South Dakota Driving Record Request

Why Your Driving Record Matters for Reinstatement

The DPS Eligibility Check portal tells you whether your license is suspended or revoked. It doesn't tell you the full picture: which specific violations are on your record, how many points you've accumulated, the exact dates of each conviction, or the statutory basis for your suspension.

Your certified driving record does. It's the only document that gives you the detailed history you need to map out a reinstatement plan — which holds to clear, in what order, and whether your suspension period has actually expired.

How to Request It

South Dakota driving records cannot be viewed online. You have to request a copy through one of these methods:

By mail: Download the Personal Driving Record Request form from the DPS website, fill it out, and mail it with your $7 payment (check or money order made out to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety) to the Driver Licensing Program in Pierre.

In person: Visit any regional driver exam station with photo ID and $7. You can pay by cash, check, or card (card transactions carry a processing fee of $2.00 or 2.95%, whichever is greater).

The $7 fee was increased from $5 by Senate Bill 11 during the 2026 legislative session. If you see older sources quoting $5, they're out of date.

What the Record Shows

A certified driving record includes:

• Every traffic conviction and its date
• Point values assigned to each violation
• Your current points total and whether you're approaching the suspension threshold (15 points in 12 months or 22 points in 24 months)
• Active suspension or revocation orders, including the start date and duration
• DUI convictions with offense number (first, second, third)
• Accident reports
• The statutory violations connected to the suspension

This is the diagnostic tool for reinstatement. Without it, you're guessing at what you owe, to whom, and whether your suspension period has run its course.

Using the Record for Your Reinstatement Plan

Once you have the driving record in hand, you can build your clearance sequence:

1. Identify every active hold. Use the record together with the DPS portal and the responsible agencies to map courts, child support, and out-of-state blocks.
2. Check suspension dates. Point-accumulation suspensions have specific durations: 60 days for a first offense, 6 months for a second within 24 months, 1 year for a third. DUI revocations have their own mandatory minimums. If you're still within the period, you wait — paying fees early doesn't shorten it.
3. Determine suspension vs. revocation. This tells you whether you'll need to retake exams. Suspensions restore without testing unless the license has expired; revocations require vision, knowledge (80% to pass), and road tests.
4. Calculate fee totals. The record identifies which offense categories apply, so you can add up the specific reinstatement fees ($75–$225) plus the applicable application fee: $38 for a standard license or $43 for a CDL.

Privacy Protections

South Dakota restricts access to driving records under the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). Only the driver, their attorney, authorized insurance companies, employers (with the driver's consent), and specific government agencies can obtain a full record. Third-party "background check" services that claim to offer South Dakota driving records may not have current or complete data.

Request your record directly from the DPS. It's the authoritative source, and it's what the DPS itself uses to evaluate your reinstatement eligibility.

The South Dakota Driver's License Reinstatement Guide walks through how to read your driving record and translate it into a step-by-step clearance plan — matching each hold on the record to the specific agency, form, and payment that clears it.

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