ID Requirement: Driver's license or a certified copy of a birth certificate.

Residency Requirement: Do not have to be a resident of South Dakota.

If Previously Married: Proof of divorce may be required.

Application Requirement: Both parties to a marriage should appear in person at a Register of Deeds Office in a South Dakota county.

Fees: $40. Some offices accept only cash and travelers checks.

Waiting Period: No waiting period.

Blood Tests: No blood test or physical exam.

Under 18: Applicants 16 and 17 must have parental consent. South Dakota law does not permit marriage of those under 16.

Proxy Marriages: No.

Common Law Marriage: No.

Cousin Marriage: No.

Same-Sex Marriage: No.

Solemnization of Marriage: The marriage must be solemnized within 20 days from the purchase of your license. If it is not solemnized within 20 days, the license will become void.

Once you are married, the individual who solemnizes the marriage must return the license to the Register of Deeds within 10 days. If not, there will be no record of your marriage. Marriage may be solemnized by a justice of the supreme court, a judge of the circuit court, a magistrate, or any person authorized by a church to solemnize marriages.

Officiants: Marriages may be performed by a minister of the gospel, or priest of any denomination. Ministers must provide the bride and groom with marriage certificates upon request. Ministers must also keep a record book of all marriages they perform. Finally, the minister must send a marriage certificate to the clerk who issued the marriage license within 30 days after the marriage.

Valid: License is valid for 20 days only within the State of South Dakota.