DOT inspection requirements in South Dakota

Compare South Dakota with other states on the state requirements hub, or see which states run their own inspection programs.

The South Dakota Highway Patrol, part of the Department of Public Safety, enforces motor carrier safety statewide through its Motor Carrier district. The Highway Patrol also approves inspectors for school buses and nonprofit passenger vehicles.

Yes. South Dakota adopts federal Part 396 for intrastate carriers under SDCL 49-28A-3, with its own scope. Ordinary intrastate property vehicles are covered at 26,001 lb using the greater of GVWR, GVW, GCWR or GCW; vehicles carrying more than 15 passengers and placarded hazmat are also covered.

The federal annual covers every covered CMV, including each unit in a combination, every 12 months. South Dakota doesn't run a general state program that replaces it. Two state inspections apply to specific passenger vehicles.

Every unit counts on its own: see whether each trailer needs its own annual inspection.

The federal annual can be done by an inspector qualified under 49 CFR 396.19, a qualified carrier employee or a qualified third party. That's the model Bright Inspect is designed for.

School bus and nonprofit passenger vehicle inspections need an inspector approved by the Highway Patrol, which sets its own standards; federal 396.19 qualification alone may not be enough. Whether a technology-based inspection is accepted hasn't been confirmed, so check with the Highway Patrol or ask us before booking one of these vehicles.

Keep the annual report 14 months, with evidence of the most recent inspection on the vehicle. No state sticker is required for the federal annual. School buses display the Highway Patrol inspection certificate above the windshield, and nonprofit passenger vehicles display their Highway Patrol certificate on the vehicle.

More on how long to keep DOT inspection records.

See rules for church, charter and party buses and school bus inspection requirements.

Highway Patrol officers inspect vehicles in operation and can place an unsafe vehicle out of service. State law also lets the Department of Public Safety inspect carrier records and premises (SDCL 49-28A-6). Federal rules let an officer cite you under 49 CFR 396.17(c) when proof of a current annual inspection isn't on the vehicle; it carries a CSA severity weight of 4. The officer gives the driver an inspection report. The carrier must certify that listed violations were corrected and return it within 15 days, and keep a copy for 12 months (49 CFR 396.9). Fines are set by state law. A roadside inspection doesn't replace the annual.

We're still confirming roadside fines for a missing annual inspection in South Dakota. Check with the South Dakota Highway Patrol directly.

Stopped without proof of a current annual? See what to do when your inspection expired or failed at roadside and what happens if your annual inspection is expired. Nobody can promise to remove a violation or change a safety score; what fixes the problem going forward is a current inspection and a complete record.