| Clerk of Courts | Davison County Clerk of Courts |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Davison County Courthouse, 200 East 4th Avenue, Mitchell, SD 57301-0927 |
| Phone | 605-995-8105 |
| 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)) |
Davison County, seated in Mitchell along Interstate 90 midway between Sioux Falls and the Missouri River, is South Dakota's tenth most populous county and part of the First Judicial Circuit. The circuit stretches across fourteen counties in the southeastern corner of the state, and Mitchell — home to Dakota Wesleyan University and the largest city between Sioux Falls and the river — is one of its busier courthouses. The Davison County Clerk of Courts, in the county courthouse at 200 East 4th Avenue in downtown Mitchell, keeps every trial-court file for the county in one office: circuit court felonies, civil suits, divorce and custody cases, probate and guardianship, and magistrate court misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic cases.
Because Mitchell is the commercial center for a wide rural area, the Davison County docket includes many cases involving parties from surrounding counties such as Hanson, Sanborn, Aurora, and Hutchinson, but each case is filed in the county where it arose; a case involving a Mitchell resident that was charged in a neighboring county will be with that county's clerk. Court Services (probation) shares the courthouse address. South Dakota has no municipal courts, so ordinance and traffic tickets written by Mitchell police are filed in magistrate court and appear in the clerk's records.
Davison County has no county-run online case search. Criminal case summaries and protection orders are available statewide through the paid PARS tool, public case summaries through the free registration-based eCourts search, and full documents at the courthouse public-access terminal or by request to the clerk, who publishes a general office email on the state court-finder page.
Search Davison County court records online
Clerk of Courts
Davison 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 Davison 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. Court Services is in the same courthouse.
What is available online
The Davison 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
Davison County clerk offices
Davison County Courthouse, 200 East 4th Avenue, Mitchell, SD 57301-0927
Phone: 605-995-8105
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
In person. Visit the Clerk of Courts at the Davison County Courthouse, 200 East 4th Avenue, Mitchell, 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 Davison County Clerk of Courts, 200 East 4th Avenue, Mitchell, SD 57301-0927; fax 605-995-8112; or email davisoncoclerk@ujs.state.sd.us. 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 Davison County court records?
The Davison County Clerk of Courts at the courthouse, 200 East 4th Avenue in Mitchell, keeps all circuit and magistrate court files — felonies, civil suits, family and probate cases, misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic.
Are Mitchell city traffic tickets part of the county court records?
Yes. South Dakota has no separate municipal courts, so ordinance and traffic citations written by Mitchell police are filed in magistrate court and kept by the Davison County Clerk of Courts.
Can I request Davison County court records by email?
Yes. The clerk's general address is davisoncoclerk@ujs.state.sd.us. Include the case number or party names and year, the document you need, and whether you want a plain or authenticated copy; the clerk will tell you the fee before sending copies.
Is there a free online search for Davison 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.
Sources
- Davison County Court Finder (SD Unified Judicial System) — https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/first-judicial-circuit/davison-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
- Davison County official website — https://www.davisoncounty.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.