South Dakota imposes few state-law restrictions on transporting firearms. Since July 1, 2019 (HB 1056), permitless carry under SDCL Section 23-7-7 allows...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
South Dakota imposes few state-law restrictions on transporting firearms. Since July 1, 2019 (HB 1056), permitless carry under SDCL Section 23-7-7 allows any adult 18 or older who is not a prohibited person to carry a loaded pistol concealed or openly in a vehicle. The principal limits on transport in South Dakota come from federal law (post offices, federal buildings, secure airport areas, the federal Gun-Free School Zone Act) and from the location-specific bans in SDCL Chapters 22-14 and 13-32.
A pistol may be lawfully transported anywhere in South Dakota:
A pistol does not need to be locked, cased, or unloaded for transport on a public road in South Dakota. A South Dakota Regular, Enhanced, or Gold Card permit holder may carry concealed in the vehicle; a permitless carrier under the 2019 law may do the same.
Long guns (rifles and shotguns) are generally not subject to the concealed-pistol-permit framework because that framework regulates pistols. Long-gun transport rules are dominated by the hunting-and-game statutes:
A loaded long gun may not be carried in or on a motor vehicle while hunting on a public road or right-of-way. The rule is hunting-specific. A long gun being transported between home and a hunting site, or between home and a range, is not within the "while hunting" trigger of the statute - but the conservative practice is to transport long guns unloaded with the action open or with a chamber-flag for any travel on a public road.
A similar restriction applies to off-highway vehicles being operated for hunting.
Anyone lawfully entitled to possess a firearm in the state of origin and in the state of destination may transport unloaded long guns and pistols across any state, including states where the carrier could not lawfully possess the firearm at the destination, provided the firearm is unloaded and the firearm and ammunition are not readily accessible from the passenger compartment. For vehicles without a separate trunk, the firearm and ammunition must be in a locked container other than the glove box or console.
FOPA is a federal preemption shield against state prosecution during the protected transit. It does not preempt state-law prosecution for stops, detours, or destinations not on the protected travel route.
Federal regulations under 49 C.F.R. Part 1540 et seq. and 49 C.F.R. Part 175 govern air transport of firearms:
Carrying a loaded or unloaded firearm into the secure (post-screening) area of a commercial airport is a federal crime under 49 U.S.C. Section 46303. The South Dakota Regional Airport in Rapid City (RAP) and Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD) follow the standard TSA rules.
A South Dakota concealed-pistol-permit holder is not exempt from the TSA secure-area prohibition - the state permit has no federal-secure-area authority.
Carrying a firearm into a federal facility violates 18 U.S.C. Section 930. The definition of "federal facility" includes federal courthouses, federal office buildings, federal post offices, and Veterans Affairs facilities. A South Dakota permit provides no exemption.
For United States Postal Service facilities, 39 C.F.R. Part 232 extends the prohibition to the post office parking lot. Federal courts have split on whether the parking-lot rule survives Second Amendment challenge; until the Supreme Court speaks, the conservative approach is to leave the firearm at home or in a locked container off USPS property when entering a post office.
Carrying a firearm onto an active military installation is governed by the installation commander's regulations and base-specific orders. Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City and the South Dakota National Guard facilities operate under these federal rules.
18 U.S.C. Section 922(q) prohibits possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of school grounds. The statute exempts a person licensed by the state in which the school zone is located, provided the license was issued after a background check. A South Dakota Regular, Enhanced, or Gold Card permit qualifies the holder for the exemption. A permitless carrier under the 2019 law is not exempt and may not transport a firearm through a 1,000-foot federal Gun-Free School Zone except under one of the other narrow exceptions (private property not part of school grounds; unloaded firearm in a locked container or locked firearms rack in a motor vehicle; etc.).
This is the principal reason South Dakotans who never travel armed out of state still apply for the Regular Permit - the federal school-zone exemption.
State parks and state-operated recreation areas administered by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks generally permit carry by anyone lawfully entitled to possess a firearm. The 2019 constitutional-carry reform and Section 23-7-7 apply equally on these state lands. Hunting on state lands is governed by Title 41 (Game and Fish).
The nine federally recognized Indian tribes in South Dakota each have independent firearm and concealed-carry laws on tribal land. Some tribes recognize South Dakota permits; others do not. The conservative practice when crossing onto tribal land is to verify the tribe's current rule with the tribal court or police department. Federal Public Law 280 jurisdictions do not apply to South Dakota tribes; the tribe's own law governs.
Reciprocity controls whether a South Dakota Regular, Enhanced, or Gold Card permit is honored in another state. See the RECIPROCITY section for the current list of states honoring South Dakota's three permit tiers. A permitless carrier crossing into another state must comply with that state's law - permitless-carry authority does not travel.
FOPA (18 U.S.C. Section 926A) provides the federal-law transit shield discussed above for unloaded-and-locked long-gun and pistol transport.
For a South Dakota resident transporting firearms within the state:
This page covers one part of our South Dakota concealed carry guide.
Read the complete South Dakota guideBrowse local instructors offering state-approved training in your area. Book online, complete your training, and get one step closer to your concealed carry permit.