In a South Dakota private sale, the seller signs the title over with your name, the date and the price, gives you a bill of sale, an odometer disclosure and a free 45-day seller's permit, and you take all of it to your county treasurer within 45 days of the purchase date. There you pay the 4% motor vehicle excise tax on the purchase price, a $10 title fee and registration. Miss the 45 days and interest starts, with a bigger penalty after 60.
South Dakota is unusual in two ways. The county treasurer handles titles, not a state DMV office, and the clock starts on the purchase date whether or not you have filed anything. I checked the Department of Revenue's car and all-vehicle fee pages, its procedures manual and a county treasurer FAQ on October 16, 2026, and the state pages do not fully agree on the interest rate, which I flag below.
Signing the title and the bill of sale
The DOR's guidance for private sellers, in its newsroom article "What You Need When Selling Your Vehicle To A Private Party," tells the seller to write the buyer in as purchaser, sign as seller, fill in the purchase date and price, and hand over the title along with a bill of sale and an odometer disclosure. The same article says the bill of sale is strongly recommended but not required if that information is on the back of the title. That page would not load for our link checker, so I am naming it rather than linking it.
Do not skip the bill of sale anyway. The DOR procedures manual says that if no bill of sale is submitted, the excise tax is assessed on the retail value in a nationally recognized dealers' guide. On an older car you paid little for, that can cost you real money. For the mileage, federal rules in 49 CFR 580.17 require an odometer disclosure on model year 2011 and newer cars until they are 20 years old.
The seller's permit and driving it home
South Dakota puts the temporary plate on the seller. The DOR cars, trucks and vans page says a private seller must obtain a free temporary permit that lets the buyer drive between purchase and titling, that it lasts 45 days, and that failing to give it to the buyer is a class 2 misdemeanor. Sellers can print one through the state's online portal or at a county treasurer kiosk. If you need more time after that, the same page says a buyer can get a 5-to-15-day permit from the treasurer at $1 per day, $5 minimum.
If a seller shrugs about the permit, that is a warning sign. It costs them nothing, and a seller who will not do the free part of the paperwork is rarely careful about the rest.
The 45-day deadline and late charges
The DOR all-vehicles title and fees page says titles must be updated within 45 days of purchase and that all fees are assessed from the purchase date. After 45 days, interest applies on the excise tax; that page says 1% or $5, whichever is greater, for the first month and 1% per month after, but the cars page says 1-1/4%. A one-time penalty of 10% of the tax or $10, whichever is greater, hits after 60 days, and a separate late title fee of $1 per week past the grace period runs up to $50. The Hutchinson County treasurer's FAQ adds that there are no extensions on the 45 days and that applying more than 90 days after the title assignment is a class 2 misdemeanor.
What it costs at the counter
The DOR fee table lists the 4% excise tax on the purchase price, a $10 title fee, $10 per lien, and a $2 technology fee in effect since July 1, 2025. Registration depends on the car's weight and year, and some counties add a wheel tax. Electric vehicles pay an extra $100 a year at registration. On a $15,000 car, the excise tax alone is $600. For comparison with neighboring states, see our used car sales tax guide.
Two more line items surprise people. If you title a car in South Dakota without a South Dakota driver's license or ID, or without a physical South Dakota address, the DOR charges an additional $100 non-resident administrative fee. And per the county FAQ, a no-money transfer between spouses, parent and child, or siblings is exempt from the excise tax, though the $10 title fee still applies. A "gift" from a friend with cash changing hands is a sale.
Branded titles and out-of-state cars
Read the face of the title for brands before you hand over money. Our South Dakota salvage and rebuilt title rules post explains how those brands work and what inspection a rebuilt car needs. If the car comes with another state's title, match the VIN on the title to the car yourself; our VIN verification for title transfer guide shows where to look. The pages I read did not describe a separate VIN inspection for an ordinary out-of-state title, so ask your treasurer what they want before you go.
Before you pay the seller
The DOR itself points buyers to NMVTIS to check odometer and brand history, so start there. Then get a full history report you ordered yourself, because a seller's PDF can be edited in a minute; our CARFAX for private-party buyers notes go through it. CarVins is a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller, unaffiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck or Experian. In mid October 2026 a single report is about $5.50 for guests and $4.50 for members, with both together near $6.75, compared with $39.99 to $44.99 buying direct. The checkout page shows the exact amount.
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