| Clerk of Courts | Codington County Clerk of Courts |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Codington County Courthouse, 14 1st Avenue SE, Watertown, SD 57201 |
| Phone | 605-882-5095 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | Not fixed by statute or the UJS Schedule of Court Costs; ask the county Clerk of Courts for the per-page charge |
| Certified copy fee | $15.00 per authenticated, exemplified, or double-certificate copy (SDCL 16-2-29(7)) |
Codington County, seated in Watertown in the glacial-lakes region of northeastern South Dakota, is the state's seventh most populous county and part of the Third Judicial Circuit, which also covers Brookings, Beadle, Clark, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Hand, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Miner, Moody, and Sanborn counties. The Codington County Clerk of Courts, in the county courthouse at 14 1st Avenue SE in downtown Watertown, keeps every trial-court record for the county: circuit court felonies, civil suits of any amount, divorce and custody cases, probate and guardianship, and magistrate court misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic cases.
Watertown is the largest city in the Third Circuit, so the Codington County courthouse carries one of the heavier caseloads outside the Sioux Falls and Rapid City metro areas. A magistrate judge sits regularly in Watertown, and circuit judges assigned to the Third Circuit hear felony and civil trials there. South Dakota has no separate municipal court system, so ordinance and traffic tickets written by Watertown police are filed in magistrate court and appear in the clerk's records alongside county and state charges.
As everywhere in South Dakota, the county has no online case index of its own. Criminal case summaries and protection orders are searchable statewide through the paid PARS tool, public case summaries are available through the free registration-based eCourts search, and full documents are viewed at the courthouse public-access terminal or requested from the clerk. The clerk's office also handles record searches by mail and email, and publishes a direct contact address on the state court-finder page.
Search Codington County court records online
Clerk of Courts
Codington County Clerk of Courts
- Cost
- Free viewing at the courthouse public-access terminal; $20 per name for a clerk record search (SDCL 16-2-29.5); $15 per authenticated copy (SDCL 16-2-29)
- Coverage
- All circuit court and magistrate court cases filed in Codington County — felonies, civil suits, family and probate matters, misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
One office serves both circuit and magistrate court dockets, as in every South Dakota county. Watertown is the largest city in the Third Judicial Circuit.
What is available online
The Codington County Clerk of Courts does not operate a county-specific online case search. Statewide tools cover the county instead: PARS ($20 per search) returns a summary of criminal cases from 1989 forward and protection orders; eCourts (free, registration required) shows a summary of public case information by party name or case number; the UJS Judgment Query lists civil money judgments; and Find Your Court Date shows upcoming hearings. Filed documents are not online — view them at the courthouse public-access terminal or request copies from the clerk. Cases filed before 1989 must be requested directly from the clerk.
Which clerk has your record
In South Dakota, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the South Dakota page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Courts (7 judicial circuits) | Felony criminal cases; Civil suits of any amount; Divorce, custody, and other family cases | Clerk of Courts of the county |
| Magistrate Courts | Misdemeanor criminal cases; Small claims; Preliminary hearings in felony cases | Clerk of Courts of the county |
Request records in person or by mail
Codington County clerk offices
Codington County Courthouse, 14 1st Avenue SE, Watertown, SD 57201
Phone: 605-882-5095
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
In person. Visit the Clerk of Courts at the Codington County Courthouse, 14 1st Avenue SE, Watertown, weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Bring the case number if you have it, or the party names and an approximate filing year. The public-access terminal lets you look up the index and read non-confidential documents at no charge; printed and authenticated copies are paid at the counter.
By mail or email. Write to Codington County Clerk of Courts, 14 1st Avenue SE, Watertown, SD 57201, or email lisa.feltch@ujs.state.sd.us (the contact listed on the state court-finder page). State the case number or party names and year, the exact document you need, and whether you want a plain or authenticated (certified) copy. Under SDCL 16-2-29.5 the clerk charges $20 per name for a record search requested by a non-party ($5 if the search supports a pending state or federal case); an authenticated copy costs $15 under SDCL 16-2-29. Ask the clerk for a per-page quote on plain copies before sending payment.
