South Dakota Bill of Sale
The seller hands over more than keys in South Dakota — state law makes them issue the buyer's free 45-day permit on the spot. The sworn bill of sale, the 4% excise, and the nomad-friendly DMV, explained.
Sworn signatures, and a permit the seller must print.
South Dakota specifics, answered.
What's unique about the South Dakota seller's permit duty?
South Dakota is the only state that makes the SELLER issue the buyer's temporary permit: a free 45-day permit generated through the mysdcars.sd.gov portal at the time of sale. Refusing or failing to issue it is a class 2 misdemeanor — not paperwork advice, actual law. Extensions run $1 a day if the buyer needs longer.
How does the South Dakota bill of sale handle verification?
By oath rather than notary: the bill of sale (Form 1025 — older references still call it MV-016) carries sworn signatures instead of a notary block, so no notarization is required anywhere in the process. The state's e-form portal generates it — we link out rather than hosting a stale copy, since the portal version updates.
What does the buyer owe at the county treasurer?
The 4% motor vehicle excise tax on the purchase price, plus title and registration fees, within 45 days (matching the permit). Late fees accrue on a granular schedule from there — the permit window and the title window are designed to expire together.
Why do full-time RVers register in South Dakota?
No state income tax, low insurance rates, easy mail-forwarding residency, and a DMV comfortable registering vehicles for owners with no fixed address — a combination that made South Dakota the paper home of America's RV-nomad community. The same friendly machinery handles an ordinary private car sale.
Not legal advice. Verified against South Dakota DOR sources in July 2026 — official links in our 50-state requirements table.
