South Dakota Form 1001 is the state’s Motor Vehicle/Boat Title and Registration Application, and you file it at the county treasurer’s office in the county where the vehicle will be kept. It’s the single form that transfers ownership into your name, creates a South Dakota title record, and gets you plates and a registration card. You have 45 days from the sale date to file it without penalty, or 90 days if you’ve just moved to South Dakota from another state.1South Dakota Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicle
When You Need to File It
Any time a car, truck, motorcycle, or trailer changes hands in South Dakota, the new owner completes Form 1001. That applies whether you bought from a dealership, a private seller, or received the vehicle as a gift. The 45-day clock starts on the date of sale.
New residents get a different window. If you’ve moved to South Dakota with a vehicle titled elsewhere, you have 90 days from your arrival to convert the out-of-state title and get South Dakota plates.1South Dakota Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicle
Form 1001 also covers first-time registrations for vehicles that have never been in the South Dakota system, including new vehicles from a dealer and custom-built trailers. If you’re only renewing an existing registration or replacing lost plates, you don’t need this form — those go through the county treasurer’s renewal process or the state’s online portal at my605drive.sd.gov.
What to Have Ready Before You Fill It Out
Gathering everything first saves a return trip to the treasurer’s office.
- The previous owner’s signed-over title, or the manufacturer’s certificate of origin for a new vehicle. For a private sale, bring your bill of sale showing the price and date.
- The 17-character VIN, copied from the plate on the dashboard (visible through the windshield on the driver’s side) or the driver’s door jamb. Copy it exactly; one wrong digit stalls processing.
- Your South Dakota driver license number or Social Security number. If a business owns the vehicle, use its federal employer identification number.2South Dakota Legislature. South Dakota Code 32-3-18 – Application for Certificate Contents Fee Assignment of Previous Certificate
- Lender’s full legal name and mailing address, if you financed the purchase.
- Current odometer reading (see below for when this is required).
- Payment for the excise tax, title fee, and registration. Mail-in submissions require a check, cashier’s check, or money order.3South Dakota Department of Revenue. All Vehicles – Title, Fees and Registration
Filling Out the Form
Form 1001 is available at any county treasurer’s office and as a downloadable PDF from the Department of Revenue. The same form covers boats, so you’ll skip sections that don’t apply.
Owner Information
Enter your full legal name exactly as it should appear on the title, along with everyone who will share ownership. State law requires the application to list the county where the vehicle will be kept, your residential address, and your driver license number, Social Security number, or federal employer identification number.2South Dakota Legislature. South Dakota Code 32-3-18 – Application for Certificate Contents Fee Assignment of Previous Certificate Every record owner must sign, or an authorized agent may sign on their behalf.1South Dakota Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicle
Vehicle Information
Record the year, make, model, body type, and fuel type. Check the VIN against the physical plate on the vehicle, not just the old title, since transcription errors carry forward. Enter the unladen weight, which is typically printed on the door jamb sticker or in the owner’s manual; it affects your registration fee.
Lienholder and Purchase Details
If a bank, credit union, or other lender financed the purchase, list the lender’s legal name and mailing address. The state records the lien on the title, and the physical title is typically sent to the lender or held electronically until the loan is paid off.
Enter the purchase price accurately. That figure sets your excise tax. Enter the purchase date accurately too, because it starts your 45-day filing clock.
Odometer Disclosure
Federal law requires an odometer reading on every ownership transfer for vehicles less than 20 years old and under 16,000 pounds. Starting with model year 2011 vehicles, the 20-year disclosure window applies, so in 2026 any vehicle with a model year of 2007 or newer still requires a mileage statement. Vehicles from model year 2006 or older are exempt.4South Dakota Department of Revenue. Federal Ruling Changes Odometer Requirements
The disclosure usually appears on the title itself where the seller signs it over, but it may be recorded on a separate federal odometer statement. Providing a false reading or tampering with an odometer is a federal crime carrying fines up to $250,000 and up to three years in prison. If you’re buying, confirm the reading on the title matches the dashboard before you submit your Form 1001.
What You’ll Pay
South Dakota charges a four percent motor vehicle excise tax on the purchase price of every vehicle bought or acquired for use on the state’s roads.5South Dakota Legislature. South Dakota Code 32-5B – Excise Tax on Motor Vehicles The excise tax replaces the general sales tax on vehicles, so you don’t pay both. A $20,000 purchase means $800 in excise tax. Underpaying is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Family Transfer Exemption
Vehicles transferred without any payment between spouses, between a parent and child, or between siblings are exempt from the excise tax.6South Dakota Legislature. South Dakota Code 32-5B-2 – Exemptions The controlling phrase is “without consideration.” If money changes hands, even between family, the exemption doesn’t apply.
Title and Registration Fees
You’ll also pay a title fee and registration fees on top of the excise tax. Registration depends on vehicle type, weight, and age; for non-commercial vehicles outside the standard automobile, pickup, and van category, fees start at $120 for vehicles 8,000 pounds or less, with a 30 percent reduction for vehicles more than 10 model years old.7South Dakota Truck Information. South Dakota Motor Carrier Handbook Chapter 3 Vehicle Registration Automobiles and pickups follow a separate schedule. Your county treasurer can give you the exact total, and the Department of Revenue publishes downloadable fee schedules by vehicle category.3South Dakota Department of Revenue. All Vehicles – Title, Fees and Registration
Where to Submit
Bring the completed Form 1001, the signed-over title or manufacturer’s certificate, and payment to the county treasurer’s office in the county where the vehicle will be kept. All titling and registration happens at the county level — the state has no central walk-in office.1South Dakota Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicle
In person, the treasurer can usually issue temporary permits or permanent plates and decals during your visit, and any errors on the form can be corrected before you leave. That’s the faster option.
You can also mail everything in. Send the application, the original signed title, and a check or money order to your county treasurer. Include return postage: $7.50 per plate and $1.50 per decal.3South Dakota Department of Revenue. All Vehicles – Title, Fees and Registration Keep copies of everything.
What Happens If You Miss the 45-Day Deadline
The county treasurer collects a late fee of one dollar for each week or partial week past the 45-day deadline, up to 25 weeks. At 26 weeks or more, the late fee becomes a flat $50.3South Dakota Department of Revenue. All Vehicles – Title, Fees and Registration
Wait longer and the exposure changes. Applying for a title more than 90 days after the date of assignment is a Class 2 misdemeanor.8South Dakota Legislature. South Dakota Code 32-3 – Title Registration, Liens and Transfers Separately, if the seller files a written complaint confirming the sale and you still haven’t transferred the title within 45 days, that’s another Class 2 misdemeanor. Sellers have reason to follow up, because a vehicle still titled in their name that someone else is driving creates liability problems for them.
After You File
Once the county treasurer accepts the application and payment, the data goes to the Motor Vehicle Division, which prints and mails your certificate of title. If you listed a lienholder, the title goes to the lender or is held electronically until you pay off the loan; you won’t get the physical title until the lien is released. In the meantime, your registration card and plates are proof that the vehicle is legally yours to operate.
Keep the receipt from the treasurer’s office. It’s your proof of registration and tax payment until permanent plates and the registration card arrive. If you left with temporary permits, note the expiration date and make sure your permanent plates are on the vehicle before that date passes.