South Dakota Gun Laws & Concealed Carry Guide (2026)

South Dakota is a permitless carry state. Since July 1, 2019, adults 18 and older who can legally have a gun may carry a handgun openly or concealed without a permit. That applies to residents and visitors alike.

South Dakota still offers three optional permits, and all of them are free. This guide covers who can carry, the Regular, Gold Card and Enhanced permits, training, reciprocity, vehicles, off-limits places and the South Dakota castle doctrine.

South Dakota Concealed Carry At A Glance

Permitless carry	Yes, since July 1, 2019
Minimum age to carry	18
Permit name	Concealed Pistol Permit (Regular, Gold Card, Enhanced)
Issued by	County sheriff (official permit from the Secretary of State)
Permit fee	$0
Permit length	5 years
Training required	No
Online course counts?	Not applicable (no training required)
Non-resident permit	No
Lifetime permit	No
States that honor it	Varies by permit type (see SOS grid)
Last verified	November 2, 2026

Do You Need A Permit To Carry In South Dakota?

No. A 2019 law (SL 2019, ch. 113) repealed South Dakota’s old ban on carrying a concealed pistol without a permit. SDCL 23-7-7 now says the permit system “does not impose a general prohibition on the carrying of a pistol without a permit.”

The Secretary of State’s FAQ confirms permitless open and concealed carry for residents and nonresidents.

The age is 18. SDCL 23-7-71 bars anyone under 18 from carrying a concealed pistol except in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.

You cannot carry if state or federal law bars you from having a firearm. South Dakota bars people with certain violent crime convictions and drug convictions (SDCL 22-14-15 and 22-14-15.1), and federal law (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)) adds its own list.

You also may not have a loaded firearm while intoxicated (SDCL 22-14-7).

Why Get A South Dakota Concealed Carry Permit Anyway?

The permits cost nothing, and they unlock things permitless carry can’t.

Carry in other states. Many states that require a permit honor South Dakota permits. Your permitless right ends at the state line.
School parking lots. Only permit holders may keep a pistol in a vehicle on public school property (SDCL 13-32-7).
College campuses. Enhanced and Restricted Enhanced permit holders may carry concealed at Board of Regents universities, with some exceptions (SDCL 13-53-56).
The state capitol. Enhanced permit holders may carry in the capitol after giving notice (SDCL 22-14-24).
Faster gun purchases. The ATF’s Brady permit chart lists the Regular, Gold Card and Enhanced permits as alternatives to a NICS check at a gun dealer.

How To Get A South Dakota Concealed Carry Permit

South Dakota offers three permit types. All are valid for 5 years.

Regular permit: age 18 or older, background check, no training.
Gold Card permit: Regular permit requirements plus an FBI fingerprint check. No training.
Enhanced permit: age 21 or older (SDCL 23-7-54.2), fingerprint check and a qualifying handgun course. It is valid only when carried with a government photo ID. Applicants 18 to 20 can get a Restricted Enhanced permit with sheriff approval, then request an unrestricted one at 21 at no cost.

To apply:

Meet the residency rule. You must have lived in the county for at least 30 days and be a U.S. citizen or legal resident (SDCL 23-7-7.1).
Take the Enhanced course if you want an Enhanced permit. See the next section.
Apply at your county sheriff’s office. See the Secretary of State’s how to apply page. Lying on the application is a Class 6 felony.
Get your temporary permit. The sheriff must issue a temporary Regular permit within 5 days if you qualify (SDCL 23-7-7.1). Gold Card and Enhanced permits can take longer because of the fingerprint check.
Receive your official permit from the Secretary of State after the sheriff forwards your temporary permit.

Cost: $0 to applicants. A 2022 law (SB 212) removed state and county permit fees, according to South Dakota News Watch and Dakota News Now.

The Code backs this up: SDCL 23-7-72 (SL 2022, ch. 70) has the state reimburse counties for each permit issued since July 1, 2022. Some older official pages still list the old fees, so ask your sheriff if you are charged anything.

Do You Need A Class For A South Dakota Carry Permit?

