Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Watertown, South Dakota, in Codington County, has about 23,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Circuit Court for Codington County, and the file of each case, kept by the Clerk of Courts, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, directory links and common questions.
Related guides: Watertown public records, Codington County court records, Watertown arrest records, Watertown warrants, Watertown inmate search, Watertown criminal records, South Dakota arrest records and South Dakota inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Watertown
Court cases from Watertown are filed in the Circuit Court for Codington County, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile case, with magistrate judges taking misdemeanors, traffic and small claims.
Divorces go to the Circuit Court, and the file stays with the Clerk of Courts.
The Clerk of Courts keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the South Dakota Open Records Law.
Looking Up a Case from Watertown
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at ujs.sd.gov/sd-unified-judicial-system-directory/codington-county-co... (page title: Codington County Court Services | SD UJS), phone 605-882-5110, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026. That page belongs to a lower court, not to the Circuit Court for Codington County.
Statewide, UJS Public Access Record Search is the South Dakota courts' statewide search, with a fee per name.
The South Dakota court page SearchSystems verified is at ujs.sd.gov/cases-and-records.
What Reaches the Court from Watertown
Together, the two agencies in Codington County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,490 arrests to the FBI that year; the State's Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Circuit Court for Codington County.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at codington.sdcounty.gov/states-attorney (page title: State’s Attorney Office | Codington County South Dakota), phone (605)882-6276, Mon - Fri 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Watertown guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Watertown criminal records, Watertown traffic tickets, Watertown DUI and Watertown property records.
More Official Court Pages for Codington County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Codington County and South Dakota. These court pages from its Codington County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- South Dakota eCourts (ecourts.sd.gov)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Watertown?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at ujs.sd.gov, phone 605-882-5110. Statewide, UJS Public Access Record Search is the South Dakota courts' statewide search, with a fee per name.
Which court hears felonies in Watertown?
The Circuit Court for Codington County, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile case, with magistrate judges taking misdemeanors, traffic and small claims.
Who keeps the court records in Watertown?
The Clerk of Courts. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in South Dakota?
Yes: UJS Public Access Record Search, the South Dakota courts' statewide search, with a fee per name.
Is this the official Watertown website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.