By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Sep 27, 2026
South Dakota splits its temporary credentials by purpose. The Department of Revenue sells commercial vehicle trip permits that stand in for in-state registration or raise allowable gross weight: a 30-day temporary commercial license permit priced by a statutory weight schedule, and a 15 dollar Single-Trip permit. The fuel side is a 20 dollar temporary single-trip permit, bought before entering the state, that stands in for the IFTA license.
The trip permit (registration side)
This credential answers for registration. Without it, a vehicle whose cab card does not list South Dakota has no legal registration standing in the state.
- Stands in for
- South Dakota commercial vehicle registration (temporary commercial authority), or an increase in allowable gross vehicle weight
- Fee
- $15 (The Single-Trip permit costs 15 dollars. The 30-day temporary commercial license permit follows the weight schedule in SDCL 32-9-22, from 9 dollars at 4,000 pounds or less up to 30 dollars at 18,001 to 20,000 pounds, plus 7 dollars for each additional 2,000 pounds or major fraction, so no single figure applies to it. A permit may be bought for as many 30-day periods as the applicant requests and pays for.)
- Who needs it
- Vehicles operating commercially in South Dakota without a South Dakota commercial license, and operators who need to raise allowable gross vehicle weight. Proof of current registration in any jurisdiction for the current registration year is required for the 30-day permit. Some other form of vehicle license must be attached to the vehicle before either permit is valid.
The fuel permit (tax side)
This credential answers for the state's highway or fuel tax when there is no IFTA license (or, in the weight-distance states, no tax account) behind the truck.
- Stands in for
- An IFTA license (interstate fuel user license); it is in lieu of all other fuel permit fees
- Valid for
- One trip into or through South Dakota; the permit expires when the vehicle leaves the state
- Who needs it
- Interstate fuel users entering or traveling through South Dakota without a valid IFTA license. The permit must be bought from the Department or its agents before entering the state, and it does not allow tax-unpaid fuel purchases from any in-state source.
- Where to buy
- South Dakota Department of Revenue or its agents (Motor Fuel Section, 605-773-3314), before entering the state
Worth knowing
Unladen vehicle permits (25 dollars, up to 30 days, issued by the Department of Public Safety under SDCL 32-10-38) cover a different case: operating empty across member jurisdictions when apportioned registration lapsed from a lease cancellation. Temporary clearance issued with a new IRP application runs up to 45 days and cannot be voided once issued.
Where these fit in the South Dakota permit stack
Temporary permits are the exception path. The standing credentials they replace are IRP apportioned registration and the South Dakota IFTA license. Oversize loads use a different permit family entirely, covered in South Dakota oversize and overweight permits, and the full picture of every state permit lives in South Dakota trucking permits.