| Clerk of Courts | Lawrence County Clerk of Courts |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Lawrence County Courthouse, 78 Sherman Street, Deadwood, SD 57732 (mail: PO Box 626, Deadwood, SD 57732-0626) |
| Phone | 605-578-2040 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (Mountain Time) |
| 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)) |
Lawrence County covers the northern Black Hills — Spearfish, Lead, Whitewood, and the county seat of Deadwood — and is South Dakota's eighth most populous county. It belongs to the Fourth Judicial Circuit along with Meade, Butte, Corson, Dewey, Perkins, and Ziebach counties. The Lawrence County Clerk of Courts works out of the historic county courthouse at 78 Sherman Street in Deadwood and 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.
One practical wrinkle sets Lawrence County apart. Although the clerk's office and circuit court sit in the Sherman Street courthouse, magistrate court proceedings are held at a separate building at 50 Tatanka Drive in Deadwood. If you are looking up a misdemeanor, small-claims, or traffic hearing, the hearing itself is at Tatanka Drive, but the file is still kept — and copies are still issued — by the clerk at 78 Sherman Street. Spearfish, the county's largest city, has no courthouse of its own; its cases are filed in Deadwood, and because South Dakota has no municipal courts, Spearfish and Deadwood ordinance tickets are part of the magistrate docket held by the county clerk.
Lawrence 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. The courthouse keeps Mountain Time and closes from noon to 1:00 p.m.
Search Lawrence County court records online
Clerk of Courts
Lawrence 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 Lawrence 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. Records and copies are handled at 78 Sherman Street even though magistrate hearings take place at 50 Tatanka Drive. Office closes from noon to 1:00 p.m.
Other courts
Lawrence County Magistrate Court (hearing location)
- Coverage
- Misdemeanor, small-claims, preliminary-hearing, and traffic proceedings for Lawrence County, held at 50 Tatanka Drive, Deadwood
- Records
- Criminal, Civil, Traffic
This is a hearing location, not a separate records office. Magistrate court files are kept by the Clerk of Courts at 78 Sherman Street; the address is listed on the UJS court-finder page for Lawrence County.
What is available online
The Lawrence 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, which for magistrate matters will be at 50 Tatanka Drive rather than the courthouse. 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
Lawrence County clerk offices
Lawrence County Courthouse, 78 Sherman Street, Deadwood, SD 57732 (mail: PO Box 626, Deadwood, SD 57732-0626)
Phone: 605-578-2040
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (Mountain Time)
In person. Visit the Clerk of Courts at the Lawrence County Courthouse, 78 Sherman Street, Deadwood, between 8:00 a.m. and noon or 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time. 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. Do not go to 50 Tatanka Drive for records — that building is used for magistrate hearings only.
By mail. Write to Lawrence County Clerk of Courts, PO Box 626, Deadwood, SD 57732-0626, or fax 605-578-1571. 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 Lawrence County court records?
The Lawrence County Clerk of Courts at the courthouse, 78 Sherman Street in Deadwood, keeps all circuit and magistrate court files — felonies, civil suits, family and probate cases, misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic.
Where is Lawrence County magistrate court held?
At 50 Tatanka Drive in Deadwood, a separate building from the courthouse. Hearings are held there, but the case files and copy requests are handled by the Clerk of Courts at 78 Sherman Street.
Are Spearfish court cases filed in Spearfish?
No. Spearfish has no courthouse; all Lawrence County cases, including Spearfish and Deadwood ordinance tickets, are filed with the Clerk of Courts in Deadwood because South Dakota has no separate municipal courts.
Is there a free online search for Lawrence 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
- Lawrence County Court Finder (SD Unified Judicial System) — https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/fourth-judicial-circuit/lawrence-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
- Lawrence County official website — https://www.lawrence.sd.us/
- 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.