Free South Dakota Boat Bill of Sale

South Dakota gives the document an unusually direct job, and it is one worth planning around.

A person holding a title in their name, a title assigned to them, or a bill of sale listing them as the purchaser, can obtain a temporary permit from any county treasurer to use the boat on South Dakota waters.

Permits run for five to fifteen consecutive days at a dollar a day, with a five dollar minimum, paid to the treasurer at the time of purchase.

So a properly written South Dakota boat bill of sale is not just evidence for the file. It is what gets you out on the water while the paperwork catches up.

There is a condition attached, and it is easy to overlook.

While the boat is being used on a temporary permit, the title or bill of sale must be available for inspection by any law enforcement officer.

That means the document travels with the boat, not home in a drawer. Keep a copy aboard in something waterproof.

Tip: Write it so an officer can match it to the hull at a glance — year, make, model, the complete hull identification number, the date of sale, the price, and both names, signed by buyer and seller.

This is the trip people waste.

Registration, transfers of ownership, and replacement stickers all go through the county treasurer’s office in the county where you live — not the county where the boat is kept, and not the county where you use it.

Game, Fish and Parks sets the boating rules, the Department of Revenue provides the forms, and the county treasurer does the transaction. Three bodies, one counter.

New owners have 45 days from acquiring the boat to title and register it.

Boats over 12 feet long and motorboats of any length, including those running electric trolling motors, must be registered before use on public waters.

Registration is issued for one year. Your registration card must be aboard and available for inspection whenever the boat is being operated.

A boat registered in another state may be used in South Dakota for a set run of days before South Dakota registration is required — but a marina berth contract of sufficient length triggers the requirement regardless of how much you actually use the boat.

Fees vary by length and propulsion and change over time, so confirm current figures with your county treasurer. Start your South Dakota boat bill of sale now and keep a copy aboard.