Park entrance license exemptions are as follows:
(1) A person who enters a state park or state recreation area in volunteer service to the park or as a volunteer worker with an assigned role at an event requiring a special permit pursuant to § 41:03:01:04 is exempt from payment of the daily park entrance license fee if the person has received a special free park entrance license from the secretary;(2) A park entrance license is not required at Custer State Park on the day of the fall buffalo roundup or on the day of the annual buffalo auction;(3) A recreational motorhome towing one other vehicle is considered one unit and must purchase only one park entrance license. The second vehicle will be issued a free park entrance license that is dated to expire on the last day of the visitor's stay;(4) Enrolled Crow Creek tribal members and their families are not required to purchase a park entrance license to enter West Bend Recreational Area;(5) Enrolled Yankton Sioux tribal members and their families are not required to purchase a park entrance license to enter North Point Recreation Area, Fort Randall South Shore Recreation Area, Randall Creek Recreation Area, or Fort Randall Spillway Lakeside Use Area;(6) A resident nonprofit youth group that enters a state park or state recreation area is not required to purchase a park entrance license, if the group obtains an approved nonprofit youth group permit from the park manager before entering the park. The park manager shall issue special free park entrance licenses to vehicles used by the youth group. The nonprofit youth group must obtain the permit at least five days prior to entering the park; and(7) Members and guests of a South Dakota veterans organization or group, South Dakota National Guard or military reserve unit and guests, or patients currently admitted to a veterans hospital in this state and their attendants who enter a state park or state recreation area for a non-competitive special event that is hosted by the organization, group, unit, or hospital, are not required to purchase a park entrance license, if an approved special event permit has been obtained from the park manger at least five days before the special event. The park manager shall issue special free park entrance licenses to vehicles used by participants of the approved non-competitive special event.(8) A park entrance license is not required at any state park, recreation area, or lakeside use area from 6:00 a.m. on Friday through 11:00 p.m. on Sunday on the weekend in May preceding Memorial Day weekend. A resident of this state who is entitled to a free lifetime park entrance license as provided in SDCL 41-17-13.4 shall fill out a form provided by the Division of Parks and Recreation and mail it to the Pierre office with a photocopy of the veteran's "K" award or a letter from the Veteran's Administration indicating that the veteran receives an allotment for total disability, which is deemed a service-connected injury, or that the veteran was held as a prisoner of war. The lifetime park entrance license allows the licensee and any passengers accompanying the licensee in the vehicle to enter any South Dakota state park, state recreation area, or lakeside use area, which requires a park entrance license.
S.D. Admin. R. 41:03:03:03.01
11 SDR 22, effective 8/9/1984; 17 SDR 188, effective 6/13/1991, and July 1, 1991; 18 SDR 223, effective 7/13/1992; 19 SDR 128, effective 3/9/1993; 19 SDR 190, effective 6/15/1993; 20 SDR 150, effective 3/23/1994; 21 SDR 207, effective 6/5/1995; 23 SDR 87, effective 12/3/1996; 24 SDR 99, effective 2/2/1998; 27 SDR 13, effective 8/27/2000; 28 SDR 24, effective 8/28/2001; 28 SDR 103, effective 1/30/2002; 29 SDR 107, effective 2/3/2003; 31 SDR 39, effective 9/23/2004; 31 SDR 89, effective 12/27/2004; 31 SDR 191, effective June, 7, 2005; 32 SDR 183, effective 5/9/2006; 32 SDR 225, effective 7/3/2006; 33 SDR 225, effective 6/25/2007; 36 SDR 39, effective 9/23/2009; 40 SDR 14, effective 7/29/2013; 43 SDR 131, effective 4/19/2017; 45 SDR 153, effective 6/24/2019; 46 SDR 074, effective 12/2/2019; 47 SDR 027, effective 9/15/2020; 50 SDR 062, effective 11/27/2023General Authority: SDCL 41-17-1.1(2)(10), 41-17-13, 41-17-13.4.
Law Implemented: SDCL 41-17-1.1(2)(10), 41-17-13, 41-17-13.2, 41-17-13.4.