Created and reviewed for accuracy by researchers at the Universal Life Church Ministries

South Dakota Outline

Congratulations! If you've found yourself at this page it is likely that you are either planning to be married or have been asked to perform a wedding ceremony in South Dakota. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in South Dakota. The information provided below will walk you through the steps one must follow to become a minister and perform a valid wedding ceremony in the state of South Dakota.

Quick Facts
  • ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
  • Minister Registration Required: Sometimes
  • Minister's Residency: Irrelevant
  • Minister's Minimum Age: 18
  •  
  • Marriage License Waiting Period: 0 Days
  • Marriage License Valid For: 20 Days
  • Marriage License Return Within: By Expiration
Regional Information

For more specific information about performing a wedding in certain parts of South Dakota, choose a location below. If your area isn't listed, don't worry - just continue scrolling to review the helpful general information on this page.

1 How to Become an Ordained Minister in South Dakota

If you haven't already, you should get ordained online with the Universal Life Church. Ordination is free and can be completed in just a matter of minutes. Thousands of legally valid marriages are performed by ULC ministers around the world every year. Begin the process by clicking the big blue button below!

2 Officiating a Wedding in South Dakota

Next, you should contact the office of your local marriage authority (typically your county clerk). Let them know that you are a minister of the Universal Life Church in Seattle, and ask what they will require of you to officiate a legal marriage.

Select your Register of Deeds to quickly generate the contact information for your local marriage authority.



Select a register of deeds contact

3 South Dakota Officiant Requirements

After you've contacted your marriage authority, you should visit our online store to purchase whatever documentation will be required. We typically advise ministers in South Dakota to get an Ordination Package and to add a Letter of Good Standing to your order. While minister registration is not required in the state of South Dakota, it has been frequently reported to us by ULC ministers in the area that county clerks will ask for proof of your ordination before accepting any marriage you perform as having been legally solemnized. Additionally, please attempt to leave at least 3 weeks between the date of the wedding ceremony and your order, to ensure that you receive all of your materials in advance.

South Dakota is a relatively easy state in which to perform a wedding as a minister who was ordained online. Thousands of ULC Ministers perform legal weddings and sign valid South Dakota marriage licenses every year.

4 How to get Married in South Dakota

South Dakota's Top Wedding Spot

South Dakota's Top Wedding Spot

Sylvan Lake is one of the most picturesque ceremony spots in the Black Hills' Custer State Park

Now that you've done all of the above, you are ready to perform the wedding! Be sure that the couple has picked up their South Dakota marriage license from the appropriate office. This license is only valid for 20 days, but there is no mandatory waiting period between when the couple picks up the marriage license in South Dakota and when the ceremony may legally be conducted. Please be aware that the signed license must be returned to the issuing office before its date of expiry.

At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in South Dakota, after they've received their license to marry by getting ordained online, asking for guidance on how to perform a wedding ceremony. Once the legal matters have been taken care of, officiating a wedding (while a sometimes-daunting task) can be a great deal of fun. We would suggest that new South Dakota wedding ministers concerned about the ceremony peruse one of our helpful wedding guides. The minister training section of our website should offer a helpful refresher for more experienced ministers.

5 How to Hold a Wedding in South Dakota

Lucky enough to be officiating a wedding in South Dakota? Here are a few helpful tips as you prepare for the ceremony. The most popular time to get married in South Dakota is the summer. Summer temperatures average between eighty and ninety, but nights cool off significantly—nighttime temperatures average between fifty and sixty. What does this mean for you? Dress for warm weather during the day, but be prepared to layer up if the ceremony stretches into the evening. The most popular locales for South Dakota weddings are South Dakota’s Badlands National Park area and Rapid City. Badlands National Park is just under 250,000 acres, and it houses breathtaking buttes and canyons wonderful for wedding photos. Rapid City is South Dakota’s second-most populous city. Its popularity as a wedding destination stems from its proximity to the Badlands, Custer State Park, and its own Canyon Lake Resort. Fees for wedding officiants in South Dakota are dependent on a number of factors, such as how much professional experience the officiant has, whether they’ll be required to travel to the ceremony destination, and how much preparation is required.


South Dakota Marriage Code

South Dakota Flag

South Dakota Marriage Code

Marriage laws in South Dakota are primarily directed by Chapter 1 of Title 25 of South Dakota codified laws, which defines the persons authorized to perform a marriage in the State of South Dakota. This includes ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church, among other individuals. We've reproduced a portion of this code below.

25-1-30. Persons authorized to solemnize marriages. Marriage may be solemnized by a justice of the 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. View the South Dakota Statutes on the official state site.

