Gregory County) (27)
Pierpont (in Day County) (38)
Pierre (in Hughes County) (88)
Pine Ridge (in Oglala Lakota County) (45)
Plankinton (in Aurora County) (42)
Platte (in Charles Mix County) (48)
Pleasant (in Lincoln County) (28)
Pollock (in Campbell County) (43)
Porcupine (in Oglala Lakota County) (32)
Prairie (in Union County) (28)
Presho (in Lyman County) (41)
Pukwana (in Brule County) (32)
Quinn (in Pennington County) (33)
Ramona (in Lake County) (33)
Rapid (in Pennington County) (60)
Rapid City (in Pennington County) (116)
Raymond (in Clark County) (27)
Red Scaffold (in Ziebach County) (26)
Redfield (in Spink County) (54)
Reliance (in Lyman County) (29)
Revillo (in Grant County) (27)
Rochford (in Pennington County) (31)
Roscoe (in Edmunds County) (28)
Rosebud (in Todd County) (32)
Rosholt (in Roberts County) (39)
Roslyn (in Day County) (31)
Roswell (in Miner County) (27)
Rutland (in Lake County) (27)
Saint Francis (in Todd County) (33)
Saint Lawrence (in Hand County) (35)
Salem (in McCook County) (46)
Scotland (in Bon Homme County) (61)
Selby (in Walworth County) (35)
Sherman (in Minnehaha County) (39)
Sinai (in Brookings County) (30)
Sioux Falls (in Minnehaha County) (238)
Sisseton (in Roberts County) (72)
Spearfish (in Lawrence County) (60)
Spencer (in McCook County) (30)
Spink (in Union County) (35)
Springfield (in Bon Homme County) (44)
Stickney (in Aurora County) (34)
Strandburg (in Grant County) (26)
Sturgis (in Meade County) (70)
Summit (in Roberts County) (36)
Swan Lake (in Turner County) (29)
Tabor (in Bon Homme County) (40)
Terry (in Lawrence County) (33)
Timber Lake (in Dewey County) (35)
Toronto (in Deuel County) (38)
Trent (in Moody County) (41)
Tripp (in Hutchinson County) (36)
Tulare (in Spink County) (31)
Turton (in Spink County) (28)
Twin Brooks (in Grant County) (27)
Tyndall (in Bon Homme County) (45)
Utica (in Yankton County) (35)
Vale (in Butte County) (36)
Valley Springs (in Minnehaha County) (32)
Veblen (in Marshall County) (39)
Vermillion (in Clay County) (70)
Viborg (in Turner County) (36)
Vienna (in Clark County) (30)
Virgil (in Beadle County) (29)
Vivian (in Lyman County) (28)
Volga (in Brookings County) (55)
Volin (in Yankton County) (37)
Wagner (in Charles Mix County) (57)
Wakonda (in Clay County) (40)
Wakpala (in Corson County) (32)
Wall (in Pennington County) (41)
Wallace (in Codington County) (29)
Wanblee (in Jackson County) (36)
Warner (in Brown County) (38)
Watertown (in Codington County) (85)
Waubay (in Day County) (40)
Webster (in Day County) (48)
Wentworth (in Lake County) (34)
Wessington (in Hand County) (31)
Wessington Springs (in Jerauld County) (57)
Westport (in Brown County) (26)
White (in Brookings County) (49)
White Lake (in Aurora County) (40)
White River (in Mellette County) (54)
Whitewood (in Lawrence County) (29)
Willow Lake (in Clark County) (37)
Wilmot (in Roberts County) (48)
Winfred (in Lake County) (34)
Winner (in Tripp County) (37)
Wolsey (in Beadle County) (43)
Wood (in Mellette County) (31)
Woonsocket (in Sanborn County) (49)
Worthing (in Lincoln County) (29)
Wounded Knee (in Oglala Lakota County) (29)
Yale (in Beadle County) (34)
Yankton (in Yankton County) (110)

Overview of South Dakota Genealogy Records

  • History: South Dakota was first settled in 1858. It became Dakota Territory in 1861, which was divided into North and South Dakota in 1867, and became a state in 1889.
  • Birth records: Statewide registration of births in South Dakota began in 1905 with complete records by 1932. A few birth records were kept in some counties previous to 1905. Birth records from 1905 to the present can be obtained from the South Dakota Department of Health.
  • Marriage records: Statewide registration of marriages in South Dakota began in 1905 with complete records by 1932. A few marriage records were kept in some counties previous to 1905. Marriage records from 1905 to the present can be obtained from the South Dakota Department of Health.
  • Death records: Statewide registration of deaths in South Dakota began in 1905 with complete records by 1932. A few deaths were recorded in some counties previous to 1905. Death records from 1905 to the present can be obtained from the South Dakota Department of Health.
  • Divorce records: Divorce records are kept by the clerk of courts in each county. Divorce records from 1905 to the present can be obtained from the South Dakota Department of Health.
  • Census records: The first federal census available for South Dakota is 1860. There are federal censuses publicly available for 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, and 1950. There were state censuses taken in 1885 (partial), 1890 (partial), 1905, 1915, 1925, and 1935.
  • County records: Court, land, probate, naturalization, and tax records were kept by the individual counties.
  • Other records: Many cities and towns kept newspapers, records kept by churches, cemeteries, histories, school, city directories, and other records that can be located by using the city pages on this site. Records specific to minority groups can be found in the Minority Records section.
  • All records: Use the links on this site to locate online indexes and images of many of the above records.
Back to Top