South Dakota special warranty deed
Here is what South Dakota actually requires on a special warranty deed. The witness rules, the notary block, the margins, the forms that have to travel with it, and where to record it, plus what the deed does and does not do.
- Recording office
- Register of Deeds
- Witnesses
- Notary only
- Transfer tax
- $0.50 per $500 of value
- First-page margin
- 3″ top
- Recording fee
- ~$30 first page
- E-recording
- Generally available
What a special warranty deed does in South Dakota
A special warranty deed, also called a limited warranty deed or a covenant deed in some states and a grant deed in California, sits between a quitclaim and a general warranty deed. The grantor promises they did nothing during their own ownership to damage the title, and nothing more. Anything that happened before they bought the property is the buyer's risk. Estates, trustees, banks, and builders use it almost exclusively.
When South Dakota property owners use a special warranty deed
- Sell a property you inherited or hold as trustee
- Convey a property you have owned only briefly
- Transfer commercial or investment property
- Give a buyer more protection than a quitclaim without accepting unlimited exposure
What South Dakota requires on the deed
These are the execution and formatting rules registers of deeds enforce. Getting any of them wrong is the usual reason a deed comes back in the mail.
| Requirement | What South Dakota says |
|---|---|
| Recording office | Register of Deeds |
| Notarization | Required. Every signature must be made in the notary's presence. |
| Witnesses | None required. A notarial acknowledgment is enough. |
| Legal description | Required, copied exactly from the prior recorded deed. A street address is not sufficient. |
| Grantee's address | Must appear on the face of the deed. |
| Return address | A 'when recorded, return to' block is required. |
| Preparer statement | Not required, but customary. |
| Prior deed reference | Not required, though it keeps the chain of title clean. |
| Page setup | 8.5 × 11 in, 3-inch top margin on the first page, 1-inch elsewhere, 10pt minimum type. |
| Accompanying form | Certificate of Value |
A spouse may have to sign even if they are not an owner
Both spouses must join to convey a homestead (S.D. Codified Laws § 43-31-17).
How to complete and record it in South Dakota
- Find your current deedYou need the legal description from it, word for word. If you can't find your copy, the Register of Deeds can provide one, usually for a few dollars.
- Identify everyone by full legal nameNames must match the current deed and government ID exactly, middle names included. A mismatch creates a gap in the chain of title that shows up years later at closing.
- Complete the deedDeedly builds it with South Dakota's statutory language, the correct notary block, and the 3-inch first-page margin registers of deeds expect.
- Sign in front of a notaryBring photo ID. Do not sign in advance. The signature has to be made in the notary's presence.
- Complete Certificate of ValueSouth Dakota requires this alongside the deed, including for exempt transfers. Your filing packet explains which boxes apply to your situation.
- Record it with the Register of DeedsFile in the county where the property is located and pay the recording fee. Most offices in this state also accept e-recording, which is usually same-day. Keep the stamped receipt. It fixes your priority date.
- Update insurance and tax recordsA change of ownership can affect your homeowner's policy, your homestead or senior exemption, and in some states the assessed value. Do this within a few weeks.
What it costs in South Dakota
| Cost | Typical amount |
|---|---|
| Recording fee | About $30 for the first page |
| Transfer tax | Real estate transfer fee: $0.50 per $500 of value |
| Notary | Typically $5–$25 per signature; often free at your bank |
| Deedly | $69, one time |
| Attorney (for comparison) | $300–$1,200 for the same statutory document |
South Dakota charges a real estate transfer fee of $0.50 per $500 of value. It is customarily paid by the grantor.
Exemptions that commonly apply to a transfer like this: transfers between spouses, gifts with no consideration, and transfers to or from a revocable trust. You have to claim the exemption. The recorder won't apply it for you.
Where to record it in South Dakota
South Dakota deeds are recorded with the Register of Deeds in the county where the property sits, not where you live. There are 66 counties in South Dakota.
Most South Dakota recording offices accept e-recording through vendors such as Simplifile, CSC, or ePN, which is usually same-day. Check your county's website for the list it works with.
Recording offices we cover in South Dakota: Minnehaha, Pennington, Lincoln, Brown. See all South Dakota recording offices.
What a special warranty deed does NOT do
Being honest about the limits is more useful than a sales pitch. Every one of these catches somebody out.
- Defects that predate your ownership are not covered. The buyer bears that risk.
- It does not substitute for a title search or an owner's title insurance policy.
- It transfers ownership immediately and cannot be revoked.
- Some purchase contracts specifically require a general warranty deed; check yours before using this one.
Quirks of South Dakota law that catch people out
- South Dakota's transfer fee is one of the lowest in the country at $0.50 per $500.
- A Certificate of Value must accompany most deeds.
- South Dakota recognizes transfer-on-death deeds under its Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act.
- Both spouses must join to convey homestead property.
How to hold title in South Dakota
When two or more people take title in South Dakota and the deed says nothing more, the law presumes a tenancy in common, which means no automatic survivorship. If you want the survivor to take the whole property, the words have to be on the deed. Forms of co-ownership available in South Dakota: joint tenancy with right of survivorship and tenancy in common.
$69, one time. Your finished deed appears in full before you pay, with South Dakota's witness rules, margins, and recording instructions already applied.
Common questions
No. South Dakota has no requirement that an attorney prepare a deed. What matters is the correct statutory language, an accurate legal description, proper notarization, and recording with the Register of Deeds. Deedly produces all of that for $69, versus roughly $300–$1,200 for an attorney to draft the same document. If ownership is disputed, the current owner has died without probate, or the transfer is tax-sensitive, use an attorney.
Expect around $30 for the first page. South Dakota also charges real estate transfer fee of $0.50 per $500 of value, though gifts and family transfers are often exempt. Typical figure. Counties set their own fees. Confirm with your recorder before mailing.
No. South Dakota requires only that the grantor's signature be acknowledged before a notary public. Forms that show witness lines are usually generic templates borrowed from another state.
With the Register of Deeds in the county where the property is located, not where you live, and not where the buyer lives. South Dakota has 66 counties. Most offices also accept e-recording through a submitting service.
No, and this is the single most common misunderstanding about deeds. A deed changes who owns the property. The mortgage is a separate contract with the lender, and only a refinance or a written release from the lender removes a borrower. Someone can be off the deed and still fully liable on the loan.
Often, yes. Both spouses must join to convey a homestead (S.D. Codified Laws § 43-31-17). That surprises people, because the spouse is not becoming an owner. They are releasing rights the law gives them automatically. Deedly adds a joinder block for the signature when it applies.
Keep reading
- South Dakota quitclaim deedTransfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title.
- South Dakota general warranty deedTransfers ownership with the strongest title guarantees the law allows.
- South Dakota transfer-on-death deedNames who inherits your property, skips probate, and changes nothing while you're alive.
- South Dakota life estate deedYou keep the right to live in the property for life; named remaindermen own it after you.
- All deed rules for South DakotaRecording offices, transfer tax, witness rules, and fees.
- South Dakota recording officesWhere to file in each county.
Deedly is not a law firm
We provide self-help software and state-specific statutory forms; you make your own decisions about your property. Using Deedly does not create an attorney-client relationship, and nothing here is legal advice. If your situation is complex or contested, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.