REGISTER OF DEEDS

The Register of Deeds office can most appropriately be thought of as a library of local records or storage facility for a host of local documents. Many important land records such as plats, deeds, mortgages, covenants and restrictions, easements, satisfactions, and much more including mechanics liens, county, state and federal tax liens.

Identifiable Information Law (PDF)

Responsibilities

  • Land Records
  • Military Discharge Records
  • Liens​
  • UCC Filings
  • Issues SD Birth, Marriage, & Death Certificates
  • ​Marriage Licenses

Office Hours:
​8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Location:
​1st Floor Courthouse
Amanda Rand

Register of Deeds

​[email protected]​
Amanda Nielsen

Deputy ROD

[email protected]​
Turner County Register of Deeds Office

PO Box 485

400 S. Main Street

Parker SD 57053

605-297-3443
​

FAQs

HOW CAN I ADD A NAME TO MY DEED?
Preparing legal documents is a complex, exacting process. A deed would have to be prepared transferring ownership of the land from whoever has it, to the names they now want on the property. This is not something that most people without legal training should attempt to do. We always encourage a customer to seek legal counsel to change title to their real estate. We do not keep forms for transfer of real estate, although some stationery stores may have them.

This office is not permitted to complete forms, help customers fill out forms, or check the forms to make sure this is what the customer intended. As Register of Deeds, our purpose is to file those documents that are in recordable form. Once the documents are recorded, they must meet the satisfaction of a title examiner. A title examiner is a certified abstractor or an attorney. The title examiner does not usually come into play until the property is about to be sold. This may be several years later when someone that should have signed the document may have died, thus causing a probate or a quiet title action, which can be very costly to the customer.

​We always encourage the customer to seek legal advice for real estate documents. If you do not have an attorney, the South Dakota Bar Association maintains a list. They can be reached at (605) 224-7554 or the state Watts line of 1-800-952-2333. The mailing address is: S.D. Bar Association, 222 East Capitol Ave., Pierre, S.D., 57501.
ARE YOUR DOCUMENTS ONLINE?
Turner County does not currently provide online access to documents. You may contact our office by email or by calling us at 605-297-3443 
WILL THE COUNTY SEND ME MY DEED WHEN I PAY OFF MY HOUSE?
Our office returns all recorded documents to the address in which we received the documents from, unless otherwise specified. Your deed should have been sent to you from the Title Company after your closing. You may email or call to request a copy of your deed, copy fees will apply.

Recording Fees

Fees charged by the Register of Deeds are generally set by the state legislature. The majority of the monies collected are deposited into the county general fund. These fees are used to offset the costs of providing services to customers that use this office. ​Since the primary funding source for providing services to county citizens comes from property taxes, it is necessary to charge these "user fees".
  • REAL ESTATE
  • COMMERCIAL CODES
  • FICTITIOUS NAMES
  • LIENS
  • VITAL RECORDS
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All documents over 50 pages - Recording fee plus $2 for each additional page over 50 pages.
ITEM
CURRENT FEES
COPY FEES
Deed
$30
$1 Page Page
Deed - Transfer Fee
$0.50 per $500
N/A
Mechanic Lien Satisfaction
No Charge
$1 Page Page
Mechanics Liens
​$30
$1 Page Page
Mining Leases
​$30
$1 Page Page
Miscellaneous Documents
$30
$1 Page Page
Mortgage, Satisfactions, etc
$30
$1 Page Page
Mortgage Assignments
$30 for the first 50 pages
​N/A
Land Corner Records
​$10
$1 Page Page
Plat
​$60
$1 Page Page
ITEM
CURRENT FEES
COPY FEES
Amendment
$25, $3 each additional name and $5 for any attachments
$1 Per Page
Assignment
$25, $3 each additional name and $5 for any attachments
​$1 Per Page
Bill of Sale
$30
​$1 Per Page
Continuation
$25, $3 each additional name and $5 for any attachments
​$1 Per Page
Location Notices
$30
​$1 Per Page
Military Discharges
No Charge
No Charge
Notice of Levy
$30
​$1 Per Page
Partial Release
$25, $3 each additional name and $5 for any attachments
​$1 Per Page
Release of Levy
No Charge
​$1 Per Page
Termination
No Charge
​$1 Per Page
Uniform Commercial Code
​$25, $3 each additional name and $5 for any attachments
​$1 Per Page
ITEM
CURRENT FEES
COPY FEES
Amended fictitious names
$10
$1
File fictitious names
​$10
​$1
Renewal of fictitious name
​$10
​$1
Termination of fictitious name
No Charge
N/A
ITEM
CURRENT FEES
COPY FEES
Federal Tax Lien
$20
$1 Per Page
Federal Tax Lien Information Request Other Than Written Form
$15
​$1 Per Page
Hospital Lien
$30
​$1 Per Page
Notice of Project Commencement
Value
​$1 Per Page
Partial Release Federal Tax Lien
$20
​$1 Per Page
Release of Federal Tax Lien
$20
​$1 Per Page
Release of Hospital Lien
​No Charge
​$1 Per Page
Release of State Tax Lien
​No Charge
​$1 Per Page
Release of Unemployment Lien
​No Charge
​$1 Per Page
State Tax Liens
No Charge
​$1 Per Page
Unemployment Lien
​No Charge
$1 Per Page
All documents over 50 pages - Recording fee plus $2 for each additional page over 50 pages.
ITEM
FEE
Certified Birth Certificates
$15
Certified Death Certificates
​$15
Certified Marriage License
​$15
Marriage License Application
​$40
Miscellaneous Records:
Certified Copy Fees are $5.00 for the first page, $1 for each additional page; Uncertified Copy Fees are $1 per page per SDCL 7-9-15 (2)

