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South Dakota Closing Cost Calculator
South Dakota’s transfer fee is $0.50 per $500 of price ($1 per $1,000), paid by the seller. Estimate South Dakota real estate transfer fees using the statutory $500 units. Add settlement quotes, payoff and credits for a buyer or seller estimate.
South Dakota deed tax and settlement worksheet
Ordinary taxable conveyance under SDCL 43-4-21: $0.50 for each $500 of full consideration or fraction, paid by the grantor. Statutory exemptions, deed documentation and other recording charges are separate from this fee calculation.
| Parameter | Amount | In effect | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real estate transfer fee | $0.50 per $500 of value or fraction | Transfers recorded from July 1, 1968 (SL 1968, ch 27) | SDCL 43-4-21 and 43-4-22(1) |
| Who pays the fee | The grantor (seller) | Current SDCL 43-4-21 | SDCL 43-4-21 |
| Value the fee applies to | Full consideration paid or to be paid, like-kind exchanges included | Current SDCL 43-4-20 (amended SL 2007) | SDCL 43-4-20 |
| Exempt deed | Must state "exempt from transfer fee" and the subdivision of 43-4-22 claimed | Current SDCL 43-4-23 | SDCL 43-4-23 |
| Recording a deed or mortgage | $30 for the first fifty pages, plus $2 per page or fraction after fifty | Current SDCL 7-9-15 (last amended SL 2013) | SDCL 7-9-15 |
A transfer fee based on full consideration
SDCL 43-4-20 and 43-4-21 define the taxable value for an ordinary conveyance and charge $0.50 for each $500 or fraction. The grantor pays. The model counts the units upward: $250,000 produces $250.00, while $250,000.01 produces $250.50.
Consideration is not limited to cash already delivered; the definition covers things of legal value and future delivery, including like-kind exchanges. If the consideration confirmed for the deed differs from the sale-price input, use the taxable-value override. The proceeds calculation will continue to use the actual sale price.
Sioux Falls and Rapid City use the same rate
Neither the transfer fee nor the recording charge is set by the county: every register of deeds, Minnehaha (Sioux Falls) and Pennington (Rapid City) included, applies sections 43-4-21 and 7-9-15. On a $350,000 Sioux Falls resale the seller's fee is 700 units × $0.50 = $350. Recording a five-page deed costs $30, and a separate mortgage of up to fifty pages is another $30; the worksheet takes those recording charges as your quote rather than adding them itself.
Exemptions need the correct deed notation
Section 43-4-22 lists exemptions, including certain nominal-consideration family transfers, absolute gifts without consideration, and specified fiduciary or entity transfers. Section 43-4-23 requires the exemption and applicable statutory subdivision to be identified on the deed. A calculator cannot establish those facts from a price alone.
For an exempt transaction, obtain a confirmed fee amount and enter that quote for your side. Keep the actual price and payoff inputs accurate; changing a price to zero merely to force a zero fee would distort the rest of the worksheet.
The register's fee entry is one part of closing
The register of deeds collects the transfer fee when the document is offered for recording and indicates the amount on the deed. Other recording or service charges should be entered separately. Avoid combining an all-in recording quote with the automatic transfer fee if the quote already includes it.
The buyer and seller totals use their own entered costs. Buyer cash adds down payment and subtracts deposit and credits; seller proceeds subtract listed fees, commission, credits paid and payoff. These are transaction subtotals, not a claim that every sale in the state costs a standard percentage.
South Dakota worked transfer-tax examples
| Scenario | Taxable value | State tax | Local amount | Tax subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole consideration units | $250,000.00 | $250.00 | $0.00 | $250.00 |
| Next fractional unit | $250,000.01 | $250.50 | $0.00 | $250.50 |
| Larger ordinary conveyance | $750,000.00 | $750.00 | $0.00 | $750.00 |
| Sioux Falls resale: $350,000 | $350,000.00 | $350.00 | $0.00 | $350.00 |
Last reviewed 2026-10-12. How the settlement worksheet works.
Questions about South Dakota
- Who pays the South Dakota real estate transfer fee?
- SDCL 43-4-21 places the fee on the grantor. The worksheet defaults to the seller for an ordinary taxable conveyance, while allowing the budgeting allocation to match the contract.
- Are South Dakota gifts automatically taxed using market value?
- The cited statute separately exempts absolute gifts without consideration and other listed transfers. Confirm that the deed qualifies and carries the required exemption notation. The ordinary-sale model does not determine whether a transfer is a gift.