Court Filing Fees

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Court filing fees in South Dakota

What the court charges to start a divorce or an adult name change in South Dakota, as stated in the fee schedule or statute. Lawyer fees, service of papers and newspaper costs are extra.

$97to file for divorce
$72to file for an adult name change

The details

Fee to file for divorce
Divorce $50.00 filing fee, $40.00 court automation surcharge, $7.00 law library fee, total $97.001

Same fee statewide.

The fee schedule lists this under a heading that reads "Effective July 1, 2020, Criminal Cases Only". Confirm the fee with the clerk.

Schedule is labeled FY2027 but the table with this row is headed Effective July 1, 2020 and Criminal Cases Only.

Fee to respond to a divorce
Answer Fee or Responsive Pleading (civil) $25.001
Fee for an adult name change
Name Change $25.00 filing fee, $40.00 court automation surcharge, $7.00 law library fee, total $72.001

Same fee statewide.

The fee schedule lists this under a heading that reads "Effective July 1, 2020, Criminal Cases Only". Confirm the fee with the clerk.

Same table heading issue as the divorce row.

If you cannot afford the fee
UJS-022 Motion, Affidavit, and Order to Waive Filing Fee & Service of Process Fee: The judge decides from the financial information in the affidavit.2 Get the form
Fees change, and some counties add local fees. Check the court's own fee page or call the clerk before you file.

Sources

  1. Schedule of Court Costs FY2027, South Dakota Unified Judicial System, checked 1 November 2026
  2. Fee Waivers, South Dakota Unified Judicial System, checked 1 November 2026

Checked 1 November 2026. "Secondary" marks a source we used only because the official page could not be read.