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 October 4, 2026.
Union County, South Dakota, has about 17,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A traffic ticket written in Union County is a court case in the Circuit Court for Union County, and the conviction it ends in goes on the driving record kept by the South Dakota Department of Public Safety Driver Licensing. This guide says which court takes the ticket, who writes them and where the driving record lives.
This guide covers where tickets go, who writes them, the driving record, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Union County public records, Union County arrest records, Union County warrants, Union County inmate search, Union County criminal records, South Dakota arrest records and South Dakota inmate search.
Where a Ticket Written in Union County Goes
A traffic ticket written in Union County is answered in the Circuit Court for Union County. The ticket itself is a court case, and the court's index is the record of it.
For Union County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at dakotaathome.sd.gov/search/a8ac8af5-881e-580b-8fa8-4a6d98d763ac (page title: Union County Clerk of Courts | South Dakota Unified Judicial System | Clerk of Courts), phone 605-356-2132, 209 E. Main Street, Suite 230, Elk Point, SD 57025, 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.
Who Writes the Tickets in Union County
The Union County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for North Sioux City, Beresford, Elk Point and Jefferson write the traffic tickets in Union County.
The Driving Record and the South Dakota Department of Public Safety Driver Licensing
Convictions are reported by the court to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety Driver Licensing, which keeps the driving record and decides on points and suspensions. Order the driving record from that agency, not from the court.
Paying a ticket is a conviction, reported to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety Driver Licensing like any other; contesting it means a plea of not guilty entered with the court by the date on the ticket.
A DUI is a criminal charge rather than a ticket, with its own license case before the Department of Public Safety (see Union County DUI).
Cities in Union County
Wherever in the county a ticket is written, it is answered in the Circuit Court for Union County.
The cities and towns in the county are North Sioux City, Beresford, Elk Point, Alcester and Jefferson.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I pay a traffic ticket from Union County?
With the Circuit Court for Union County, whose page SearchSystems verified is at dakotaathome.sd.gov, phone 605-356-2132.
Who keeps my driving record in South Dakota?
The South Dakota Department of Public Safety Driver Licensing. The court reports each conviction to it, and paying a ticket counts as one.
Which court handles traffic tickets in Union County?
The Circuit Court for Union County, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile case, with magistrate judges taking misdemeanors, traffic and small claims.
Is this the official Union 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.