Supreme Court Declares Judicial Emergency in South Dakota

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Aug. 20, 2025
Contact: Alisa Bousa, Public Information Officer, Alisa.Bousa@ujs.state.sd.us, 05.773.2031

Supreme Court Declares Judicial Emergency in South Dakota 

PIERRE, S.D.—The South Dakota Supreme Court has declared a judicial emergency in South Dakota. All deadlines, time schedules, due dates and filing requirements imposed by applicable statutes, rules and court orders are suspended until further ordered by the Court. 

A large-scale technical issue has impacted the State of South Dakota network beginning Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. Network teams are actively working to resolve the issue. The state court system’s ePayments, eCourts, and File and Serve platforms are being impacted by the network issue. The UJS’ website at https://ujs.sd.gov is still accessible, but these online platforms are currently offline. In addition, some court office phones across the state are not working. 

The Court declared the existence of a judicial emergency in accordance with SDCL 16-3-11 through 15. The order is effective immediately and is retroactive to Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025.

Court filings and payments may be submitted in person at clerk of courts offices until the issue is resolved.

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About South Dakota Courts: The Unified Judicial System (UJS) consists of the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts and State Court Administrator’s Office. The Supreme Court is the state’s highest court and final decision maker on South Dakota law. The Circuit Courts are the state’s trial courts where criminal proceedings and civil litigation are handled. The State Court Administrator’s Office provides centralized administrative assistance and support services for the South Dakota judiciary. Learn more at https://ujs.sd.gov.