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Learn All About Marriage Law in South Dakota

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Aurora County

401 Main St.
Plankinton, South Dakota
57368

Phone: (605) 942-7161
Aurora County website »

Beadle County

450 3rd St. SW, Suite 206
Huron, South Dakota
57350

Phone: (605) 353-8412
Beadle County website »

Bennett County

205 State St.
Martin, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 685-6054
Bennett County website »

Bon Homme County

300 W. 18th Ave., Second Floor
Tyndall, South Dakota
57066

Phone: (605) 589-4217
Bon Homme County website »

Brookings County

520 Third Street Suite 120
Brookings, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 696-8240
Fax: (605) 696-8245
Brookings County website »

Brown County

25 MARKET ST
ABERDEEN, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 626-7140
Fax: (605) 626-4010
Brown County website »

Brule County

300 S. Courtland St, Ste 110
Chamberlain, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 234-4434
Fax: (605) 234-4434
Brule County website »

Buffalo County

112 Osman Avenue
Gann Valley, South Dakota
57341

Phone: (605) 293-3217
Fax: (605) 293-3240
Buffalo County website »

Butte County

839 5th Ave.
Belle Fourche, South Dakota
57717

Phone: (605) 892-2516
Butte County website »

Campbell County

111 2nd Street NE
Mound City, South Dakota
57464

Phone: (605) 955-3536
Fax: (605) 955-3580
Campbell County website »

Charles Mix County

400 Main Street
Lake Andes, South Dakota
57356

Phone: (605) 487-6000
Fax: (605) 487-7221
Charles Mix County website »

Clark County

200 N. Commercial St.
Clark, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 532-5363
Clark County website »

Clay County

211 W Main St, Room 202
Vermillion, South Dakota
57069

Phone: (605) 677-7130
Clay County website »

Codington County

14 1st Ave. SE
Watertown, South Dakota
57201

Phone: (605) 882-6278
Codington County website »

Corson County

108 1st St. E.
McIntosh, South Dakota
57641

Phone: (605) 273-4395
Fax: (605) 273-4233
Corson County website »

Custer County

420 Mt Rushmore Rd
Custer, South Dakota
57730

Phone: (605) 673-8171
Fax: (605) 673-8148
Custer County website »

Davison County

200 East 4th Ave.
Mitchell, South Dakota
57301

Phone: (605) 995-8616
Fax: (605) 995-8648
Davison County website »

Day County

711 W. 1st St., Ste. 202
Webster, South Dakota
57274

Phone: (605) 345-9506
Fax: (605) 345-9507
Day County website »

Deuel County

408 4th St. West, 2nd Floor
Clear Lake, South Dakota
57226

Phone: (605) 874-2268
Deuel County website »

Dewey County

710 C Street
Timber Lake, South Dakota
57656

Phone: (605) 865-3566
Fax: (605) 865-3641
Dewey County website »

Douglas County

706 Braddock St
Armour, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 724-2204
Fax: (605) 724-2508
Douglas County website »

Edmunds County

210 2nd Ave.
Ipswich, South Dakota
57451

Phone: (605) 426-6431
Fax: (605) 426-6164
Edmunds County website »

Fall River County

906 N. River St.
Hot Springs, South Dakota
57747

Phone: (605) 745-5139
Fax: (605) 745-3708
Fall River County website »

Faulk County

110 9th Ave. South
Faulkton, South Dakota
57438

Phone: (605) 598-6223
Fax: (605) 598-6252
Faulk County website »

Grant County

210 E 5th Ave
Milbank, South Dakota
57252

Phone: (605) 432-4752
Fax: (605) 432-7514
Grant County website »

Gregory County

221 E. 8th Street
Burke, South Dakota
57523

Phone: (605) 775-2665
Fax: (605) 775-2965
Gregory County website »

Haakon County

140 South Howard
Phillip, South Dakota
57567

Phone: (605) 859-2627
Fax: (605) 859-2257
Haakon County website »

Hamlin County

300 4th St, 2nd Floor - SW Corner
Hayti, South Dakota
57241

Phone: (605) 783-3206
Fax: (605) 783-3201
Hamlin County website »

Hand County

415 W. 1st Ave.
Miller, South Dakota
57362

Phone: (605) 853-3512
Hand County website »

Hanson County

720 5th St.
Alexandria, South Dakota
57311

Phone: (605) 239-4446
Fax: (605) 239-9446
Hanson County website »

Harding County

410 Ramsland Street
Buffalo, South Dakota
57720

Phone: (605) 375-3321
Fax: (605) 375-3432
Harding County website »

Hughes County

104 E. Capitol Ave.
Pierre, South Dakota
57501

Phone: (605) 773-7495
Fax: (605) 773-7479
Hughes County website »

