The Vital Records section of the Register of Deeds is a subsidiary of the Department of Health, Vital Records Section. Our office is under the supervision of the State Registrar, Mariah Pokorny. We work with this Department to bring you certified copies of birth, death and marriage records from all counties in the State of South Dakota on a local level.
Helpful Links
Qualifications for a Certified Copy of a Vital Record
In the State of South Dakota as of July 1, 2005 only certain people qualify for a CERTIFIED copy of a Vital Record which is the type of copy that is used for all legal purposes. The only person allowed to obtain a certified copy of your record is as follows:
- Yourself
- Your Spouse
- Your Child
- Your Parent
- Your Guardian
- Your Next of Kin (grandparent or sibling)
- An Authorized Agent (attorney or funeral director)
- Your Designated Agent
Anyone can purchase a certified copy of a birth record if it is over 100 years old. A certified vital record can also be obtained if it is needed to determine or protect a personal or property right. If you do not qualify as any of the above, an informational copy will be issued.
Birth Records
Application for Birth records in South Dakota dating back to 1905 can be issued by the local Register of Deeds for anyone born in the State of South Dakota. You do not have to go the county in which you were born. In order to obtain a copy of a birth record, a person must complete the necessary application form and provide proof of identity.
There is a $15.00 search fee for such a request. If the record is found, you will be provided with a certified copy if you qualify (see qualifications for a certified copy above) or an informational copy for all other applicants. If the record is not found in the State of South Dakota, you will be provided with an official “No Record Letter” from the State of South Dakota, Department of Health.
Be sure to keep the “No Record Letter” as that is legal proof that you have no birth certificate and then other forms of I.D. can be used in proving identity. For genealogical purposes the records of births that are over a 100 years old are on a website from all over the state. This site was developed from records that were filed as delayed records.
The State Vital Records Section was established in 1905. Anyone who was born previous to 1905 could file a delayed birth certificate. Any of those birth certificates which would make those people over 100 years old are on the state web site without restriction.
Death Records
Application for South Dakota Death records for deaths that have occurred after December 31st, 1959, anywhere in the State of South Dakota, are now available through any Register of Deeds Office in the state.
Death Records previous to December 31st, 1959 can also be ordered from any Register of Deeds in the State of South Dakota. What this means is you can order a death record from any Register in the State of South Dakota without knowing the actual county the decedent died in. In order to obtain a copy of a death record, as of July 1, 2005, a person must complete the necessary application form and provide proof of identity. There is a link for the application provided for your convenience under the heading “Death Records” There is a $15.00 search fee for such a request.
If the record is found, you will be provided with a certified copy if you qualify (see qualifications for a certified copy above) or an informational copy for all other applicants. If the record is not found in the State of South Dakota, you will be provided with an official No Record Letter from the State of South Dakota, Department of Health.
Marriage Records
Application Marriage records in Davison County date back to 1887. Marriage records from 1950 to the present can now be issued from any County Register of Deeds in the State. Any marriage records from 1905 to 1950 can also be issued by any Register of Deeds in the State, however, they will take longer to issue than if you go to the county the parties were married in.
The records from 1887 to 1905 are pertinent only to Davison County as our marriage records actually date back farther than the actual inception of the State Vital Record System. The 1887-1905 records can only be issued from Davison County. In order to obtain a copy of a marriage record, as of July 1, 2005, a person must complete the necessary application form and provide proof of identity.
There is a $15.00 search fee for such a request. If the record is found, you will be provided with a certified copy if you qualify (see qualifications for a certified copy above) or an informational copy for all other applicants. If the record is not found in the State of South Dakota, you will be provided with a “No Record Letter from the State of South Dakota, Department of Health”.
Requesting a Vital Record by Mail
If you choose to request a copy of a vital record by mail, a copy of the application can be mailed or faxed to you by giving our office a call. You can also download the application from this website for a birth, death or marriage.
Then you will need to fill out the form and mail it back to us along with a copy of your I.D. or notarized Application with the required $15.00 fee set by law. If the record is found, you will be provided with a certified copy if you qualify (see qualifications for a certified copy above) or an informational copy for all other applicants.
If the record is not found in the State of South Dakota, you will be provided with a “No Record Letter from the State of South Dakota, Department of Health.”
Requesting a Vital Record by Phone
If you need the matter expedited, the information can be taken from you over the phone if you have a credit card in your name. (Please have a previous monthly statement of your credit card available upon ordering).
If you are obtaining a vital record by phone, there will be an authentication process you will have to pass before the record will be issued. The expedited method utilizing your credit card will cost you $26.50 if you want your record mailed by U.S. Mail or $44.00 or you want the record sent by UPS Next Day Air.
Burial Permits
Burial Permits are records that locate where a person is buried. This record is only issued by the local Register of Deeds and the permit is filed in the county the person was buried in.
The burial permit may give the date of death, the person’s name and where they are buried and some records will, depending on the years, give you more information. These records can be copied for you in an uncertified format and the cost is $1.00 per page.
The burial permit indexes have all been computerized in an alphabetical index and are very easy to find. These records date back to the 1920s.
Contact Us
Davison County, Register of Deeds Danna Kolbeck
200 East 4th Ave. Mitchell, SD 57301
Phone: 605-995-8616
Fax: 605-995-8648
Email: [email protected]