
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.
- 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
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 county contact

South Dakota's Top Wedding Spot
Sylvan Lake is one of the most picturesque ceremony spots in the Black Hills' Custer State Park
3 License to Marry in South Dakota
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
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
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.
To view the in-depth wedding laws for South Dakota state:
South Dakota Marriage Laws⇓ Show the rest
Aurora County
401 Main St.Plankinton, South Dakota
57368
Phone: (605) 942-7161
Aurora County website »
Beadle County
450 3rd St. SW, Suite 206Huron, 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 FloorTyndall, South Dakota
57066
Phone: (605) 589-4217
Bon Homme County website »
Brookings County
520 Third Street Suite 120Brookings, South Dakota
Phone: (605) 696-8240
Fax: (605) 696-8245
Brookings County website »
Brown County
25 MARKET STABERDEEN, South Dakota
Phone: (605) 626-7140
Fax: (605) 626-4010
Brown County website »
Brule County
300 S. Courtland St, Ste 110Chamberlain, South Dakota
Phone: (605) 234-4434
Fax: (605) 234-4434
Brule County website »
Buffalo County
112 Osman AvenueGann Valley, South Dakota
57341
Phone: (605) 293-3239
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 NEMound City, South Dakota
57464
Phone: (605) 955-3536
Fax: (605) 955-3580
Campbell County website »
Charles Mix County
400 Main StreetLake 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 202Vermillion, South Dakota
57069
Phone: (605) 677-7130
Clay County website »
Codington County
14 1st Ave. SEWatertown, 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 RdCuster, 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. 202Webster, South Dakota
57274
Phone: (605) 345-9506
Fax: (605) 345-9507
Day County website »
Deuel County
408 4th St. West, 2nd FloorClear Lake, South Dakota
57226
Phone: (605) 874-2268
Deuel County website »
Dewey County
710 C StreetTimber Lake, South Dakota
57656
Phone: (605) 865-3566
Fax: (605) 865-3641
Dewey County website »
Douglas County
706 Braddock StArmour, 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. SouthFaulkton, South Dakota
57438
Phone: (605) 598-6223
Fax: (605) 598-6252
Faulk County website »
Grant County
210 E 5th AveMilbank, South Dakota
57252
Phone: (605) 432-4752
Fax: (605) 432-7514
Grant County website »
Gregory County
221 E. 8th StreetBurke, South Dakota
57523
Phone: (605) 775-2665
Fax: (605) 775-2965
Gregory County website »
Haakon County
140 South HowardPhillip, South Dakota
57567
Phone: (605) 859-2627
Fax: (605) 859-2257
Haakon County website »
Hamlin County
300 4th St, 2nd Floor - SW CornerHayti, 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 StreetBuffalo, 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 # 37Olivet, 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 StreetKadoka, South Dakota
57543
Phone: (605) 837-2420
Fax: (605) 837-2120
Jackson County website »
Jerauld County
205 Wallace Ave SWessington Springs, South Dakota
Phone: (605) 539-1221
Jerauld County website »
Jones County
310 Main StreetMurdo, South Dakota
57559
Phone: (605) 669-7104
Fax: (605) 669-2641
Jones County website »
Kingsbury County
202 2nd St. SEDe Smet, South Dakota
57231
Phone: (605) 854-3591
Fax: (605) 854-3833
Kingsbury County website »
Lake County
200 E Center StMadison, South Dakota
57042
Phone: (605) 256-7614
Lake County website »
Lawrence County
90 Sherman StreetDeadwood, South Dakota
57732
Phone: (605) 578-3930
Fax: (605) 722-6212
Lawrence County website »
Lincoln County
104 N. Main Street Suite 130Canton, South Dakota
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 HorckBritton, South Dakota
Phone: (605) 448-5213
Fax: (605) 448-5201
Marshall County website »
McCook County
130 West Essex AveSalem, South Dakota
Phone: (605) 425-2701
Fax: (605) 425-2534
McCook County website »
McPherson County
706 Main StLeola, South Dakota
57456
Phone: (605) 439-3151
Fax: (605) 439-3151
McPherson County website »
Meade County
1300 Sherman Street, Suite 138Sturgis, South Dakota
57785
Phone: (605) 347-2356
Fax: (605) 720-6619
Meade County website »
Mellette County
South First and McKinley StreetWhite 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. CFlandreau, 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 210Rapid City, South Dakota
Phone: (605) 394-2177
Pennington County website »
Perkins County
100 E Main StBison, South Dakota
57620
Phone: (605) 244-5620
Fax: (605) 244-7289
Perkins County website »
Potter County
201 South ExeneGettysburg, South Dakota
Phone: (605) 765-9467
Fax: (605) 765-9670
Potter County website »
Roberts County
411 2nd Ave East, Suite #5Sisseton, South Dakota
57262
Phone: (605) 698-7152
Fax: (605) 698-4277
Roberts County website »
Sanborn County
604 W 6th StWoonsocket, South Dakota
Phone: (605) 796-4516
Sanborn County website »
Spink County
210 E 7th Avenue, Suite 8Redfield SD, South Dakota
Phone: (605) 472-4588
Fax: (605) 472-5014
Spink County website »
Stanley County
Courthouse, 08 E 2 AvenueFort Pierre, South Dakota
Phone: (605) 223-7786
Fax: (605) 223-7788
Stanley County website »
Sully County
700 Ash AveOnida, South Dakota
57564
Phone: (605) 258-2331
Fax: (605) 258-2590
Sully County website »
Todd County
200 E. Third StreetWinner, South Dakota
57580
Phone: (605) 842-2266
Fax: (605) 842-2267
Todd County website »
Tripp County
200 Third StreetWinner, South Dakota
Phone: (605) 842-2208
Fax: (605) 842-2267
Tripp County website »
Turner County
400 S Main AveParker, South Dakota
57053
Phone: (605) 297-3443
Fax: (605) 297-3871
Turner County website »
Union County
209 E Main St, Suite 210Elk Point, South Dakota
57025
Phone: (605) 356-2191
Fax: (605) 356-3047
Union County website »
Walworth County
4304 4th AveSelby, South Dakota
57472
Phone: (605) 649-7057
Fax: (605) 649-7867
Walworth County website »
Yankton County
321 W. Third St., Suite 205Yankton, South Dakota
57078
Phone: (605) 260-4400 ext 5
Fax: (605) 668-9682
Yankton County website »
Ziebach County
Main Street - CourthouseDupree, South Dakota
Phone: (605) 365-5165
Fax: (605) 365-5652
Ziebach County website »