Only for the Enhanced permit. The Regular and Gold Card permits require no training.

The Enhanced course is set by SDCL 23-7-58. It must cover:

South Dakota law on firearms and the use of force.
Basic safe and responsible handgun use.
Self-defense principles.
Live fire, with the student firing at least 98 rounds.

The statute sets no minimum hours. The instructor must be NRA-certified and hold a current use-of-force certificate from the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. You must finish the course within 12 months before you apply.

The Enhanced course is in person. The Secretary of State’s FAQ says you must complete it “by a South Dakota certified instructor,” and out-of-state courses are not accepted. An online course cannot replace it.

If you plan to carry under permitless carry or get a Regular permit, a short online safety course is still a good primer on safe handling. The course below is general firearm-safety training. It is not a permit, and it does not satisfy the Enhanced course requirement.

Get Started On Your Permit Online

Watch a short instructional video on firearm safety and responsible carry, take a 10-question quiz, and download your certificate of completion.

Start The Free Online Safety Video →

The certificate is a training record, not a license or permit. In South Dakota, you apply for the Concealed Pistol Permit (Regular, Gold Card, Enhanced) through the County sheriff (official permit from the Secretary of State).

Can Non-Residents Get A South Dakota Carry Permit?

No. The Secretary of State’s FAQ says South Dakota does not issue nonresident permits. You must live in a South Dakota county for 30 days to apply.

Visitors don’t need one. Permitless carry applies to nonresidents 18 and older who can legally have a gun. The FAQ also says South Dakota recognizes valid concealed pistol permits from all other U.S. states.

Which States Honor The South Dakota Concealed Carry Permit?

The Secretary of State publishes the official South Dakota concealed carry reciprocity grid, last updated March 31, 2026. It shows which states honor each permit type. Some states honor only certain permits or only permits issued to people 21 and older, so check the grid for your exact permit.

Handgunlaw.us, a secondary source, reports two recent changes. New Mexico began honoring all South Dakota permits in March 2025. Maine stopped honoring them in September 2026.

The Secretary of State warns that other states don’t always notify it of law changes, so confirm with the state you are visiting.

Permits South Dakota honors: All of them. South Dakota recognizes valid concealed pistol permits from every other state.

Going next door? See our guides for North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana, or browse gun laws by state.

Can You Open Carry In South Dakota?

Yes. The Secretary of State’s FAQ says South Dakota allows permitless open carry as well as permitless concealed carry. The same 18-and-older rule and the same off-limits places apply.

Can You Keep A Gun In Your Car In South Dakota?

Yes. Adults 18 and older who can legally have a gun may carry a handgun in a vehicle without a permit. Don’t have a loaded firearm while intoxicated (SDCL 22-14-7).

School parking lots: SDCL 13-32-7 bans firearms on public elementary and secondary school premises, including in vehicles. A 2025 change (SL 2025, ch. 83) exempts concealed pistol permit holders while inside a motor vehicle, or while securing or retrieving a pistol from it. Permitless carriers have no such exemption.

Employer parking lots: We found no South Dakota statute that requires private employers to allow guns in employee vehicles. A 2025 law (HB 1218) does bar counties, townships and cities from stopping their own employees, officers and volunteers from carrying concealed in government buildings, vehicles and property, with some exceptions.

Where You Can’t Carry A Gun In South Dakota

Public elementary and secondary schools, including buildings, vehicles on school premises and school functions. Exceptions include permit holders in a vehicle and Enhanced permit holders 21 or older with written permission from the principal or person in charge (SDCL 13-32-7).
County courthouses, with limited exceptions (SDCL 22-14-23 and 22-14-24).
The state capitol, unless you hold an Enhanced permit and notified the Highway Patrol superintendent at least 24 hours before your first visit. Even then, the Supreme Court chamber and access-controlled offices are off limits (SDCL 22-14-24).
Board of Regents university restricted areas, such as certain labs, secure areas and events with metal detectors and armed security. Without an Enhanced, Restricted Enhanced or reciprocal permit, campus carry is not protected (SDCL 13-53-56 and 13-53-57).
Anywhere with a loaded firearm while intoxicated (SDCL 22-14-7).
Federal property where federal law bans guns, such as federal buildings and secured airport areas.