Recording Checklist

The checklist is only meant to be a tool in helping to avoid common errors when having documents recorded in the Register of Deeds office. It is offered as a convenience to you and is in no way meant to be taken as legal advice on how to convey a valid and legal transaction. The Register of Deeds strongly recommends seeking legal advice when preparing all documents to be recorded.
This checklist, in no way, reflects the laws that pertain to the transfer of property in South Dakota.
  • ​Document Standards Format - All Documents to be recorded must comply with document standards.
  • Prepared By: Statement - All documents recorded must have the Prepared by Statement, giving the full name, address and telephone number of the person preparing the document. This may be in the left half only of the top 3 inch margin of the first page. This went into effect on July 1, 1994 and any documents prepared and dated before then are exempt from the law. No documents may contain any personal identity information of the parties involved.
  • Addresses - The full post office address of the purchaser must be on the document.​
  • Legal Description - The complete and correct legal description must be on the document.​
DEEDS
Deeds/Certificate of Real Estate Value - All Deeds, Contract for Deed, Memos of Contract for Deed, Assignment of Contract for Deed or any other document that conveys the interest of title from one person to another is required by law to be accompanied by a completely filled out 'Certificate of Real Estate Value' form. This is effective for any document dated after July 1, 1988. The form must be filled out completely, signed and dated. This form is also available at the South Dakota Department of Revenue.

Certificate of Real Estate Value Form
SEALS
Seals - Documents that must be signed and acknowledged in front of a Notary Public must bear their seal. Corporate Seals must be also affixed to documents if a corporate entity signs the document. All banking institutions and municipalities must have their corporate seals on documents. If there is no corporate seal, please state 'No Seal' on the document.
MORTGAGES
​Mortgages - Mortgage documents must have the legal description, amount of the mortgage, the date it is due and the complete post office address of the lender/Mortgagee. Satisfactions, Partial Releases, Assignments, Subordinations, Etc.- All documents that reflect on a previously recorded mortgage must have the following included on them to be recorded:
  • A legal description
  • The book and page number of the original mortgage being affected
  • The date of the original mortgage
  • The names of the mortgagors (borrowers)
  • The name of the mortgagee (lender)
  • The county and state
  • If being assigned, the name and address of the assignee
  • A filled-out execution of acknowledgment in front of a notary public
  • A corporate seal if any, if not, state 'No Seal' on document
TRANSFER FEES
Transfer Fees - When a sale is being transferred, a transfer fee must be collected. The transfer fee is figured at 50 cents for every $500 of the sale price.

If a deed is exempt from a transfer fee the Exempt From Transfer Fee Statute must be typed on the face of the deed. The wording should be as follows: Exempt from Transfer Fee Per SDCL 43-4-22 ( ) (the applicable subdivision must be put in the parenthesis). View the Transfer Fee Exemption Statute (PDF).

Vital Records

South Dakota Vital Records are administered by the South Dakota Department of Health. The Register of Deeds offices work with the Department of Health to facilitate the purchase of copies of these records. Birth records with birth dates over 100 years old are available online. By state law, vital records filed in the state of South Dakota are not open for public inspection. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements to obtain certified copies.
MARRIAGE RECORDS
Records of Marriages in South Dakota from 1950 to the present can be issued at any Register of Deed office in South Dakota. Records of marriages prior to January 1, 1950, must be obtained from the Register of Deeds in the County where the marriage license was applied for or through the State Department of Health. However, the State Department of Health does not have marriage records that occurred prior to July 1, 1905.
MARRIAGE LICENSE
A South Dakota Marriage License. Both individuals that are to be married need to be present and show a current government issued photo ID that contains signature and expiration date. $40.00 fee paid by cash or check.

​Marriage License Application
BIRTH RECORDS
A South Dakota Birth Record may be obtained at any Register of Deed office in South Dakota regardless of the County of birth and through the State Department of Health.
​
Search for SD Birth Records with Birth Dates over 100 years.  Birth records with birth dates over 100 years old are available to search for but not order online.
DEATH RECORDS
For Deaths that have occurred anywhere in South Dakota after January 1, 1960, a copy of the record may be obtained at any Register of Deeds office in South Dakota, regardless of the County of Death. ​For deaths that occurred prior to January 1, 1960, a record must be obtained from the Register of Deeds in the County where death occurred or through the State Department of Health. ​​​
HOW TO ORDER
If you need to request the vital record over the phone, please call Vital Records in Pierre at 1-605-773-4961.

Military Discharge

Military Discharges or DD-214 are filed in the Register of Deeds Office. Once the document is placed on record, the veteran can obtain a certified copy from the office where it was recorded, free of charge.

In 2003 a law was passed allowing only certain individuals to be able to request a copy of the DD-214. The person requesting the certified copy of the military discharge record must first provide identification and complete the proper form, which is available at our office or downloaded from our website here.
The individuals that are allowed to request the copy are as follows:
​
  • The Veteran
  • A County/Tribal Veteran Service Officer
  • The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
  • The Veteran's Parent
  • The Veteran's Next of Kin
  • The Veteran's Legal Representative

BUSINESSES         
Registration of Business Names
Business Name Amendment
Business Name Renewal
                                                  

Turner County Courthouse
400 S Main Ave
Parker, SD 57053

Turner County Courthouse Office Hours
8:00 am – 5:00 pm (Individual Office Hours May Differ)
Monday - Friday (Excluding Holidays)
Quick Links
Turner County Fair
​South Dakota Dept. of Revenue