South Dakota Background Check


Conduct a thorough criminal background check in South Dakota by searching criminal history, South Dakota court records, find current past addresses, check South Dakota prison, jail inmate records, and South Dakota department of corrections records. Also check South Dakota professional licenses and other credentials.



Free Background Check in South Dakota

The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation Identification Department is responsible for processing fingerprint based background checks. These background checks are processed one of two ways. The first being State of South Dakota only. This includes background checks for certain employment and self background checks. Fingerprint kits are available at no cost and may be obtained by calling the IDSection at (605) 773-3331.

  1. A state applicant fingerprint card must be obtained from the DCI.All necessary supplies are available through the DCI Identification Section at no cost by calling (605) 773-3331.
  2. This fingerprint card must be completed to include the applicant's name, date of birth, gender and social security number as the minimum requirements for demographic information.Incomplete requests will be returned to requestor.
  3. The authorization and release form printed on the back of the card or found following the link below, must be completely filled out and signed.Be sure to include the correct address to which the response should be sent.
  4. The fingerprint card must also include a fully rolled set of fingerprints per SDCL 23-5-12.
  5. The individual must take the fingerprint card to his/her local law enforcement agency (Police Department or Sheriff's Office) to be printed. There may be an additional charge by these agencies to cover the cost of fingerprinting.
  6. A check or money order for $24 must be sent along with the fingerprint card and signed authorization.Please do not send cash.
  7. Upon receipt of all necessary information, fingerprints, signed authorization and fee, the DCI will conduct a state search and supply a copy of any criminal history that is found, or a letter stating that there is no criminal history.These results do not include federal charges, juvenile offenses (unless charged as an adult), sealed records, minor traffic violations or out of state information.Fingerprint cards will be destroyed and will not be returned with the responses.


What Is an South Dakota Background Check?

An South Dakota Background Check offers a comprehensive search in public records for:

  • Vital records, like births, deaths, marriages, and divorces
  • Current contact information and previous addresses
  • Criminal records, convictions and prison records or sex offender registration
  • Civil court filings, like civil judgments
  • Tax liens and bankruptcies
  • Records of real estate ownership and registered assets
  • Professional and business licenses

South Dakota background check is available through the state or through premium data aggregation services who conduct public record data searches and provide you with a report.. Each state, and sometimes each county, has different rules on how much information is available and who can access background check data. Therefore a background check may still not contain every record about a person, however in most cases it is very thorough. Most premium background check services use multiple databases of public records in order to provide you with their background reports.



Learn More About Background Checks