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SD · Find someone in custody

How do I find someone in jail or prison in South Dakota?

Take a breath. You can find where your person is being held in South Dakota using official sources — here is exactly where to look and what to have ready.

State locator
South Dakota DOC Offender Locator
VINELink
Not in South Dakota
Last verified
2026-07-23
Jurisdiction
South Dakota

Which system is holding them in South Dakota?

There is no single search that covers everyone. Match the situation to the right official locator — most families start with the first one.

If the arrest was recent

Start with the county jail

In South Dakota, someone who was just arrested and not released is held in the COUNTY JAIL run by the county sheriff, not a state prison, so the SD DOC Offender Locator will not show a brand-new arrest.

IMPORTANT: South Dakota is the only state that does NOT participate in the national VINE system.

County sheriffs also post online jail rosters (for example, the Minnehaha County Sheriff's jail roster for the Sioux Falls area and the Pennington County Sheriff for the Rapid City area).

For a very recent booking or bail information, call the county jail's booking or records line.

Jails are run by the sheriff in each county; larger counties post an online roster (e.g., Minnehaha County / Sioux Falls and Pennington County / Rapid City). South Dakota is NOT on the national VINE network - use South Dakota SAVIN (savin.sd.gov, 1-844-299-4608) for custody-status alerts, use the county sheriff's roster, and call the jail's booking/records line for a recent booking and the bail amount.

South Dakota is not covered by VINELink — use the arresting county sheriff’s jail roster or call the jail’s booking or records line.

If they were sentenced to prison

Use the state prison locator

The South Dakota Department of Corrections (SD DOC) runs the official Offender Locator.

Search by name (last name required) or by DOC number, using the on-page captcha.

It contains public information on felony offenders sentenced to the Department of Corrections (South Dakota state prison); it does NOT include people held in a county jail, on probation, or under any other form of supervision, so someone who was just arrested and booked into a county jail will generally not appear here.

SD DOC Inmate Identification Unit: (605) 773-3478.

Open the South Dakota inmate locator

If the charge is federal

Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons

A federal charge means the person is in the federal system, not a South Dakota state or county facility. Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator by name or register number — it is separate from every state and county tool.

Search the Federal BOP locator

Finding your person in South Dakota, step by step

Work through these in order. Each step points to an official source — you do the searching there, on the government site.

  1. Step 1

    Figure out where the person is likely held

    If they were arrested recently and not released, they are almost certainly in the COUNTY JAIL run by the sheriff where the arrest happened. If they were already sentenced to state prison, they are in the South Dakota DOC system. If the charge is federal, they are in federal custody (use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator).

    Official source

  2. Step 2

    For a recent arrest, use the county sheriff's jail roster or South Dakota SAVIN

    Look up the county sheriff's online jail roster for the county where the arrest happened (for example, Minnehaha County / Sioux Falls or Pennington County / Rapid City), or use South Dakota SAVIN to check custody status and register for alerts. South Dakota does NOT use the national VINE system. If nothing shows yet, call the county jail's booking or records line to confirm custody and the bail amount.

    Official source

  3. Step 3

    For a sentenced state-prison inmate, use the SD DOC Offender Locator

    Use the South Dakota DOC Offender Locator and enter the last name or DOC number (with the captcha) to confirm the state facility and custody status. It covers only people sentenced to the DOC, not county-jail detainees.

    Official source

  4. Step 4

    For a federal arrest, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator

    If the charge is federal, search the BOP inmate locator by name or register number instead of the state or county tools.

    Official source

What you’ll need to search

You can start with just a name, but these make a match faster and surer.

  • The person's full legal name, plus any aliases, nickname, or maiden name.
  • Date of birth, which helps confirm the right person when names match.
  • An SD DOC number or a county booking number if you already have one (helpful but not required to search).

