South Dakota License Plates

Like other states, South Dakota requires drivers to register their vehicles with the South Dakota Motor Vehicle Division. After registering and titling your automobile, you will then receive standard license plates. As of July 1, 2011, the South Dakota Motor Vehicle Division changed their license fees for noncommercial passenger vehicles, trucks, motorcycles, noncommercial gross weight registered vehicles, motor homes, and trailers. Additionally, the fee reduction that is applied to vehicles over 5 years old has been changed to 10 years for any commercially licensed vehicles.

The State provides many different varieties of South Dakota license plates. They are actually broken down into twelve different types:

• Standard South Dakota License Plates
• Commercial License Plates
• Physically Disabled License Plates and parking permits
• Dealer License Plates
• Military License Plates
• Exempt Entities License Plates
• Organization/First Responder Decals
• Historic Plates
• Motorcycle License Plates
• Special License Plates
• Prorate License Plates
• Personalized License Plates


The standard South Dakota license plate will be issued to you after you submit Form MV-608, or the Application for Motor Vehicle Title and Registration.

Personalized South Dakota License Plates

South Dakota provides the option to receive personalized South Dakota license plates, or vanity plates. These license plates are issued to a driver after completing and submitting Form MV-239, the South Dakota Personalized License Plate Application. On top of any normal fees, personalized South Dakota license plates have an additional fee of $25 for each year.

NEXT: Tennessee License Plates