South Dakota Statutes of Limitations

States, including South Dakota, all have what are referred to as statutes of limitation for both civil claims and criminal charges. These are essentially time limits for filing a lawsuit or a criminal complaint, which vary by the type of claim or criminal charge -- but murder and some other serious crimes have no time limits. The purpose for having these time limits is to help ensure the integrity of the evidence, ensure a more efficient legal system, and to prevent a would-be plaintiff from threatening another party with a lawsuit indefinitely. Learn about the details of South Dakota's civil and criminal statutes of limitations by clicking on one of the links below.