SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 11, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.

About this guide

Clay County is a county in South Dakota with about 15,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are not in one place: court cases, jail bookings, deeds, property values, vital records and records requests each belong to a different office. This guide names the office that holds each kind of record, links to its own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 7 county office pages for Clay County, every one opened and checked.

In this guide: Where the records live, Jail and arrests, Court records, County Clerk, Deeds and property, Vital records, State's Attorney, Records requests, Statewide sources, More directory links, Cities and towns, Other counties and Questions.

Where Clay County public records live

Each kind of Clay County record is kept by a different office. The list below names the office SearchSystems verified for each one; the sections that follow give its phone, address and hours where the office publishes them.

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Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in Clay County

A person arrested in Clay County is booked into the jail, and the booking record (name, charges, bond and the next court date) is public in most cases. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for jail and inmate information in Clay County.

SearchSystems has not yet verified an online jail or inmate page for Clay County. The sheriff's office is the place to ask, and the state inmate locator in the statewide sources below covers state prisons.

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Court records and case lookups in Clay County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Clay County are kept by the clerk of the court that heard them. Many courts offer an online case search; the page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Clay County.

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County Clerk of Clay County

The county clerk is the county's record keeper. What the office holds differs by state: in some states it files marriage licenses and vital records, in others deeds, court papers or the meeting records of the governing board. Its own website below says what it holds in Clay County.

  • Website: claycountysd.org/contactus.cfm (page title: Clay County, South Dakota | Contact Us)
  • Phone: (605) 677-7140
  • Address: 211 W Main St Vermillion, SD 57069
  • Checked: October 1, 2026, the page answered.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Clay County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Clay County. The assessment office sets the taxable value of each parcel and usually offers a free parcel search by address or owner name.

Recorded documents: Register of Deeds

  • Website: claycountysd.org/registerofdeeds.cfm (page title: Clay County, South Dakota | Register of Deeds)
  • Phone: 605-677-7130
  • Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
  • Checked: September 30, 2026, the page answered.

Property values: Director of Equalization

  • Website: claycountysd.org/assessorequalization.cfm (page title: Clay County, South Dakota | Assessor (Director of Equalization))
  • Phone: 605-677-7140
  • Address: 211 W Main Street Vermillion, SD 57069
  • Checked: October 11, 2026, the page answered.

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Birth, death and marriage records in Clay County

Certified copies of birth and death certificates for events in Clay County are issued by the office below. The South Dakota state vital records office also issues certified copies for any event in the state.

  • Website: claycountysd.org/registerofdeeds.cfm (page title: Clay County, South Dakota | Register of Deeds)
  • Phone: 605-677-7130
  • Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
  • Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.

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State's Attorney for Clay County

The State's Attorney is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Clay County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.

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Public records requests to Clay County

Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it. Many counties run one request page for every department; it is listed below when SearchSystems verified one for Clay County.

  • Website: claycountyoem.org/public-information (page title: Public Information Requests | Clay County, South Dakota Emergency Management)
  • Address: 211 W. Main St. Suite 200 | Vermillion, SD 57069
  • Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.

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Statewide South Dakota sources

Some records are kept by the state rather than the county. These are the South Dakota state offices SearchSystems verified; each link opens the state office's own page.

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These links come from the SearchSystems directory for Clay County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in Clay County

Clay County has 2 incorporated cities and towns (2024 Census Bureau count, population in parentheses). City records such as council minutes, permits, business licenses and police reports are kept by each city; the records on this page are county records whatever the city.

  • Vermillion (11,877)
  • Wakonda (343)

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Clay County Arrest Records

The Clay County arrest records guide names the three agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 378 arrests the two agencies with every month of 2025 on file reported that year. It also says where a person arrested here is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.

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Clay County Records Guides

SearchSystems has eight more guides to Clay County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Clay County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Clay County criminal records (the court file, the South Dakota criminal history and the local arrest records), Clay County court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), Clay County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the South Dakota Open Records Law requires), Clay County traffic tickets (which court takes the ticket, who writes them and the driving record), Clay County DUI (the DUI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case), Clay County divorce records (which court holds the file and how a certified copy is had) and Clay County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Clay County website?

No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official offices listed above; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.

Where do I look up a court case in Clay County?

The court records page SearchSystems verified for Clay County is at ujs.sd.gov, phone 605-677-6756. A case number finds a case fastest; a name search returns every case with that name.

Who records deeds in Clay County?

The Register of Deeds, at claycountysd.org/registerofdeeds.cfm. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Clay County are filed there.

How do I get a birth or death certificate for Clay County?

From the office SearchSystems verified for Clay County vital records at claycountysd.org/registerofdeeds.cfm, phone 605-677-7130, or from the South Dakota state vital records office.

How do I request a public record from Clay County?

Through the records request page at claycountyoem.org/public-information. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.