Bars are no longer off limits. A 2025 law (HB 1218) repealed SDCL 23-7-70, which had banned concealed pistols in bars that earn most of their income from alcohol.

Handgunlaw.us, a secondary source, says “no guns” signs on private property have no force of law by themselves, but you must leave if asked.

Duty to inform: We found no South Dakota statute requiring you to tell an officer you are armed, and handgunlaw.us lists none. Never lie to an officer who asks.

Renewing A South Dakota Carry Permit

Each permit has its own renewal window, according to the Secretary of State:

Regular: up to 90 days before expiration.
Gold Card: 180 days before to 30 days after expiration.
Enhanced: 365 days before to 30 days after expiration. You must show proof of the live-fire component, use-of-force training and instruction on changes in the law (SDCL 23-7-56).

Renew through your county sheriff. If an Enhanced permit lapses outside the window, you must reapply as a new applicant.

South Dakota Castle Doctrine And Stand Your Ground Law

South Dakota rewrote its self-defense laws in 2021 (SL 2021, ch. 93). Under SDCL 22-18-4.1, you may use deadly force if you reasonably believe it is needed to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm, or an imminent forcible felony. You have no duty to retreat and “the right to stand his or her ground,” as long as you are not engaged in criminal activity and are in a place where you have a right to be.

The South Dakota castle doctrine covers your dwelling, residence and occupied vehicle (SDCL 22-18-4.2 through 22-18-4.5). Under SDCL 22-18-4.3, you are presumed to have reasonably feared death or great bodily harm when someone is unlawfully entering, or has unlawfully entered, your dwelling, residence or occupied vehicle, or is trying to remove someone from it against their will. The presumption doesn’t apply if the other person has a right to be there, if you are engaged in criminal activity, or if the person entering is a police officer who identified themselves (SDCL 22-18-4.4).

South Dakota also gives strong immunity. Under SDCL 22-18-4.8, a person who lawfully uses or threatens force “is immune from criminal prosecution and from civil liability.” Once you make a prima facie immunity claim, the other side must overcome it by clear and convincing evidence.

If a court finds you immune in a civil case, you can recover attorney’s fees, court costs and lost income.

Justification is generally not available if you provoked the fight or were committing a forcible felony (SDCL 22-18-4.9). None of this stops an arrest, an investigation or charges. You may have to fight for immunity in court, and a legal defense can be expensive.

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South Dakota Gun Laws FAQ

How Much Is A South Dakota Concealed Carry Permit?

Nothing. Permit fees were removed in 2022, and the state now reimburses counties under SDCL 23-7-72. If an older official page or sheriff lists a fee, ask them to confirm.

What Is A South Dakota Gold Card Permit?

It is a Regular permit with an added FBI fingerprint background check. It needs no training. It renews on a longer window than the Regular permit.

What Is The Difference Between A Regular And Enhanced Permit In South Dakota?

The Enhanced permit requires age 21 (or a Restricted Enhanced permit at 18 to 20), fingerprints and a live-fire course. In return, it allows campus carry at public universities and carry in the state capitol after notice.

Is South Dakota A Stand Your Ground State?

Yes. SDCL 22-18-4.1 says a person justified in using deadly force has no duty to retreat and “the right to stand his or her ground” where they have a right to be.

Can You Carry In A Bar In South Dakota?

Yes, since the 2025 repeal of SDCL 23-7-70. Carrying a loaded firearm while intoxicated is still a crime (SDCL 22-14-7), and a bar owner can still ask you to leave.

Can You Carry A Gun In Church In South Dakota?

South Dakota has no statute banning guns in places of worship. The school-premises ban in SDCL 13-32-7 expressly does not apply to churches, other houses of worship or nonpublic schools on church premises.

A church is private property, so it can still ask you not to carry. Churches that rely on armed volunteers should look at legal protection for church security teams.

South Dakota Gun Laws And Concealed Carry Guide