Bill > SB5

This bill amends South Dakota law to explicitly allow sheriffs to charge a fee for service of process (legal documents like summons, warrants, or citations) even if the service is not ultimately completed. Specifically, the bill modifies an existing statute that outlines sheriff fees, updating section 7-12-18 to clarify that for any process submitted to be served, the sheriff can charge up to fifty dollars, regardless of whether the service is successfully executed. The bill maintains existing provisions that limit sheriffs to charging only one fee for multiple processes served on the same person at the same time, and stipulates that these fees must be used for law enforcement purposes. This change provides sheriffs with more consistent compensation for their attempts to serve legal documents, recognizing the time and effort involved in locating and attempting to serve legal papers, even when those attempts do not result in successful service.

Justice

https://sdlegislature.gov/#/Session/Bill/25635