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 October 4, 2026.
Pennington County, South Dakota, has about 116,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Circuit Court for Pennington 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, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Pennington County public records, Pennington County arrest records, Pennington County warrants, Pennington County inmate search, Pennington County criminal records, South Dakota arrest records and South Dakota inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Pennington County
In Pennington County, the Circuit Court for Pennington County 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 Pennington County
For Pennington County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at dakotaathome.sd.gov/search/aeeb2f90-ffec-5ff2-9397-81ed6c86f875 (page title: Pennington County Clerk of Courts | South Dakota Unified Judicial System | Clerk of Courts), phone 605-394-2575, 315 St. Joseph Street, Suite 5, Rapid City, SD 57709, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
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 Pennington County
Together, the three agencies in Pennington County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 10,741 arrests to the FBI that year; the State's Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Circuit Court for Pennington County.
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 Pennington County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Pennington County criminal records, Pennington County divorce records, Pennington County traffic tickets and Pennington County DUI.
More Official Court Pages for Pennington County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Pennington County and South Dakota. These court pages from its Pennington County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Pennington County Court Services (ujs.sd.gov)
Cities in Pennington County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Circuit Court for Pennington County.
SearchSystems has a guide to the offices of these cities in Pennington County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population; a city with its own court records guide opens there:
- Box Elder (13,887)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Pennington County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at dakotaathome.sd.gov, phone 605-394-2575. Statewide, UJS Public Access Record Search is the South Dakota courts' statewide search, with a fee per name.
Which court hears felonies in Pennington County?
The Circuit Court for Pennington 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 Pennington County?
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 Pennington 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.