(This page's most recent update is February 2025)
Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians, and archivists (as well as the largest of them all – FamilySearch), many indexes to death collections have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes provide specific death information and sometimes scanned images of the actual death certificates themselves. These free online collections have hundreds of millions of records in total.
There are a great number of online and offline collections that may include death information that is not included in the lists below. For example, newspapers and obituaries have death info, but most times obituary indexes include the obituary date but not the date of death. To find out which types of other records may include death information, please see:
The lists below are specific death indexes and record collections that are available for free online for the state of South Dakota.
Note: Some links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page, under Film/Digital Notes, is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon to the right of the name (in the Format column), then the collection’s images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
Note: I have included links to Free Ancestry records and indexes. You do not need a subscription, but you do need an Ancestry account. Without a subscription, you can view indexes. If there is an image associated with a record, in most cases, you will need a subscription, but the index does include very usable information.
South Dakota Death Records
- Brown County Deaths
- Brule County, Deaths
- Butte County Deaths
- Campbell County, Deaths
- Cheyenne River Agency, Indian Census Rolls, Cheyenne River, 1886-1942
- Cheyenne River Agency, Agency Records, 1869-1951
- Clark County Deaths -1885-1920
- Crow Creek Agency Birth and Death Records, 1919-1939
- Crow Creek Agency Record of Births and Deaths–Lower Yanktonai Sioux, 1881-1918
- Crow Creek, Indian Census Rolls, 1886-1942
- Dakota Territory Mortality Records: Persons Who Died in the Year Ending 31 May, 1880
- Davison County Cemetery, Cemetery Plot Cards
- Fall River County, Mortuary Records, 1892-1934
- Fall River County, State Soldiers Home Records, 1889–1977
- Faulk County Deaths
- Flandreau, Indian Census Rolls, Flandreau, 1892-1939
- Hand County Deaths
- Hot Springs State Soldiers’ Home, Death Register, 1890-1977
- Iapi Oaye, Vital Statistics Indexes
- Lawrence County, Church Vital Records, 1902-1949
- Lawrence County, Terry Cemetery, Records,
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
- Pennington County, Obituaries Card Index, 1975-1999
- Pine Ridge Agency Birth and Death Records, 1895-1950
- Pine Ridge Agency Family Statistics Ledger, Late 1800s – Early 1900s
- Pine Ridge Agency Supplemental Census, All Births and Deaths, 1946-1948
- Pine Ridge Agency, Agency Pension Records, 1926-1930
- Rapid City Journal Death Index
- Rapid City, Mortuary Indexes, 1879-1971
- Rapid City, Obituaries in Rapid City Daily Journal, 1975-1998
- Rapid City, Obituary Index, 1968-2012
- Rosebud Agency Birth and Death Records, 1900-1946
- Rosebud Agency List of Deaths Reported Between June 30 and Oct. 1, 1904
- Sioux Falls, Index to Burial Permits
- Sioux Falls, Index to Deaths, 1880-1990
- Sioux Falls, Surname Index, ca.1700-1990
- Sisseton Agency Birth and Death Records, 1928-1945
- South Dakota Death and Obituary Index Collections
- South Dakota Death/Cemetery Index
- South Dakota, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1861-1941
- South Dakota, Miscellaneous Church and Cemetery Records
- South Dakota, Pioneer Certificates
- South Dakota, South Lead City Cemetery, Card Index of Deaths, 1912-1966
- South Dakota, World War I American Expeditionary Forces, Deaths, 1917-1919
- South Lead City Cemetery, Card Index of Deaths, 1912-1966
- Standing Rock Agency Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1880-1942
- Union County Death Index St. Peters Catholic Church
- Union County, Deaths
- United States Deaths and Burials, 1867-1961
- United States Korean War Battle Deaths, 1950-1957
- United States Social Security Death Index
- United States, World War I American Expeditionary Forces Deaths, 1917-1919
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!