Online. Use PARS for a paid, name-based criminal and protection-order summary; register for eCourts for a free case-summary search; or use the UJS Judgment Query for civil money judgments. Fines and court costs can be paid through UJS ePay.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in South Dakota |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | Not fixed by statute or the UJS Schedule of Court Costs; ask the county Clerk of Courts for the per-page charge |
| Certified copy | $15.00 per authenticated, exemplified, or double-certificate copy (SDCL 16-2-29(7)) |
SDCL 16-2-29 sets the clerk of courts fee for reproducing an authenticated (certified) copy of a record at $15, and the UJS Schedule of Court Costs (rev. July 1, 2026) lists the same $15 for authenticated copies. A clerk record search requested by a non-party costs $20 per name under SDCL 16-2-29.5 ($5 when the search supports a pending state or federal case; no charge for named parties or attorneys of record). Neither source sets a per-page price for plain copies, so confirm that amount with the clerk. The $20 PARS online search fee is separate.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
South Dakota court records are open unless a specific statute or court order closes them. Access, and the process for closing a record from public view, is governed by SDCL Chapter 15-15A (public access to court records) and the expungement statutes in SDCL Chapter 23A-3.
The South Dakota guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Which office keeps Codington County court records?
The Codington County Clerk of Courts at the courthouse in Watertown keeps all circuit and magistrate court files — felonies, civil suits, family and probate cases, misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic.
Are Watertown city traffic tickets part of the county court records?
Yes. South Dakota has no separate municipal courts, so ordinance and traffic citations written by Watertown police are filed in magistrate court and kept by the Codington County Clerk of Courts.
Is there a free online search for Codington County court records?
Partly. eCourts is a free, registration-based statewide search that shows public case summaries, and the courthouse public-access terminal is free to use in person. PARS charges $20 per search and covers criminal cases and protection orders only.
How much does a certified copy of a Codington County court record cost?
An authenticated (certified) copy costs $15 under SDCL 16-2-29. A clerk record search by a non-party costs $20 per name under SDCL 16-2-29.5. Plain per-page copy charges are not set by statute, so ask the clerk for a quote.
Sources
- Codington County Court Finder (SD Unified Judicial System) — https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/third-judicial-circuit/codington-county/
- South Dakota Unified Judicial System — Cases and Records — https://ujs.sd.gov/cases-and-records/
- UJS Court Records Search (PARS and records request forms) — https://ujs.sd.gov/cases-and-records/court-records-search/
- SDCL 16-2-29 — Fees charged by clerk of courts — https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/16-2-29
- SDCL 16-2-29.5 — Records search fee — https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/16-2-29.5
- Codington County official website — https://www.codington.org/
- UJS Public Access Record Search (PARS) — https://ujspars.sd.gov/default.aspx
- South Dakota Understanding the Courts — Court Structure — https://ujs.sd.gov/self-help/understanding-the-courts/court-structure/
- South Dakota Supreme Court Opinions — https://ujs.sd.gov/supreme-court/opinions/
- UJS Fees and Costs (Schedule of Court Costs) — https://ujs.sd.gov/self-help/understanding-the-courts/fees-and-costs/
- South Dakota DCI Background Check (backgroundcheck.sd.gov) — https://backgroundcheck.sd.gov/
- South Dakota Attorney General — Background Check Requirements — https://atg.sd.gov/LawEnforcement/Identification/backgroundcheckrequirements.aspx
- SDCL Chapter 15-15A — Public Access to Court Records — https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/15-15A
- SDCL 23A-3-27 — Petition for Expungement — https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/23A-3-27
- SD UJS Self Help — Expungement — https://ujs.sd.gov/self-help/civil-law-help/expungement/
- United States District Court, District of South Dakota — https://www.sdd.uscourts.gov/
See also: all South Dakota counties.