Departments

Staff

Brian J. Hunhoff

Register of Deeds Send an Email

Mallory Wriedt

Chief Deputy

Matt Balvin

Chief Deputy

Diane Hovden

Clerk

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the fee to record a real estate document?

  The fee to record most real estate documents is $30 for the first 50 pages, and $2 for each additional page over 50 pages. For a complete list of recording fees, open the above link called Fees.

• What is the cost to purchase a copy of a real estate document?

  To purchase an uncertified copy of any recorded real estate document, the fee is $1.00 per page.

  To purchase a certified copy of any recorded real estate document, the fee is $5.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page.

  Computer printouts of items such as mortgage lists or deed lists cost 20 cents per page.

• What are the document standards for recording real estate?

  There must be a three-inch margin at the top of the first page. The remaining sides of all pages must have a one-inch margin. A "prepared by" statement is required in the upper left side of the three-inch margin at the top of the first page. White paper must be used. Text can be no smaller than 10-point. (See SDCL43-28-23, link above)

• How do I get a copy of my birth certificate?

  The cost to obtain a certified birth, death or marriage certificate is $15.00 per record. Anyone wishing to purchase one of these records must fill out an application form (see links at left) and provide proof of identity.

  Proof of identity can be presented in the form of a driver's license, military I.D., state I.D., passport, visa, notarized signature on application, or two other items with applicant's name, such as a social security card, credit card, bank statement, rent receipt or utility bill.

  Persons eligible to obtain certified vital records include the person named on the document or his/her spouse, children, parents, legal guardian, siblings, grandchildren, grandparents, or a designated agent. Examples of designated agents include attorneys, physicians and funeral directors.

• How do I obtain a marriage license?

  To obtain a marriage license, please click here to view the information you will need to request one

• What do I need to do if I am officiating a wedding?

  Marriages in South Dakota can be solemnized by a justice of the S.D. Supreme Court, a judge of the circuit court, a magistrate, a mayor, either within or without the corporate limits of the municipality from which the mayor was elected, or any person authorized by a church to solemnize marriages. SDCL 25-1

  The marriage must be solemnized within 90 days from the purchase of the license or the license becomes void. There is no registry for officiants in South Dakota. The officiant performing the ceremony is what determines the type of ceremony (either Civil or Religious):

  • Civil ceremony = a legally binding, non-religious marriage union performed by a government-authorized official.

  • Religious ceremony = a formal service that unites two people in marriage according to the sacred traditions, texts, and beliefs of a specific faith

  The marriage license is a legal document. It is the officiant’s responsibility to ensure that all fields are properly filled out, including the type of ceremony (Religious or Civil) and include their title. NO blanks, cross-outs, corrections, white-outs, or alterations of any kind can be made to a South Dakota Marriage License. The ceremony date must be in Month, Day and Year format. The license must be returned within 10 days of the ceremony to a Register of Deeds office.

  Two witnesses need to be present for the entire ceremony and clearly print their names above their signatures and include the city and state where they live.

  No self-solemnization and no overlap of participants—there must be one officiant, the two individuals getting married, and two separate witnesses.

• What do I do if my original deed is lost?

  If you have lost or misplaced your original deed (or any other real estate document), you can obtain a certified copy from the Yankton County Register of Deeds office of any land record filed in this county. A certified copy has the legal validity of the original document.

• How do I add or change names on a deed? (I want to put my new spouse/child on with me.)

  Preparing legal documents is a complex, exacting process. A deed would have to be prepared transferring ownership of the land from whoever has it, to the names they now want on the property. This is not something that most people without legal training should attempt to do. We always encourage a customer to seek legal counsel to change title to their real estate. We do not keep forms for transfer of real estate, although some stationery stores may have them.

  This office is not permitted to complete forms, help customers fill out forms, or check the forms to make sure this is what the customer intended. As Register of Deeds, our purpose is to file those documents that are in recordable form. Once the documents are recorded, they must meet the satisfaction of a title examiner. A title examiner is a certified abstractor or an attorney. The title examiner does not usually come into play until the property is about to be sold. This may be several years later when someone that should have signed the document may have died, thus causing a probate or a quiet title action, which can be very costly to the customer.

  We always encourage the customer to seek legal advice for real estate documents. If you do not have an attorney, the South Dakota Bar Association maintains a list. They can be reached at (605) 224-7554 or the state Watts line of 1-800-952-2333. The mailing address is: S.D. Bar Association, 222 East Capitol Ave., Pierre, S.D., 57501.

• How old are the records in your office?

  Our Yankton County land records date from 1865 to present.

  Our Yankton County birth records date from 1905 to present.

  Our Yankton County death records date from 1905 to present.

  Our Yankton County marriage records date from 1890 to present.

  In addition to the above-listed Yankton County vital records, our office can provide certified copies of statewide birth records dating back to 1905; statewide death records dating back to 1960; and statewide marriage records dating back to 1950.

  The state of South Dakota also has a partial statewide list of birth records more than 100 years old (see Department of Health website, link above).

• Does your County do e-recording?

  As of April 1, 2020, we will accept certain documents for delivery via the e-recording company CSC. To sign up with them, or to get more information about the process, please contact:

  CSC® eRecording

  • Phone: (866) 652-0111
  • Email: erecording@cscglobal.com
  • Website: erecording.com