South Dakota Auto Coverage Requirements
This chapter covers the coverage rules a South Dakota producer must know to place personal auto correctly: the compulsory liability limits, mandatory uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and South Dakota's tort (at-fault) system.
Compulsory Liability Limits and UM/UIM
South Dakota's financial-responsibility law requires every registered vehicle to carry liability insurance at the state minimum limits, set by South Dakota Codified Law 32-35-70. Those minimums are reported as $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 per accident for property damage (25/50/25), with mandatory uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage at 25/50. Important: these dollar figures were corroborated this session only through a national carrier source, not confirmed against the primary South Dakota statute or the Division of Insurance, so verify the current numbers with the South Dakota Division of Insurance before relying on them.
Tort System and the Right to Sue
South Dakota is a tort, or at-fault, state: it is not on the Insurance Information Institute's list of no-fault states, so an injured person keeps the right to sue the at-fault driver for economic and noneconomic damages. Compulsory liability coverage and the mandatory uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage still apply under the state's financial-responsibility law. Confirm the current framework with the South Dakota Division of Insurance.