Certified Copy of a Birth Certificate in South Dakota: How to Order

To get a certified copy of a birth certificate in South Dakota, submit an application to the Department of Health’s Vital Records office with proof of your identity and a $15.00 fee. You can apply in person, by mail, by phone, or online through VitalChek. Because birth records stay confidential for 100 years, you’ll need to show you’re the person named on the certificate or a close relative before the state will release one.¹

Who Can Request One

South Dakota limits access to people with a direct connection to the person named on the certificate. You qualify if you are:

The person named on the certificate, as an adult
A spouse, parent, or child of that person
A legal guardian or next of kin, including grandparents and siblings
An attorney, physician, or funeral director acting on behalf of the family
A designated agent authorized through a notarized statement that describes the authority being granted

A designated agent must also present their own government-issued photo ID when submitting the request.² The department can authorize someone outside these categories on a case-by-case basis if the record is needed to protect a personal or property right.¹

Records more than 100 years old are open to anyone, with no relationship required.³

Make Sure You Order a Certified Copy, Not an Informational Copy

A certified copy is printed on security paper, carries the state registrar’s signature and a raised seal, and works as legal proof of identity. This is the version you need for passports, driver’s licenses, school enrollment, and benefits applications.⁴

An informational copy is printed on plain paper and stamped “For information purposes only. Not legal proof of identification.” It has no seal or signature. Both types cost the same $15.00, so specify “certified” on your application unless you only need the informational version for genealogy or personal reference.⁴

What to Have Ready Before You Apply

Information About the Birth

You’ll need the full name on the certificate, the date and place of birth, and both parents’ full names, including the mother’s maiden name. The application also asks why you need the certificate and your relationship to the person named on it.

Proof of Your Identity

The simplest option is a clear photocopy of a government-issued photo ID: a driver’s license, state ID card, tribal ID, passport, or military ID.⁵

If you don’t have any of those, you can substitute two alternative documents:

Social Security card
Utility bill showing your current address
Bank statement showing your current address
Pay stub with your name, Social Security number, and employer’s address
Car registration or title showing your current address

Download the official application from the South Dakota Department of Health website or pick one up at any county Register of Deeds office.⁶

The Four Ways to Order

The state fee is $15.00 no matter which method you use, but phone and online orders carry additional service fees.⁷

In Person

Walk-in requests are the fastest option and typically processed the same day. Visit the State Vital Records Office at 221 West Capitol Avenue in Pierre, or any South Dakota county Register of Deeds office. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time. Bring your completed application, photo ID, and $15.00 payment.⁸

By Mail

Mail your completed application, a clear copy of your photo ID, and payment (check or money order) to:

Vital Records
South Dakota Department of Health
221 West Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501

Here’s the detail that trips people up. If you don’t include a photo ID copy, your application must be signed in front of a notary public. Skip both the ID copy and the notarization and the office will require two alternative forms of identification before processing, which slows everything down.⁶

Expect roughly two to five weeks for processing. Certified mail is worth the small added cost for tracking, because the $15.00 fee is non-refundable even if no record is found.

By Phone or Online

Phone and internet orders go through VitalChek Network, Inc., the only third-party vendor authorized by the Department of Health. Order at vitalchek.com or call 605-773-4961. Both methods accept American Express, Discover, Mastercard, or Visa, and the card must be in your name.⁶

The total is higher than mail or walk-in orders because of VitalChek’s service and expedite fees:

Certificate fee: $15.00
VitalChek service fee: $6.50
Expedite fee (regular mail shipping): $5.00
Total with regular mail: $26.50
Optional UPS next-day shipping: add $17.50 (total $44.00)

You pay one expedite fee per order. Each additional certificate in the same transaction adds $15.00. VitalChek orders include order tracking; mail-in requests do not.⁶

If No Record Is Found

The $15.00 is a search fee, not a guarantee of a record. If Vital Records cannot locate a matching certificate, the fee is not refunded. You’ll receive a “Notification of Records Searched” instead, confirming the search was performed.⁶

This can happen when a birth was never registered, when the record was filed under a different spelling, or when the birth predates systematic recordkeeping. Before resubmitting, double-check the exact spelling of all names, the date, and the county of birth.

If the Record Is Wrong, or Was Never Filed

If an existing certificate has an error, you can request an amendment. Corrections within the first year after birth are simpler. After one year, the Department of Health requires documentary evidence supporting the change (such as hospital, church, school, or census records) plus an $8.00 amendment fee. Personal affidavits from friends or family saying they “know” the correct information are not accepted.⁹ The $8.00 does not include a new certified copy, so budget another $15.00 if you need one. If you already bought a certified copy before amending, the department will exchange it at no extra cost.⁷

If the birth was never recorded with the state at all, you’ll need to go through delayed birth registration rather than a standard copy request. The filing fee is $15.00 and does not include a certified copy. The evidence requirements are steeper, and if you can’t gather enough documents, a South Dakota court order directing the department to establish the certificate is the fallback.¹⁰

If You’ll Use the Certificate Abroad

A South Dakota birth certificate used in another country usually needs an apostille from the Secretary of State’s office, which is a form of international authentication accepted by countries in the Hague Apostille Convention. You need a certified copy with the original raised seal first; photocopies and informational copies won’t work.¹¹

The Secretary of State charges $25.00 per document. Requests are handled by mail (allow about two business days after receipt), by drop-off at 500 East Capitol Avenue in Pierre, or by expedited appointment for an additional $50.00. Include a completed Apostille/Authentication Request Form specifying the destination country, and a prepaid return envelope or shipping label if the apostilled certificate should go somewhere other than your own address.¹¹

1
South Dakota Legislature. South Dakota Codified Law 34-25-52
2
South Dakota Legislature. South Dakota Administrative Rule 44:09 – Public Health Statistics
3
South Dakota Legislature. South Dakota 2005 Senate Bill 41
4
South Dakota Legislature. South Dakota Administrative Rule 44:09:06
5
South Dakota Department of Health. Vital Records Eligibility and Identification
6
South Dakota Department of Health. Order Vital Records
7
South Dakota Department of Health. Vital Records Fees
8
South Dakota Department of Health. Vital Records
9
South Dakota Legislature. South Dakota Administrative Rule 44:09:05 – Amendment of Records
10
South Dakota Legislature. South Dakota Administrative Rule 44:09:02 – Birth Registration
11
South Dakota Secretary of State. Apostilles and Authentications