Free South Dakota Trailer Bill of Sale Template

A South Dakota trailer bill of sale records a private trailer sale. Trailer titling and registration run through your local county treasurer, and this document does real work at that counter.

You pay more tax. The title application states that the purchaser and seller shall submit a bill of sale to the county treasurer, and that if one is not submitted the excise tax will be assessed on the retail value from a nationally recognised dealers’ guide.

The same rule follows through on a trade-in. Where tax is assessed on retail value, the credit given for a trade is also set at the guide’s retail value rather than what was actually agreed.

The department also says that when selling a vehicle, the seller should provide the purchaser with a bill of sale alongside the title.

The document earns its place a second time before you ever reach the treasurer.

It gets you a temporary permit

A short-term permit of 5 to 15 consecutive days requires either a title in your name, a title properly assigned to you, or a bill of sale listing you as the purchaser.

And it has to travel with you

That title or bill of sale must be available for inspection by a peace officer while the trailer is being moved.

Interest runs from the purchase date

Fees are assessed from the date of purchase regardless of when you apply. Interest starts on any application made more than 45 days after purchase.

Which plate a trailer takes

Owners of trailers pulled by automobiles, pickups and vans weighing less than 6,000 pounds buy a regular annual trailer plate, and there is no restriction on the weight such a trailer may carry.

The one-time identification plate

A trailer pulled by a commercially licensed vehicle may instead display a trailer identification plate, which is a one-time charge for as long as the applicant owns it.

Homemade trailers split at three thousand

A homemade trailer over 3,000 pounds goes through the rebuilt application process and an inspection. At 3,000 pounds or less you can simply request an assigned serial number from the county treasurer.

Recreational vehicles are excluded

No identification plate may be displayed on a recreational vehicle, so a camping trailer follows the annual plate route rather than the one-time option.

Who signs the application

The title and registration application has to be signed by the record owner, or by an authorised agent with a power of attorney attached to prove the appointment.

Everything happens at the county treasurer’s office.

1. Take the bill of sale and the assigned title from the seller.
2. Buy a short-term permit if you need to move the trailer before titling.
3. Complete the application for motor vehicle title and registration.
4. Apply within 45 days of purchase to avoid interest on the excise tax.
5. Pay the excise tax, title fee and plate fee at the counter.

Fees and the excise rate are set by the state and change from time to time, so confirm current figures with your county treasurer.

Give the make, model, year and colour, the identification number, the date and price of sale, and both parties’ names and signatures.

Name yourself as purchaser in plain terms. That wording is what lets the treasurer issue a temporary permit on this document alone.

Each party keeps a copy.