PIERRE, S.D. — State government wants to fund the ongoing costs of South Dakota’s new vehicle-records system by charging an additional $2 per transaction for licenses and titles.
The state Department of Revenue is asking the Legislature for permission to impose a vehicle technology fee that would apply to cars, trucks, vans, buses, motorcycles, commercial vehicles and boats.Migration key factor in state’s population growth
SB45 has been assigned to the Senate Transportation Committee for its first public hearing. The date of the hearing hasn’t yet been set but it will be sometime after the 2025 session opens on January 14.
In a story from KELO News, the proposal comes as the department deals with allegations of title fraud and one former employee has admitted to guilt on some of the criminal charges against her.
The fee proposal’s scope would be sweeping. According to the department, South Dakotans in calendar 2024 registered:
795,183 pickups, SUVs and vans
285,003 passenger and low-speed vehicles
284,062 trailers
64,623 trucks
62,843 motorcycles
62,306 boats
12,216 recreational vehicles such as motorhomes
1,232 buses
55,629 commercial-plate vehicles
42,543 gross-weight licensed vehicles
13,895 pro-rate plate vehicles and
3,208 electric vehicles.
The state Division of Motor Vehicles processed 355,986 titles in calendar 2024.
