South Dakota Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in South Dakota
What South Dakota requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- South Dakota Secretary of State, Apostille Office
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $25.00 per document
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
What South Dakota requires of the document
- Documents are returned by ordinary USPS mail unless you include a prepaid self-addressed envelope.
Where to send it
By post: South Dakota Secretary of State, Attn: Apostille Office, 500 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD 57501
South Dakota Secretary of State: apostilles and authentications
Checked against the state's own page on 8 September 2026.
After the state
If the destination is in the Hague Apostille Convention, the state apostille ends the chain. If it is not, the document then needs U.S. Department of State authentication and legalisation by that country’s mission.
Questions people actually ask
Does South Dakota require a county clerk certification first?
No. South Dakota is not among the seven states that insert a county-level step, so a properly notarised document goes directly to the Secretary of State.
I live elsewhere but my document is from South Dakota. Where does it go?
To South Dakota. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can South Dakota authenticate my FBI background check?
No. An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document and no state can certify a federal signature. It goes straight to the U.S. Department of State.
What does South Dakota charge?
$25.00 per document This was checked against the official page for that state on 8 September 2026. Fees change without notice, so confirm before filing.
This guide is published by a private document processing service. It is not legal advice and we are not a government agency. Requirements change without notice, so confirm anything critical with the mission before you post documents.
