The SD licensing action explained
After a DUI arrest in South Dakota, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, Division of Motor Vehicles (dps.sd.gov) opens its own case against your driving privilege. It is administrative, it moves faster than the criminal case, and it is decided regardless of what the court later does with the charge.
Hearing requests, suspension notices, reinstatement fees and interlock paperwork.
Deadlines, forms and how the hearing is conducted.
How the SD agency runs the licence case
- The department revokes the licence after a DUI conviction under SDCL § 32-12-48, which also governs the reinstatement application and fee.
- Reinstatement requires the application and fee together with any required testing.
- The 24/7 Sobriety Program may be ordered as a bond or sentencing condition in alcohol-related driving cases.
- Reinstatement steps and requirements are published in the department's driver licensing guidance.
South Dakota licence facts
South Dakota DUI law at a glance
Sourced from the South Dakota code and state agency sites. Verify current text before relying on it.
- Offense name
- DUI (South Dakota)
- Controlling statute
- S.D. Codified Laws § 32-23-1
- Implied consent
- S.D. Codified Laws § 32-23-10
- Per se BAC limit
- 0.08 (0.04 CDL, 0.02 or lower under 21)
- Prior-offense lookback
- 10 years
- First-offense fine
- up to $2,000
- First-offense jail exposure
- up to 1 year
- Licence suspension
- 30 days
- Ignition interlock
- Not automatic on a first offense
- Trial court
- the Circuit Court
- High-risk filing
- SR-22 for 3 years
A first offense is a class 1 misdemeanor.
Getting the licence back
- Serve the full suspension or hard-suspension period the agency sets.
- Complete any ordered assessment, education or treatment programme.
- Install an ignition interlock device if the court or agency orders one.
- South Dakota requires a SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility for 3 years before a licence is reinstated after a DUI conviction.
- Pay the reinstatement fee and any licence-issuance fee in full.
Fees and processing times change; confirm the current amounts on dps.sd.gov before you travel to an office.
South Dakota ZIP codes covered
These South Dakota ZIP-code pages carry the local court, filing and licensing detail for the area, and each one links back to this resource page.
Counties and cities using these South Dakota resources
Counties
Other South Dakota official resources
Frequently asked questions
- How long is a first-offense suspension in South Dakota?
- A first DUI offense generally carries a 30 days suspension in South Dakota. Reinstatement conditions, fees and any interlock requirement are set by the licensing agency.