Sell your car in South Dakota, no notary, no inspection, no runaround.
South Dakota keeps car selling refreshingly simple: no notary, no safety or emissions inspection, and a title transfer that fits on the back of the title itself. The one quirk worth knowing is the 45-day seller's permit — the state genuinely requires you to hand one to your buyer. Here's the whole rulebook, plus city guides for Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Aberdeen.
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Three markets, three very different stories: boomtown turnover in Sioux Falls, PCS-season churn around Ellsworth in Rapid City, and farm-country distances out of Aberdeen. Pickup covers all of them, and every gravel road in between.
What South Dakota requires when you sell
| Notary | Not required for a standard private sale — seller and buyer simply sign the assignment on the back of the title. A notary only enters the picture in unusual cases, like someone signing under a power of attorney. |
|---|---|
| The title form | There’s no separate assignment form — the transfer section is printed on the back of the South Dakota title, backed up by the state’s Bill of Sale (Form 1025) and Odometer Disclosure (Form 1021). You have 45 days from the sale to deliver the title to your buyer. |
| The 45-day seller's permit | South Dakota’s one genuine quirk: the seller must hand the buyer a free 45-day seller’s permit, printable through the state’s online vehicle portal or at a county treasurer’s kiosk. Failing to provide it is a Class 2 misdemeanor — so don’t skip it. |
| Damage disclosure | As of July 1, 2015, the Department of Revenue no longer mandates a damage disclosure statement with the transfer. One less form than the old days. |
| Lost your title? | File a Duplicate Title Application at your county treasurer’s office for $10, or start the process online at my605drive.sd.gov. Cheap and quick by national standards. |
| Protect yourself after the sale | File the Seller’s Report of Sale (Form 1024) — or log into the state’s Vehicle Registration & Plates portal, select the vehicle you sold, and pick “report of sale” from the dropdown. The state publishes no fixed deadline; file it the day the car leaves anyway. |
| License plates | Plates stay with you, not the car — pull them off when it sells. Buy another vehicle and you can transfer the plates to it, with credit for the remaining registration. |
| Sales tax | The buyer’s problem, not yours. South Dakota collects a 4% motor vehicle excise tax on the purchase price when the new owner titles and registers within 45 days — late applications draw a $1-per-week penalty (capped at $50) plus interest on the tax owed. |
| Inspections | None. South Dakota has no safety, emissions, or VIN inspection program of any kind, so nothing stands between a seller and a done deal. |
Rules current as of August 2026 — confirm the details on the official South Dakota DOR Motor Vehicles page before you sign anything unusual.
Asked by South Dakota sellers
Do I need a notary to sell my car in South Dakota?
No. In a standard private sale, seller and buyer just sign the assignment on the back of the title. A notary only comes up in unusual situations, such as someone signing under a power of attorney.
What is the 45-day seller's permit, and do I really have to provide it?
Yes, really. South Dakota requires the seller to hand the buyer a free 45-day seller's permit, which you can print through the state's online vehicle portal or at a county treasurer's kiosk. Failing to provide one is a Class 2 misdemeanor, and professional buyers will expect it as part of the handoff.
I lost my title. Can I still sell my car?
Get a duplicate first — it's a $10 Duplicate Title Application at your county treasurer's office, and the state lets you start the process online at my605drive.sd.gov. Once the duplicate is in hand, the sale proceeds normally.
Do I owe sales tax when I sell my car in South Dakota?
No. The 4% motor vehicle excise tax is charged to the buyer when they title and register the vehicle, which they must do within 45 days of purchase. Your side of the deal is the signed title, the seller's permit, and the report of sale.