Licensing
Non-Commercial Vehicles
License fees are based upon the weight and the age of the vehicle. Fees for vehicles more than 10 model years old are reduced 30%.
The schedule of fees listed in Table 6 is for non-commercial vehicles except automobiles, pickup trucks, or vans. Fees are determined by the maximum operational weight, which is the total weight of the chassis, body, equipment, and maximum load of each motor vehicle, trailer, and semitrailer used in combination. It is a Class 2 misdemeanor for a person to operate a motor vehicle at a gross weight greater than its licensed gross weight.
Table 6: Non-Commercial Vehicle License Fee Schedule
| Maximum Operational Weight | Fee |
|---|---|
| Eight thousand pounds or less, inclusive | $120 |
| For each additional 2,000 pounds or major fraction thereof from 8,001 to 20,000 pounds, inclusive | $12 |
For vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 55,000 pounds or more, the applicant must provide proof of payment of the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT). See Heavy Vehicle Use Tax.
All-Terrain Vehicles
Three or four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles using a highway ditch or crossing a highway to get to and from a field or pasture during farm or ranch labor are exempt from licensing. However, these units must be titled.
Self-Propelled Application Equipment
Self-propelled fertilizer or pesticide applicators, if for a farmer’s own farming operation, are exempt from licensing and titling. However, units used by a commercial entity must be titled and licensed under the non-commercial vehicle fee schedule listed in Table 6. Licensed fertilizer or pesticide applicators may use dyed (untaxed) diesel fuel. All other licensed vehicles are prohibited under South Dakota law from using dyed diesel fuel.
Fuel Tax
A person doing interstate movement with a qualified vehicle must either license under the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) or purchase a temporary Single-Trip fuel permit.
A qualified motor vehicle is a motor vehicle used, designed, or maintained for transportation of persons or property:
- with two axles and a gross weight or registered gross vehicle weight exceeding 26,000 pounds;
- with three or more axles regardless of weight; or
- used in a combination exceeding 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.
Dyed Fuel
The penalty for using dyed (untaxed) diesel fuel in a licensed vehicle is $500 for IFTA-qualified vehicles and $250 for unqualified vehicles. The Internal Revenue Service may also assess a federal penalty.