What is a South Dakota License Plate?
The South Dakota Department of Revenue issues all license plates and manages vehicle registration according to SDCL Chapter 32-5. County treasurer offices handle the actual transactions, including titling, renewals, and plate issuance. Renewals can also be done through self-service kiosks, an online portal, or by mail.
The current standard license plate features an image of Mount Rushmore on a blue background with the slogan “Great Faces. Great Places.” An updated design began rolling out in 2023, retaining the four presidents motif that has defined South Dakota plates for decades.
Types of License Plates in South Dakota
- Standard License Plate: Assigned upon registration, with fees based on the vehicle’s weight and age. A duplicate costs $10 through the Department of Revenue.
- Emblems, conservation, the “Dignity” sculpture, tribal, and firefighter designs make up the specialty category, each with an initial plate fee of $10 in addition to registration costs.
- Personalized License Plate costs $25 annually plus registration, with up to seven characters for vehicles and five for motorcycles.
- “Medal of Honor” plates have no fee. Plates for disabled veterans, “Purple Heart,” “POW,” and “Pearl Harbor Survivor” cost $10 annually, with registration fees fully waived according to SDCL 32-5-155 through 32-5-160.
- South Dakota also issues a rear-only plate option for $25 annually, limited to vehicles traveling less than 7,500 miles per year and not used for general transportation.
A full catalog of plates is available on the SD Department of Revenue’s specialty plates page.
What Vehicles Require License Plates in South Dakota?
Every motor vehicle, trailer, and semitrailer operated on public roads must be registered. New owners and new residents have 45 days from the date of purchase to title and register according to SDCL Chapter 32-5. Registration is annual, with the renewal month assigned by the first letter of the owner’s last name.
- Passenger vehicles and light trucks have two plates. Annual fees are calculated by weight class and vehicle age: a car weighing 2,001 to 4,000 pounds and up to 10 years old costs 6permonth(72 for a full 12-month cycle). Additional fixed fees include a $1 solid waste fee, a $1 highway patrol fee, and a $2 technology fee. County wheel tax varies by county.
- Motorcycles have one rear plate, with fees set by engine size: up to 350cc costs $1.50 per month, 350cc to 1,000cc is $1.75, and over 1,000cc is $2 per month for vehicles up to 10 years old.
- Trailers receive one rear plate. A trailer weighing 1,001 to 2,000 pounds costs $3 per month (0 to 9 years), increasing by weight class according to the non-commercial trailer fee schedule.
- Electric vehicles must pay an additional $100 annually at registration.
License Plate Rules in South Dakota
- Two plates are required on every motor vehicle, one at the front and one at the rear, mounted horizontally and in a vertical position. Motorcycles require only one plate, which may be mounted in any visible position except inverted. SDCL 32-5-98 governs all display rules.
- Plates must be free of dirt, ice, and snow to be clearly visible. Under the same statute, all expired plates, markers, or decals from previous years or other states must be removed from the vehicle. South Dakota does not address tinted covers or frames in a separate readability statute; the visibility standard in § 32-5-98 covers obstructions.
Is Driving Around with No License Plate in South Dakota Illegal?
Operating a vehicle on a public road without the required plates is a criminal offense. SDCL 32-5-98 makes the violation a class 2 misdemeanor.
Transferring a plate from one vehicle to another, tampering with a plate, or trading plates outside official channels falls under a separate statute. SDCL 32-5-103 classifies trading or unauthorized transfer as a class 1 misdemeanor, one level higher than failure to display.
What is the Penalty for Driving Without a License Plate in South Dakota?
Chapter 32-5 treats plate violations as misdemeanors, with penalty levels involving actual imprisonment along with fines.
- Missing plate or failure to display under SDCL 32-5-98 is a class 2 misdemeanor: up to $500 fine, up to 30 days in county jail, or both (SDCL 22-6-2).
- Forgery, trading, or transferring a plate to another vehicle under SDCL 32-5-103 elevates to a class 1 misdemeanor: up to $2,000 fine, up to one year in county jail, or both.
- Driving with suspended registration under SDCL 32-5-101 is also a class 1 misdemeanor, carrying the same $2,000 fine and one-year imprisonment.
- Late title applications after the 45-day period incur a $1 per week fine after the grace period, capped at $50, with separate interest and penalties on excise tax according to the fee schedule in SDCL Chapter 32-5.