In South Dakota, each certified copy costs $15South Dakota Department of Health - Vital RecordsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source. Copies ordered together cost less than separate orders placed later. The South Dakota estate settlement plan lists the accounts and institutions that each want a certified copy.
Processing times in South Dakota vary; the South Dakota Department of Health - Vital RecordsSouth Dakota Department of Health - Vital RecordsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source publishes the current turnaround. A funeral home's order at the time of death usually arrives first.
South Dakota sets a statutory order for who controls the disposition of remains: surviving spouse, then surviving child, then surviving parentSDCL 34-26-75Verified Jul 13, 2026View source. The state allows you to name your own agent in a signed, written documentSDCL 34-26-77Verified Jul 13, 2026View source, and that designation takes priority over the default order. Those wishes can be recorded alongside the rest of an estate plan when you create a revocable living trust.
South Dakota imposes a 24-hour minimum waiting periodSDCL 34-26A-6.1Verified Jul 13, 2026View source before cremation. Person with disposition authority per SDCL 34-26-75, via written cremation authorization form meeting requirements of SDCL 34-26A-6.1; delegation permitted under SDCL 34-26A-7.
South Dakota allows estates valued at $100,000SDCL § 29A-3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less to use the Small Estate AffidavitSDCL § 29A-3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, which avoids full probate administration. The Small Estate Affidavit is presented directly to the bank, employer, or other holder of the property — it is not filed with a court. The waiting period is 30 daysSDCL § 29A-3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death.