Use official, free sources — and a few things to watch for

  • South Dakota is the only state NOT on the national VINE (vinelink.com) network. For custody-status alerts use South Dakota SAVIN (savin.sd.gov, 1-844-299-4608) and the county sheriff's jail roster instead.
  • Use only official sources: the SD DOC Offender Locator for state prison, South Dakota SAVIN or the county sheriff's jail roster for county jails, or a call to the jail. Confirm a match by full name and date of birth, since name-only matches are common.
  • The SD DOC Offender Locator covers only people sentenced to the DOC; it excludes county jail, probation, and other supervision, so it is not the tool for a brand-new county arrest.
  • Be wary of paid data-broker 'inmate search' and mugshot sites. They are not official, often charge fees, and may show stale, incomplete, or expunged records.
  • Custody data can lag. Someone booked within the last few hours may not appear online yet; if an official source shows nothing, call the county jail's booking or records line.
  • This tool only links to official sources. It does not store, search, or republish any inmate records itself.

If you need to bail them out in South Dakota

Finding the person comes first. Once you know where they are, this is how getting them out works in South Dakota.

Commercial bail available

In South Dakota, commercial bail exists. If a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash directly with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee. A judge may also release the person on their own recognizance or on set conditions, so ask the court or the jail what applies before paying anyone.

South Dakota allows money bail, and commercial (surety) bail bondsmen legally operate here (South Dakota is among the 46 states that permit commercial bail bonds).

After arrest, a person appears before a judge or magistrate for an initial appearance under the Unified Judicial System, where the court sets conditions of release.

The court may release a person on personal recognizance (a written promise to appear), on an unsecured appearance bond, on non-monetary conditions, or set a cash or surety bond.

A surety bond may be posted as cash with the clerk of courts, secured by property, or through a licensed bail-bond agent for a non-refundable fee.

Where a surety (commercial) bond is used, the bail agent charges a non-refundable premium, commonly around 10 percent of the bond amount. Cash posted directly with the clerk of courts is returned at the end of the case (less any costs) if all required appearances are made. Ask the court about release on personal recognizance or an unsecured bond before assuming a paid bond is required.

The person’s rights. The person in custody has the right to talk to a lawyer about their case, and if they cannot afford one, the court can appoint a public defender.

Other official South Dakota contacts

County jails are run by the sheriff where the arrest happened — call that jail’s booking or records line for a very recent booking or the bail amount. These statewide sources can also help.

Common questions about finding someone in South Dakota

How do I find someone who was just arrested in South Dakota?

In South Dakota, someone who was just arrested and not released is held in the COUNTY JAIL run by the county sheriff, not a state prison, so the SD DOC Offender Locator will not show a brand-new arrest. IMPORTANT: South Dakota is the only state that does NOT participate in the national VINE system. County sheriffs also post online jail rosters (for example, the Minnehaha County Sheriff's jail roster for the Sioux Falls area and the Pennington County Sheriff for the Rapid City area). For a very recent booking or bail information, call the county jail's booking or records line.

How do I find someone in state prison in South Dakota?

The South Dakota Department of Corrections (SD DOC) runs the official Offender Locator. Search by name (last name required) or by DOC number, using the on-page captcha. It contains public information on felony offenders sentenced to the Department of Corrections (South Dakota state prison); it does NOT include people held in a county jail, on probation, or under any other form of supervision, so someone who was just arrested and booked into a county jail will generally not appear here. SD DOC Inmate Identification Unit: (605) 773-3478.

Is there a free way to check if someone is in custody in South Dakota?

South Dakota is not in VINELink, but the official options are still free: the arresting county sheriff’s jail roster, a call to the jail, and the state inmate locator. Avoid paid inmate-search and mugshot sites.

What do I need to look someone up in South Dakota?

The person's full legal name, plus any aliases, nickname, or maiden name. Date of birth, which helps confirm the right person when names match. An SD DOC number or a county booking number if you already have one (helpful but not required to search).

Does South Dakota have commercial bail bondsmen?

Yes. Commercial bail exists in South Dakota: if a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee, and a judge may also grant own-recognizance or conditional release.

Sources & last verified

Everything here links out to official government or public-safety sources. We don’t store, search, or republish records.

Last verified 2026-07-23 · 9 sources