What Documents Do Full Time Travelers Need for a South Dakota Driver's License?

In addition to the standard documents, South Dakota Driver Licensing currently asks full time travelers using a personal mailbox for:

• A completed Residency Affidavit
• A receipt from a South Dakota hotel, motel, campground or RV park proving one night of stay within the last year, with the applicant's name
• One document showing the applicant's name and South Dakota personal mailbox address

Virtual addresses and virtual only mail services are not accepted for this driver licensing process. The Residency Affidavit asks the applicant to confirm that their personal mailbox is a mail forwarding service and not a virtual only mail service.

Source: South Dakota DPS, New Drivers and New Residents checklist

Applicants must also bring the identity and lawful status documents required for their type of license transaction. The current DPS checklist lists options such as:

• U.S. certified birth certificate issued by a state or county
• Valid, unexpired U.S. passport or U.S. passport card
• Consular Report of Birth Abroad
• Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization
• For non-citizens: an unexpired Permanent Resident Card, an unexpired Employment Authorization Card, or a Record of Arrival and Departure (I-94) with a valid unexpired foreign passport

Not every applicant needs the same document. DPS states that photocopies are not accepted, so plan to bring originals or certified copies.

Source: South Dakota DPS, Required Documents

The current DPS checklist asks applicants to prove their Social Security number with one of the following:

• Social Security card
• W-2 showing your name and full Social Security number
• Form 1099 showing your name and full Social Security number
• Paycheck stub showing your name and full Social Security number

If you are unsure which document applies to you, contact South Dakota Driver Licensing before your trip.

Source: South Dakota DPS, New Drivers and New Residents checklist

If your current name is different from the name on your identity document, you may need certified records showing the change. The DPS checklist lists a certified court order or a certified marriage certificate.

If you have changed your name more than once, DPS asks to see every name change from birth to present so the name progression can be followed.

Source: South Dakota DPS, New Drivers and New Residents checklist

Based on current DPS materials, the receipt should:

• Be from a hotel, motel, campground or RV park in South Dakota
• Show the applicant's name
• Show a stay of at least one night within the last year

Not every receipt automatically qualifies. Make sure the name on the receipt matches the name you will use for your license, and keep the original. For more on what the stay does and does not mean, read what South Dakota's one night stay requirement actually means.

Source: South Dakota DPS, Residency Affidavit

You will need a document showing your name and your South Dakota personal mailbox address. The Residency Affidavit describes this as a document no more than one year old, such as a receipt from the personal mailbox business or a piece of mail with your personal mailbox address on it.

Your Best Address can provide documentation related to your YBA mail forwarding service where applicable. YBA does not control whether DPS accepts any document.

Source: South Dakota DPS, Residency Affidavit

The Residency Affidavit is a state form that is part of the full time traveler driver licensing process. It is used to request an exception to the standard proof of residential address requirement for people who travel full time and do not have a residence in another state.

The form states that it must be signed in the presence of a notary public or a South Dakota driver license examiner. It also notes that South Dakota driver licensing records are used as a supplemental list for jury duty selection. Read the form carefully before signing. YBA does not interpret it for you. For more detail, see our guide to the Residency Affidavit.

Source: South Dakota DPS, Residency Affidavit form

Driver licensing and vehicle registration are separate processes with separate requirements. Do not assume the documents for one are the same as the other. Learn more on our vehicle registration page.

• Review the current DPS required documents page
• Confirm your identity documents
• Confirm name change documents, if applicable
• Make sure your South Dakota mailbox documentation is ready
• Complete the Residency Affidavit as required
• Plan your qualifying South Dakota stay
• Keep the lodging receipt
• Confirm appointment requirements
• Bring original documents when required
• Allow enough time to correct anything before your trip ends

RVer? Our step by step guide to establishing South Dakota residency walks through the full process. Thinking ahead? Learn about renewing later from the road.

• Bringing photocopies when originals or certified copies are required
• Forgetting name change documentation
• Using a lodging receipt that does not show the applicant's name
• Assuming a mailbox alone is enough
• Using a virtual address instead of an accepted personal mailbox setup
• Arriving without checking the current DPS requirements
• Assuming vehicle registration documents and driver licensing documents are the same

YBA helps clients understand the administrative process, maintains their South Dakota mailing address, provides applicable mailbox documentation and coordinates related services within our scope. YBA is not part of the South Dakota government and does not approve driver's licenses. New to full time travel? Start with Full Time Travelers, or learn more about Jenna.