General Questions

 

WHEN ARE MY TAXES DUE?

Taxes in South Dakota are due and payable the first of January. However, the first half of the property tax payments are accepted until April 30th without penalty. The second half of taxes will be accepted until October 31st without penalty.

 

WHEN DO TAXES BECOME DELINQUENT?

Taxes become delinquent May 1st and November 1st.

 

WHAT IF I MISS THE DEADLINE FOR MY TAX PAYMENT?

There is a 10% (.83333 per month) annual penalty for late payments. Please keep in mind, that taxes that are not postmarked by April 30th and October 31st, respectively are also considered delinquent. If you mail your payment on time, and the post office fails to postmark it by those dates, it will be considered a late payment. Payments made on the Minnehaha County Property Tax Website are recognized by the county as paid on the date of the on-line transaction.

 

WHAT METHODS ARE AVAILABLE FOR ME TO PAY MY TAXES?

1. You can pay your taxes by mail. (Real estate tax payments can be mailed to the Minnehaha County Treasurer, 415 N Dakota Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104.)

 

2. Use our drop box. (Payment drop box is accessible 24/7 Outside the west doors of the County Administration Building located at 415 N Dakota Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104.)

 

3. With a credit card.

 

4. On-line with the Minnehaha County Property Tax Website.

 

5. In person at our offices. (Minnehaha County Treasurer, 415 N Dakota Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104.)

 

CAN I PAY MY TAXES WITH A CREDIT CARD?

Yes. We will accept Mastercard, Visa, Discover and American Express.

 

IS THERE A CONSUMER FEE FOR USING A CREDIT CARD? IF SO, HOW MUCH?

Yes, there is a fee. Convenience fee = 2.35% and will appear on your statement as a separate charge.

 

CAN I PAY MY TAXES EARLY?

No. We no longer advance tax payments.

 

IF I PAY MY TAXES IN FULL IN JANUARY, DO I GET A DISCOUNT?

No. There are no discounts for paying your taxes early.

 

WHAT DO I NEED TO SEND YOU IF I'M PAYING TAXES THROUGH THE MAIL?

It would be helpful if you would send us the stub from your tax statement. However, if that has been misplaced, please include an address, parcel # or bill # of the property you wish to pay or your payment will be returned.

 

WHAT HAPPENS IF APRIL 30TH OR OCTOBER 31ST FALL ON A SATURDAY, SUNDAY, OR HOLIDAY?

According to state law, if the tax due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, it is your responsibility to get your payment to our office by 4:45 p.m. of the last working day of the month. We will also accept payments after 4:45 p.m. in our drop box and will accept payments on line with the Minnehaha County Property Tax Website until midnight. Mail with postmarks from the Post Office of April 30th and October 31st are also acceptable.

 

ARE MY TAXES BASED ON THE OWNER OCCUPIED STATUS? IF NOT, HOW DO I GET IT?

For the most accurate information regarding owner occupancy, please contact the Director of Equalization Office at 605-367-4228.

 

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO IF I WANT A RECEIPT FOR MY TAXES?

If requesting a receipt you must provide a self- addressed -stamped envelope.

 

WHAT DO I DO IF I LOST MY TAX STATEMENT?

If you lost your statement, you are able to obtain your current tax amount online with the Minnehaha County Property Tax Website. Otherwise, feel free to contact our office. To contact our office, call (605) 367-4211.

 

WHERE CAN I MAIL MY TAXES?

You can mail your taxes to: Minnehaha County Treasurer 415 N. Dakota Ave. Sioux Falls, SD 57104

 

Reviewing Your Property Information

 

WILL I BE CHARGED FOR REVIEWING INFORMATION ABOUT MY PROPERTY?

There is no charge for reviewing tax information about an individual property.

 

CAN OTHER PEOPLE VIEW MY PROPERTY INFORMATION?

Like all public records, all property tax information is available to any individual or company that wishes to review it.

 

Property Assessment

 

WHERE CAN I FIND INFORMATION ABOUT THE ASSESSED VALUE OF MY PROPERTY?

The county assessor is responsible for the appraisal and assessment of property. You may contact the County Assessor's office at 605-367-4228.

 

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COUNTY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE AND THE TREASURER'S OFFICE?

According to state law, the County Assessor is responsible for the appraisal and assessment of property. The Treasurer's Office is responsible for billing and collection of taxes based on assessments. The Treasurer's Office has no authority over the amount of assessment, nor can they be involved in the appraisal process.

General Questions

 

When are renewal notices sent out?

Annual renewal notices for commercial and non-commercial vehicles are mailed three month prior to the month they are due.

 

How is the annual renewal fee computed?

The Minnehaha County Treasurer’s Office computes the price of your tag based on the model year and the weight of your vehicle. If a non-commercial motor vehicle is an automobile, pickup or van with a manufacturer's shipping weight, including manufacturer's accessories, of 10,000 pounds or less, the license fees for the vehicle shall be based on the regular noncommercial license fee schedule. However, if the noncommercial motor vehicle is a pickup that weighs more than 6,000 pounds, the owner has the option of paying the license fees under the noncommercial license fee schedule or the noncommercial declared gross weight fee schedule.

 

Can I get a refund on my renewal fees if I sell my car?

The state law does not provide for a refund when a vehicle is sold unles the validation stickers have not been used or placed on the vehicle and are returned within 90 days from the effective date of license/tab and a refund form needs to be filled out. (Refund Request Form 1600)

 

Can I get a refund on my tag if I move out of the state?

