Open records requests in South Dakota

How the South Dakota Open Records Law works

South Dakota's open records statute (SDCL § 1-27-1 et seq.) provides that all official records and all records of official acts of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and of all their agencies, departments, and political subdivisions, shall be public records and open for inspection by any person during normal office hours. South Dakota's framework applies broadly to all branches of state and local government and does not require a requester to provide a reason for their request.

The law does not specify a mandatory response timeline, expecting agencies to respond as soon as reasonably possible. There is no dedicated state administrative oversight body; enforcement is through circuit court. South Dakota has a relatively short list of statutory exemptions, reflecting a generally open framework, common exemptions include certain personnel records, medical records, trade secrets, and records protected under federal or state confidentiality laws. Requesters who prevail in litigation may recover costs.