South Dakota License Plate Lookup

Looking up a license plate in South Dakota is a process of checking the history of details of a vehicle using the license plate number. Since the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) of the South Dakota Department of Revenue keeps motor vehicle records in the state, you can make a request to the division for a license plate search. However, the division only releases vehicle information to authorized parties, such as those authorized by the court to access motor vehicle records and law enforcement agencies in certain conditions.

If you fulfill the conditions required to access motor vehicle records from the South Dakota MVD, you must complete a DPPA Vehicle Information request (for Government Agency or Business) or DPPA Private Individual Vehicle Information Request to be submitted to:

State of South Dakota
Motor Vehicle Division
445 E. Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501

A record summary or general vehicle information record is issued for $2, while a copy of scanned title history or record is issued for $5.

Also, you can look up South Dakota license plate information using free and paid online third-party license plate lookup services. These services provide web pages for users to input license plate numbers and find vehicle history information. Free services only offer basic vehicle information, while paid services can provide in-depth reports about the history of a vehicle. You can perform this lookup using a vehicle's license plate number or VIN information.

South Dakota license plate checks may be conducted in many circumstances. Law enforcement often runs South Dakota license plates to verify vehicle registrations or for criminal investigative purposes. The South Dakota MVD itself may also run license plate checks for administrative purposes. More commonly, individuals run South Dakota license plate lookups when verifying the condition of a used car.

You can get vehicle information, such as make, model, year, color, engine size, and detailed history reports, including accident history, odometer history, and title history from a South Dakota license plate lookup. However, due to South Dakota's compliance with the Driver's Privacy and Protection Act (DPPA), you cannot access certain sensitive information. Information such as a license plate owner's name, address, telephone number, Social Security number, and driver's license number are restricted from public disclosure. The disclosure of personal information contained in motor vehicle records can only be made in limited exceptions outlined in the DPPA.

South Dakota license plates are aluminum plates with a unique state-approved combination of the number of alphabets affixed to the front and rear of vehicles. For most classes of vehicles in the state, both front and rear license plates are required; however, rear license plates are only required for trailers and motorcycles. South Dakota license plates are issued by the Motor Vehicle Division of the Department of Revenue. Since the state issues license plates to individuals, the MVD allows the transfer of license plates from an old vehicle to a new vehicle. Such a transfer may be completed at the county treasurer's office.

South Dakota license plates are issued based on the first letter of the last name of the individuals to be assigned the plates. Subsequently, the first letters are assigned to specific months, designated which months of the year in which their renewals will be due. The fees for South Dakota license plates are based on the year of manufacture of the vehicle, the intended use of the vehicle, and the vehicle's weight. South Dakota license plate fees for different vehicle categories include:

• Gross Weight License Fees
• Non-Commercial Trailer Fees
• Non-Commercial License Fees
• Commercial Fees
• Non-Commercial Motorhome Fees
• Motorcycle Fees

SD License Plate Renewal

To renew your South Dakota license plate, renew your vehicle registrations online via the vehicle registration and plates portal, at a DMV kiosk location, at your local county treasurer's office, or by mail through the county.

To renew your vehicle registration in person, take your vehicle registration renewal notice and a photo identification to your local county treasurer's office. Proof of ownership of the vehicle will be required if the vehicle to be renewed is not shown on your renewal postcard. Proof of ownership may be presented in the form of a vehicle title or license renewal form.

To renew by mail, mail the renewal postcard and the payment of the applicable fees to your county treasurer's office. Acceptable forms of payment include in-state checks, cashier's checks, and money orders. You must include in your payment, $7.50 for each plate and $1.50 for each decal. On your renewal postcard, include the ID number from a valid ID card or your driver's license number. It takes up to two weeks to process renewal applications submitted by mail. For additional help in renewing license plates by mail, contact your local county treasurer's office.

If you are renewing online, you must have a valid South Dakota ID issued by the state Department of Public Safety or a South Dakota driver's license, and your date of birth available. If a business, a FEIN number, and the state-assigned customer number indicated on the renewal notice are required to access the renewal portal. Fees to be paid on the portal include the registration fees, $1.50 for each registration renewed, and $1.50 for echeck or 2.25% for debit or credit card.

At any of the DMV renewal kiosks, you can use your South Dakota ID card or South Dakota driver's license to complete the renewal process via the easy touch screen or voice assistance resource available in the kiosks. If a company, the information provided on the renewal notice can be used. During the process, you will be required to scan the barcode on your driver's license or ID card and also pay the appropriate fee. There is a processing fee of 2.25% for a credit or debit card transaction. Acceptable payment forms include MasterCard, Visa, and Discover credit or debit cards. After completing the transaction, the machine in the kiosk will dispense license renewal tags and vehicle registration.

1. Can I Look Up SD License Plates for Free?

   Yes, it is legal and possible to look up South Dakota license plates for free. There are many third-party license plate lookup services online, allowing users to look up South Dakota license plates for free. However, only basic vehicle information, such as vehicle specifications, is available in a free license plate lookup.

2. Can I Use South Dakota License Plate Lookup Services to Find Out About a Vehicle’s Accident History?

   South Dakota license plate lookup services provide information on a vehicle's accident history as long as you can provide the license plate number or VIN. However, such information is typically available for paid searches. Free license plate number lookup services generally provide basic vehicle information and not detailed reports of accident history.

3. How Can I Register a Vanity License Plate in South Dakota?

   To register a vanity plate in South Dakota, you must first keep abreast of the personal license plate policy. As of 2024, some of the policy guidelines state that vanity or personalized license plates:

   - Must have characters in an upright position
   - With alphabet characters must have the characters in uppercase
   - With a space will have the space counted as a character towards the maximum allowed
   - May have up to seven characters for regular passenger vehicles or six characters for motorcycles
   - Must have at least one letter or number. The number cannot be a single 1 or 2
   - May not duplicate any issued license plate
   - May not contain special characters such as #,$,&, and @
   - May not contain a combination that may be misinterpreted or is confusing from a readability standpoint for law enforcement purposes
   - May not contain a combination that mimics or pretends to represent any law enforcement agency or emergency service provider
   - May not contain vulgar or swear words as defined in Merriam-Webster's online dictionary as vulgar, profane, offensive, or having a sexual connotation

   After reviewing the South Dakota Personal License Plate Policy, visit the South Dakota Online Customer Portal to check the availability of your vanity plate choice. After confirming the availability of the plate, submit a completed Application for Special License Plates (MV-101) and the applicable fee to:

   State of South Dakota
   Motor Vehicle Division
   445 E. Capitol Avenue
   Pierre, SD 57501

   Note that the annual cost for a vanity license plate is $25, plus the regular South Dakota license plate fee.