Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Clay County, South Dakota, has about 15,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The divorce record of a couple from Clay County is a file of the Circuit Court, kept by the Clerk of Courts, not a vital record. This guide says where the file is, how a certified copy of the decree is had and what the state issues.
This guide covers the court, copies, related records, directory links and common questions.
Related guides: Clay County public records, Clay County arrest records, Clay County warrants, Clay County criminal records, Clay County court records, South Dakota arrest records and South Dakota inmate search.
Where a Divorce from Clay County Is Filed and Kept
Divorce records are not vital records in South Dakota. The decree and the file of a divorce from Clay County are court records of the Circuit Court, and certified copies come from the Clerk of Courts.
For Clay County the court records page SearchSystems verified is at ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/first-judicial-circuit/clay-county (page title: Clay County | South Dakota Unified Judicial System | SD UJS), phone 605-677-6756, 211 West Main Street Suite #300 Vermillion, SD 57069-0377, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026. Most of a divorce file is open to the public; the papers the law keeps confidential and anything the court has sealed are not.
Statewide, UJS Public Access Record Search is the South Dakota courts' statewide search, with a fee per name.
Copies of a Divorce Decree from Clay County
A certified copy of the decree comes from the Clerk of Courts, the office that keeps the file, reached through the court at 605-677-6756.
The South Dakota Department of Health also issues divorce records for divorces granted since 1905.
The South Dakota vital records page SearchSystems verified is at doh.sd.gov/licensing-and-records/vital-records/order-vital-records/....
The Register of Deeds, whose page SearchSystems verified is at claycountysd.org/registerofdeeds.cfm, records deeds and liens, not divorces.
More Official Court Pages for Clay County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Clay County and South Dakota. These court pages from its Clay 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 get a copy of a divorce decree from Clay County?
From the Circuit Court, through the Clerk of Courts (ujs.sd.gov). The South Dakota Department of Health also issues divorce records for divorces granted since 1905.
Are divorce records public in South Dakota?
Mostly. The court file is open except for the papers the law makes confidential and anything the court seals.
Which court hears divorces from Clay County?
The Circuit Court. The file is kept by the Clerk of Courts.
Does South Dakota issue divorce certificates?
The South Dakota Department of Health also issues divorce records for divorces granted since 1905.
Is this the official Clay County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.