The South Dakota Department of Revenue says that if you titled and licensed your vehicles in another state, you have 90 days from your date of arrival to title and license them in South Dakota. You do that at the county treasurer, not at a state DMV counter. If your old state's motor-vehicle tax rate is above South Dakota's 4 percent, you do not pay additional tax. If it is lower, or the old state charged no tax, you pay the difference so the total matches 4 percent.
A newly purchased vehicle is on a different clock. Owners have 45 days from the purchase date to apply for title and registration. The department says there is no extension. Interest and a penalty apply to late excise tax on a purchase. Do not mix that 45-day purchase rule with the 90-day arrival rule for a car you already titled elsewhere.
What do I do, in order?
- Confirm you are using the 90-day arrival rule because the car was titled and licensed in your name in another state. If you bought it on the way, the 45-day purchase rule applies instead, and tax is figured from the purchase date.
- Gather the original out-of-state title, a copy of your state driver license, your Social Security number, and a Motor Vehicle and Boat Title and Registration Application signed by the record owner. If an agent signs, attach the power of attorney.
- Take the packet to the county treasurer where you live. The treasurer collects the fees for that county. The FAQ says the office can tell you those fees. A wheel tax, if the county charges one, is listed separately on the cars and trucks page.
- Pay the 4 percent excise tax only to the extent the reciprocity rule requires. Keep proof of what you paid the other state.
- Show financial responsibility. The Division of Insurance says most people do that by buying automobile insurance, including required uninsured-motorist coverage.
The new-resident FAQ also answers people who live out of state and want South Dakota plates. It says your home state may prohibit registering the vehicle in another state, and it still sends you to a county treasurer with the original title, a copy of your driver license, your Social Security number, and the application. That path is not the new-resident path. Use it only if the treasurer agrees you qualify.
What the fee table lists
The cars, trucks, and vans page, opened November 10, 2026, lists these standard fees in addition to tax and the license fee: title $10, lien notation $10, solid waste $1, plate mailing $12, registration mailing $2.50, technology $2, and highway patrol $1. The late title penalty is $1 for every week past the 45-day grace period, up to $50. The all-vehicles page says the technology fee took effect July 1, 2025. Excise tax is 4 percent of the purchase price. The same pages say interest and penalty on a late purchase are assessed on that 4 percent. One version of the interest sentence says 1 percent or $5, whichever is greater, for the first month, then 1 percent a month. The cars page says 1.25 percent or $5. The two Department of Revenue pages do not match. Ask the treasurer which rate it is charging. A one-time penalty of 10 percent of the tax, or $10, whichever is greater, applies after 60 days from the purchase date.
Those late charges are written against the purchase date. The 90-day new-resident FAQ does not say the same weekly title penalty starts on the day you arrive. Confirm that with the treasurer.
What tax credit do I get?
The individual FAQ states the reciprocity rule in plain language. No additional tax if the prior state's rate is above 4 percent. Pay the difference if the prior rate is lower or zero. The exemptions list, code 99, says reciprocity is granted when the applicant surrenders an out-of-state title in the applicant's name from a state that has an equal and similar tax. The FAQ's "above 4 percent" wording and the exemption list's "equal and similar" wording are not identical. Bring the title and any tax receipt and let the treasurer apply the code. The pages do not say a property tax or a wheel tax paid in another state counts as the 4 percent excise tax.
Inspections, temporary permits, and special cases
The motor-vehicle pages opened for this guide do not state a safety inspection, an emissions test, or a VIN inspection for a car, truck, or van. They also do not describe a temporary tag or a trip permit. The FAQ does not describe a military or student exemption. A leased vehicle needs the lease agreement. The department's list of common titling errors says a lease file is rejected when the lease is missing, and that a lien must be on the application when the title shows one.
What insurance is required?
Codified Law 32-35-70 says an owner's liability policy must cover, for each insured vehicle, $25,000 because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident, $50,000 because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident, and $25,000 because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident. The Division of Insurance says uninsured-motorist coverage is required for injuries caused by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver, and that it does not repair your own vehicle.
What if the car is shipped to South Dakota?
Delivery by truck does not change the 90-day title and license period, which the FAQ measures from your date of arrival. The county treasurer still needs the original title. See car shipping to South Dakota, the cost page, and sales tax and use tax when a car moves. RideShipper compares quotes. It is not a carrier or a broker, and it does not title the car.