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Certificates for a Claim — the County May Not Charge You

Birth, death, marriage, adoption, divorce, guardianship and conservatorship records, certified, at no charge — when the record supports a claim against a federal or state agency by or for a service member or veteran, their spouse, surviving spouse or dependants. It is a small statute that almost nobody invokes.

Verified August 23, 2026

What this benefit is

Birth, death, marriage, adoption, divorce, guardianship and conservatorship records, certified, at no charge — when the record supports a claim against a federal or state agency by or for a service member or veteran, their spouse, surviving spouse or dependants. It is a small statute that almost nobody invokes.

What it's worth: No county fee for certified copies of birth, death, marriage, adoption, divorce, guardianship or conservatorship records needed to support a claim

  • The department quotes the statute as barring counties from charging "when such records are required in support of a claim against any agency of the federal or state government".
  • The class reached is a service member or veteran, or their spouse, surviving spouse or dependants — and a claim made on their behalf counts.
  • The saving per certificate is modest. The value is that a claim needing four or five documents costs nothing rather than being deferred until payday.

Who is entitled to it

  • Your discharge characterisation is within the usual range for state veteran programmes.
  • You are in this state.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

  1. 1Say what the certificate is FOR at the counter, in one sentence: it is required in support of a claim against a federal or state agency. The waiver turns on the purpose, and a request that does not state a purpose gets the standard fee.
  2. 2Cite the section — SDCL 34-25-54 — if the counter has not met it. This is a rarely used provision and a clerk may need the reference to find it.
  3. 3Ask for every document the claim needs in the same visit. The waiver is not limited to one record type: marriage, divorce, birth, death, adoption, guardianship and conservatorship are all named.
  4. 4A surviving spouse or a dependant asking on the veteran's behalf is inside the provision. Do not assume the veteran has to be the one at the counter.
  5. 5If a private vendor is offering the same certificate for a fee, ignore it. The provision binds the county; it does nothing to a commercial reseller.
  6. 6Take a copy of your service document with you. It is not stated as a requirement, but it settles the question of whose claim this is without an argument.
Form
The county's standard certified copy request, with the purpose stated
File with
The county register of deeds holding the record
Documents you will need
dd214
No renewal
Once granted it does not need renewing.
Worth knowingThe list of record types is wider than people expect. Divorce and guardianship papers are on it, which matters for a claim involving a former spouse or a dependent adult child — exactly the claims that need the most paper.
CorrectionThis is a bar on the COUNTY charging. It is not a general veteran discount on certificates, and a copy ordered for a job application, a passport or a genealogy project is charged normally.
Known gapThe department quotes the statute but does not say whether the state vital records office is bound the same way, or how many copies may be taken. Ask the register of deeds before ordering a stack.

Sources

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.