Certified Copy of Birth Certificate in South Dakota: Ways to Order

A certified copy of a birth certificate in South Dakota costs $15.00 and is issued by the Department of Health’s Vital Records office. You can order one in person, by mail, by phone, or online, though phone and online orders carry extra service fees. Because the state keeps birth records confidential for 100 years, you’ll need to show you’re eligible and prove your identity before the record will be released.¹

Who Can Order One

South Dakota law limits access to people with a direct connection to the person named on the certificate. You can request a certified copy if you are the registrant (as an adult), a spouse, parent, or child, a legal guardian, or next of kin including grandparents and siblings. Attorneys, physicians, and funeral directors acting on behalf of the family can also request records.²

Someone else can order on your behalf if you give them a notarized statement describing what they’re authorized to do. That designated agent must also present their own government-issued photo ID when submitting the request.²

Outside these categories, the department may still authorize a request if you can show the record is needed to protect a personal or property right. That’s handled case by case.¹

What You’ll Need Before You Apply

Every application requires two things: information about the birth and proof of your identity.

For the birth itself, you’ll provide 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 your reason for requesting the record and your relationship to the person named on it.

For 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.³

If you don’t have any of those, you’ll need photocopies of two alternative documents instead:

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

You can download the application from the South Dakota Department of Health website or pick one up at any county Register of Deeds office.⁴

Certified or Informational: Pick the Right Copy

Both types cost $15.00, so specify which one you want. 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 for passports, driver’s licenses, school enrollment, and benefits applications. An informational copy is on plain paper, stamped “For information purposes only. Not legal proof of identification,” and has no seal or signature. It works for genealogy or personal reference, but most agencies won’t accept it as identification.⁵

In Person

Walk-in requests are the fastest option and are typically processed the same day. You can 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 the completed application, your photo ID, and $15.00.⁶

By Mail

Send the completed application, a clear copy of your photo ID, and payment by check or money order to:

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

One detail trips people up. If you don’t include a photo ID copy, you can still submit by mail, but the 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 your request, which slows everything down.⁴

Expect processing to take roughly two to five weeks. Certified mail with tracking is worth the extra cost because the $15.00 fee is not refunded if the record can’t be 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 by calling 605-773-4961. Both methods accept American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa, and the card must be in your name.⁴

The total is higher than in person or by mail 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 tracking; mail-in requests do not.⁴

If the Record Isn’t Found

The $15.00 is a search fee, not a guarantee that a record exists. If Vital Records can’t locate the certificate, the fee is not refunded. You’ll receive a “Notification of Records Searched” confirming that a search was done and no matching record was found.⁴

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

If You Need the Certificate Used Abroad

A South Dakota certified copy is enough for domestic use, but foreign governments typically require an additional authentication called an apostille. The Secretary of State’s office issues apostilles for countries that are part of the Hague Apostille Convention.⁷

You’ll need a certified copy with the original raised seal first; photocopies and informational copies won’t be accepted. The Secretary of State charges $25.00 per document. Requests can be mailed (allow about two business days after receipt), dropped off at 500 East Capitol Avenue in Pierre, or handled by expedited appointment for an additional $50.00. Include the completed Apostille/Authentication Request Form specifying the destination country, and add a prepaid self-addressed envelope or shipping label if the finished document should be sent somewhere other than your return address.⁷

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 Department of Health. Vital Records Eligibility and Identification
4
South Dakota Department of Health. Order Vital Records
5
South Dakota Legislature. South Dakota Administrative Rule 44:09:06
6
South Dakota Department of Health. Vital Records
7
South Dakota Secretary of State. Apostilles and Authentications