The Name Path
The South Dakota Edition · $27

South Dakota

Your name change after marriage in South Dakota, in the right order: Social Security, your driver's license or state ID, your passport, voter registration and everything after, with every fact checked against the official source.

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Watercolor: Adult newlywed couple among the granite spires along the Needles Highway near the Needles Eye, Custer State Park
At a glance

South Dakota, in six lines

Straight from the South Dakota guide. Where we couldn't confirm something from an official source, the guide says to ask the agency, and so does this page.

  • Certified copies

    From any county Register of Deeds (for marriages from 1950 on) or the state Department of Health: $15 per certified copy.

  • Driver Licensing

    In South Dakota, a name change on your license has to be done in person at a Driver Licensing location. State law sets the name-change fee at $20.

  • Deadline

    We didn't find a specific deadline for updating a South Dakota license after a name change. Update it before you renew or travel.

  • Social Security online

    South Dakota driver's licenses and IDs qualify, and so do South Dakota marriage records. Because South Dakota marriage records qualify for the online route, couples married in South Dakota may be able to start their Social Security update online.

  • Voter registration

    Fill out a new voter registration form (including the previous-registration section) and mail it to your county auditor.

  • Social Security first?

    Driver Licensing's name-change instructions don't say to update Social Security first, but doing SSA first keeps your records matching. Bring your certified marriage certificate either way.

Soft watercolor wash: South Dakota State Capitol, Pierre, across Capitol Lake
Driver Licensing

Fees (Driver Licensing)

ItemFee
License with your new name (name change)$20

SDCL 32-12-16 and the Department of Public Safety, checked Oct 23, 2026. Card payments add $2 or 2.95%, whichever is greater.

REAL ID

REAL ID

Since May 7, 2025, you need a REAL ID or another TSA-accepted ID, such as a passport, for domestic flights. A South Dakota federally compliant card has a gold star in the upper right corner.

Soft watercolor wash: Crazy Horse Memorial carving under construction, Black Hills
Step 1 · Certified copies

Where to order your marriage certificate

South Dakota vital records are run by the state Department of Health, and county Registers of Deeds issue copies too. For marriages from 1950 to the present, any Register of Deeds in the state can issue your certificate, whatever county you married in. The fee is $15 per copy, charged as a search fee even if no record is found. Copies are released only to eligible people, so bring ID (or have a mail-in form notarized).

WhereCertified copy fee (as published)How to order
Minnehaha County Register of Deeds (Sioux Falls)$15 per copy (cards add a fee)In person (cash preferred) or by mail to 415 N Dakota Ave with a money order and a stamped return envelope; notarized form or proof of ID
Pennington County Register of Deeds (Rapid City)$15 per copyIn person (cash accepted) or by mail with a money order; online through VitalChek
Lincoln County Register of Deeds (Canton)$15 per copy; each additional copy $15In person or by mail
Any other county Register of Deeds$15 per copyCheck with your county's Register of Deeds
SD Department of Health, Vital Records (Pierre)$15; online and phone orders add expedite feesIn person, by mail, online or by phone
Married in another stateOrder certified copies from the office that issued your certificate in that state.See that state's vital records office

Fees as published by the South Dakota Department of Health and the Minnehaha, Pennington and Lincoln County Registers of Deeds, checked Oct 23, 2026. Not sure where to order? Check with your county Register of Deeds. See Sources.

Official forms

The South Dakota forms, straight from the source

Every link goes to the agency's own page or PDF; we never host copies. Where we couldn't confirm a downloadable form, the row says to ask the agency. Your guide explains which form fits your situation. Links checked Oct 23, 2026.

ForFormOfficial link
Social SecuritySS-5: Application for a Social Security Card (PDF)ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf
Social SecuritySSA online: Apply for a Social Security Cardsecure.ssa.gov/ossnap/public/
Driver's license or ID (Driver Licensing)South Dakota Driver Licensing Applications and Formssd.gov/dps
PassportDS-5504: Application for a U.S. Passport for Eligible Individuals: correction, name change to a passport issued 1 year ago or less, and limited passport replacement (PDF)eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds5504_pdf.PDF
PassportDS-82: U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals (PDF)eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds82_pdf.PDF
PassportDS-11: Application for a U.S. Passport (PDF)eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds11_pdf.PDF
Vehicle titleMotor Vehicle and Boat Title Application (Form 1001, SD DOR online form)sddor.seamlessdocs.com/f/1001
Voter registrationSD SOS voter registration forms pagesdsos.gov/elections-voting/voting/regis…
How we checked

Checked against the agency itself

The South Dakota guide's verification log lists 15 state facts: 13 confirmed on the official page, and 2 we couldn't confirm, which the guide marks "ask the agency". Sources checked October 23, 2026.

Soft watercolor wash: Sylvan Lake granite boulders and pines, Custer State Park
The South Dakota Edition

Your whole South Dakota name change, one clear path

$27

14-day refund, no questions asked · One-time payment, no subscription

Changing your name with Social Security is free. You can apply directly with the Social Security Administration at ssa.gov or by calling 1-800-772-1213. You don't need to buy this guide, or anything else, to do it.

Private by design · We never ask for your Social Security number, birth date or ID numbers

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