The state law does not provide for refunds when an individual moves out of state unless the validation stickers have not been used or placed on the vehicle and are returned within ninety days from the effective date of the license/tab and a refund form needs to be filled out. (Refund Request Form 1600)

 

How can a handicapped person get a temporary or permanent parking permit?

Handicapped parking permits are available after an application has been properly completed by a physician and filed with the County Treasurer’s Office. Applications for handicap parking permits are available at the South Dakota Department of Revenue, please follow the links for DMV Forms.

 

Locations to Serve You

 

Where is the motor vehicle title and licensing agency's office located?

Minnehaha County Treasurer
415 N. Dakota Ave.
Sioux Falls, SD 57104-2465
(605) 367-4211

 

What are the office hours?

The Minnehaha County Treasurer’s Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., except on legal holidays.

 

When are the busiest times to purchase a tag or pay taxes?

If possible, avoid coming to the offices on Monday and Friday, the first business day of the month and the last two business days of the month. These are heavy volume days, and may result in long lines and waiting.

 

What methods of payment do you accept?

We accept cash, money orders, cashier checks and checks with a SD address imprinted on them which is not a personal mailbox address (PMB). We also accept Visa, Discover, Mastercard and American Express. However, there is a consumer fee to use a credit card. Convenience fees = 2.35% of total and will appear on your credit card statement as a separate charge.

 

The Minnehaha County Treasurer’s Office will not accept checks without an embossed name and address pre-printed in the upper left-hand corner.  Also, must have a check number on the right corner of the check. Due to the increase of Non-Sufficient Fund Checks, we will only accept pre -printed, in state checks.

 

Motor Vehicle Renewal Facts

 

Over 1.2 million vehicles are officially registered in South Dakota, all of which are identified by a legal document called a vehicle title. While the main purpose of a title is to establish who owns the vehicle, titles also provide vehicle information like make, model year, weight and the vehicle identification number (VIN).

 

As vehicles are bought and sold, the title becomes the legal documentation of each change in ownership. Both the buyer and the seller must follow specific procedures to ensure the title is properly transferred from one owner to the next.

 

Both buyers and sellers need to be aware of their roles and responsibilities in the titling process. Five distinct buying and selling transactions are used to illustrate possible titling scenarios. A basic checklist of documents that a vehicle owner will need to present to their county treasurer when transferring a vehicle title is also included.

 

General Information

State and federal laws also require that the seller provide an odometer reading at the time of sale for all vehicles 20 years old or newer. If the seller knows the odometer reading is not actual or over the mechanical limits, this must be indicated in the space provided on the back of the title. In the event your vehicle (those less than seven years old and weighing 16,000 lbs GVWR) or less has been damaged and declared a total loss by an insurer or self insurer, the insurer or self insurer must obtain a salvage title within 30 days of acquiring ownership of the vehicle. If you retain possession of the vehicle, it is your responsibility to obtain a salvage title prior to selling or transferring the title on the vehicle.

 

South Dakota is a plate with owner state. When a vehicle is sold, the owner retains the license plates, and receives any credit remaining on that plate at the time of registration, on a newly acquired vehicle, starting July 1st 2009 to transfer a plate to a newly acquired vehicle will cost an additional $5.00. Refunds are not given if plates are not moved to a newly acquired vehicle. The plates are available for transfer only as long as they are unexpired, once expired the plates are invalid and should be destroyed. Plates cannot be placed on a vehicle until going to your local treasurer's office.

 

NOTE: If you have already paid tax on the vehicle to another state, and that tax is equal to or greater than South Dakota's 4% excise tax, you will owe no tax. If the tax already paid is less than South Dakota's, you will receive credit for the tax previously paid and will be assessed tax up to the 4%. Also, if you have owned the vehicle less than 2 years, we need proof of taxes being paid in the state in which it was titled in. Either on an original receipt, original registration card or on an Out of State Dealer Tax Assessment Form 1004. We will NOT accept a purchase agreement as proof of taxes paid.

 

For more information

For more information about titling procedures or buying and selling vehicles in South Dakota, contact your local county treasurer's office or the Titling and Registration Section of the Division of Motor Vehicles in Pierre at 605-773-3541. Information is also available on our website at www.state.sd.us/drr2/motorvehicle. If you do not receive your title from the seller within 45 days from date of purchase, you should file a written complaint along with a copy of your purchase agreement to: Division of Motor Vehicles, 445 East Capitol Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501 or at the division's website.

 

A buyer's checklist

You've just purchased a new or used vehicle and you're ready to apply for a vehicle title. Use this handy checklist to ensure you have everything you need before you head to your county treasurer's office!

 

Completed copy of your application for title and registration.

 

If new vehicle, a Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO) or Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO).

 

If used vehicle, the vehicle title properly transferred from the dealer or previous owner to you

 

If purchased from a dealer, the price certification on the title application must be completed or attach a purchase order verifying the vehicle price.

 

If purchased from a private party, a bill of sale.

 

If purchased from a dealer, completed odometer statements (if applicable) on the title or MSO/MCO.

 

If purchased from a private party, make sure the seller has completed odometer sections on the back of the title (if applicable).

 

Present all of these documents to the treasurer of the county in which you live and be prepared to pay any tax, title fees and license fees owed!