Change your name in South Dakota
The exact steps, documents, and official South Dakota links to change your name after marriage or divorce, in the correct order.
DMV / license agency
South Dakota Department of Public Safety (DPS), Driver Licensing ProgramLicense update fee
$20 (the statutory fee for a duplicate license, a name change, or an address change, SDCL 32-12-16 as amended 2025; checked 2026-08)
Marriage certificate
South Dakota Department of Health, Vital Records Office (Pierre, SD), or any County Register of DeedsVoter deadline
Voter registration form (with original signature) must be received by the county auditor at least 15 days before an election; South Dakota has no same-day registration and does not accept forms by fax or email.
To see how South Dakota's license fee compares with every other state, use our name change fee table.
Instructions verified August 2026 against official South Dakota government sites. How we verify
What South Dakota asks you to bring
Documents for the South Dakota Department of Public Safety (DPS), Driver Licensing Program
- Certified copy of marriage certificate (or divorce decree/court order for each name change), issued by a government entity, not a church copy
- Current South Dakota driver's license or state ID card
- Social Security card or proof SSA record has been updated (recommended, though SD DPS primarily requires the certified name-change document)
- Proof of South Dakota residency (utility bill, bank statement, or similar) if applying for a REAL ID-compliant card
- Completed driver license/ID application form, signed in person at a Driver Licensing location
Online or in person
South Dakota does not accept the license name change online. A visit to South Dakota Department of Public Safety (DPS), Driver Licensing Program is required.
REAL ID in South Dakota
Name changes cannot be processed online; applicant must visit a Driver Licensing location in person with a certified government-issued document proving each name change. If seeking a REAL ID-compliant card, additional proof of SD residency (e.g., utility bill, bank statement) is also required.
Updating your South Dakota voter registration
South Dakota does not take a name change online, so you will need to file a paper registration form. Voter registration form (with original signature) must be received by the county auditor at least 15 days before an election; South Dakota has no same-day registration and does not accept forms by fax or email.
Update your registrationSouth Dakota step-by-step guides
Sources
We checked the details on this page against the official sources below in August 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm anything you are about to act on at the agency's own page. The legal citations were last re-read against their sources in October 2026. How we verify.
- State agencySouth Dakota: ordering a certified marriage certificate
- State agencySouth Dakota Department of Public Safety (DPS), Driver Licensing Program: name change on a license or ID
- State agencySouth Dakota official voter registration page
- The lawS.D. Codified Laws § 12-4-5An application must be received at least 15 days before the election.
- FederalSocial Security Administration: change your name
- FederalSocial Security Administration: Form SS-5
- FederalU.S. Department of State: change or correct a passport
NameWright is not a government agency and this is not legal advice. We prepare your paperwork; you file it.
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