Hutchinson County

140 Euclid St # 37
Olivet, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 387-4217
Hutchinson County website »

Hyde County

412 Commerical S.E.
Highmore, South Dakota
57345

Phone: (605) 852-2517
Fax: (605) 852-2767
Hyde County website »

Jackson County

700 Main Street
Kadoka, South Dakota
57543

Phone: (605) 837-2420
Fax: (605) 837-2120
Jackson County website »

Jerauld County

205 Wallace Ave S
Wessington Springs, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 539-1221
Jerauld County website »

Jones County

310 Main Street
Murdo, South Dakota
57559

Phone: (605) 669-7104
Fax: (605) 669-2641
Jones County website »

Kingsbury County

202 2nd St. SE
De Smet, South Dakota
57231

Phone: (605) 854-3591
Fax: (605) 854-3833
Kingsbury County website »

Lake County

200 E Center St
Madison, South Dakota
57042

Phone: (605) 256-7614
Lake County website »

Lawrence County

90 Sherman Street
Deadwood, South Dakota
57732

Phone: (605) 578-3930
Fax: (605) 722-6212
Lawrence County website »

Lincoln County

104 N. Main Street Suite 130
Canton, South Dakota
57013

Phone: (605) 764-5661
Fax: (605) 764-6623
Lincoln County website »

Lyman County

300 S. Maine St.
Kennebec, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 869-2297
Lyman County website »

Marshall County

911 Vander Horck
Britton, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 448-5213
Fax: (605) 448-5201
Marshall County website »

McCook County

130 West Essex Ave
Salem, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 425-2701
Fax: (605) 425-2534
McCook County website »

McPherson County

706 Main St
Leola, South Dakota
57456

Phone: (605) 439-3151
Fax: (605) 439-3151
McPherson County website »

Meade County

1300 Sherman Street, Suite 138
Sturgis, South Dakota
57785

Phone: (605) 347-2356
Fax: (605) 720-6619
Meade County website »

Mellette County

South First and McKinley Street
White River, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 259-3230
Fax: (605) 259-3030
Mellette County website »

Miner County

401 N. Main St. At Park Ave.
Howard, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 772-5621
Fax: (605) 772-2138
Miner County website »

Minnehaha County

415 N. Dakota Ave.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 367-4223
Minnehaha County website »

Moody County

101 E. Pipestone Ave. Ste. C
Flandreau, South Dakota
57028

Phone: (605) 997-3151
Moody County website »

Oglala Lakota County

906 N. River St.
Hot Springs, South Dakota
57747

Phone: (605) 745-5139
Fax: (605) 745-3708
Oglala Lakota County website »

Pennington County

130 Kansas City St., Suite 210
Rapid City, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 394-2177
Pennington County website »

Perkins County

100 E Main St
Bison, South Dakota
57620

Phone: (605) 244-5620
Fax: (605) 244-7289
Perkins County website »

Potter County

201 South Exene
Gettysburg, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 765-9467
Fax: (605) 765-9670
Potter County website »

Roberts County

411 2nd Ave East, Suite #5
Sisseton, South Dakota
57262

Phone: (605) 698-7152
Fax: (605) 698-4277
Roberts County website »

Sanborn County

604 W 6th St
Woonsocket, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 796-4516
Sanborn County website »

Spink County

210 E 7th Avenue, Suite 8
Redfield SD, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 472-4588
Fax: (605) 472-5014
Spink County website »

Stanley County

Courthouse, 08 E 2 Avenue
Fort Pierre, South Dakota
57532

Phone: (605) 223-7786
Fax: (605) 223-7788
Stanley County website »

Sully County

700 Ash Ave
Onida, South Dakota
57564

Phone: (605) 258-2331
Fax: (605) 258-2590
Sully County website »

Todd County

200 E. Third Street
Winner, South Dakota
57580

Phone: (605) 842-2266
Fax: (605) 842-2267
Todd County website »

Tripp County

200 Third Street
Winner, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 842-2208
Fax: (605) 842-2267
Tripp County website »

Turner County

400 S Main Ave
Parker, South Dakota
57053

Phone: (605) 297-3443
Fax: (605) 297-3871
Turner County website »

Union County

209 E Main St, Suite 210
Elk Point, South Dakota
57025

Phone: (605) 356-2191
Fax: (605) 356-3047
Union County website »

Walworth County

4304 4th Ave
Selby, South Dakota
57472

Phone: (605) 649-7057
Fax: (605) 649-7867
Walworth County website »

Yankton County

321 W. Third St., Suite 205
Yankton, South Dakota
57078

Phone: (605) 260-4400 ext 5
Fax: (605) 668-9682
Yankton County website »

Ziebach County

Main Street - Courthouse
Dupree, South Dakota

Phone: (605) 365-5165
Fax: (605) 365-5652
Ziebach County website »