What To Know About South Dakota's Vehicle Registration Fee Changes

Some South Dakotans are about to pay more for license plates and decals on their vehicles.

Monday (February 23), Governor Larry Rhoden signed into law House Bill 1034, which increases fees for mailed license plates and decals.

According to the wording of the original bill:

'In addition to the registration fee required, the department or county treasurer shall charge the owner two dollars and fifty cents per decal or set of decals if a decal is sent to the owner through the mail.

If the applicant requests that a decal be express mailed, the applicant shall pay the actual cost of postage and handling. The county treasurer shall deposit any fees for mailing or expressing decals in the county general fund.'

The fee for a mailed license plate will now be $12.

The increase is designed to offset rising postage and handling costs.

The bill was one of six signed into law by Governor Rhoden on Monday. He has now signed 51 bills into law and vetoed one this legislative session.

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What Did South Dakota's License Plate Look Like the Year You Were Born?

The first number on a South Dakota license plate is the county that the car is registered. For example, Pennington county where Rapid City is has a '2' starting its plates. In Sioux Falls you have either a '1' or a '44' depending on your relationship to 57th street.

When established in 1956 (and revised in 1987) the first nine counties were ordered by population. Starting with 10 they are in alphabetical order through Ziebach, with Oglala Lakota County (65) and Todd (67) rounding out the list.

Today the top 10 plate numbers and populations don't correlate anymore. 1 and 2 are still 1 and 2, but Lincoln (44) is now 3rd in population. Beadle is 4 but it's now 11th in population. See the list by population here.

On January 1, 2023, South Dakota started issuing a new license plate design for license plates.

So, let's take a look back at what South Dakota license plates looked like over the last 100 years.

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns

What Did South Dakota's License Plate Look Like the Year You Were Born?

On January 1, 2023, South Dakota started issuing a new license plate design for license plates.

So, let's take a look back at what South Dakota license plates looked like over the last 100 years.

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns

Why Are There So Many South Dakota License Plates in Mexico?

An odd thing that's puzzled folks vacationing in Mexico is that there seems to be an abundance of South Dakota license plates. In fact, there are so many, it doesn't make sense.

Gallery Credit: Andy Gott

Filed Under: governor larry rhoden