Our staff is small yet we receive hundreds of requests monthly.  Therefore, we ask you to limit your requests to either one specific request or one hour of research time. Please send only one request at a time and wait for an answer from the first before sending another request.  

Prepayment is required on all research requests performed by archives staff members - consult the current fee schedule for details. Requests are accepted in the following ways:

• Phone - (605) 773-3804
• Letter – SD State Archives, 900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501-2217
• Fax - (605) 773-6041
• E-mail – archref@state.sd.us  DO NOT send credit card information by email.
• Inter-library loan – Contact your local librarian for assistance.

When drafting your request, please provide as much information as possible to assist the staff in locating the correct information. Where applicable include names, dates, and locations for each event. If you are looking for homestead information you must provide the legal land description. You must also provide a county name for each naturalization request.

Please include the following information with your request:

• Your name
• Your mailing address
• Your telephone number
• Your e-mail address (if you have one)
• The subject of your inquiry

You may also use one of the forms provided on our genealogy resources page to request naturalization, newspaper, or census research.

All reference requests are handled in the order in which they are received. You may expect a response from our staff within 10-14 working days after the letter is received.

SD State Archives,  605-773-3804, fax 605-773-6041; email archref@state.sd.us