South Dakota lacks many fundamental gun safety protections and in fact has weakened its gun laws in recent years, putting its residents at grave risk.
In 2019, the state repealed its requirement that individuals obtain a license and background check to carry loaded, concealed firearms in public. In 2023, South Dakota had the fifteenth lowest gun death rate among the states. In an average year, 123 people die from gun violence in the state. That means someone dies from gun violence every three days. Seventy-seven percent of those deaths are gun suicides, and 16% are gun homicides. In South Dakota, the rate of gun deaths increased by 19% from 2014 to 2023, compared to a 33% increase nationwide.
What South Dakota Does Well
- Mental health record reporting
What South Dakota Is Missing
- Universal background checks
- Gun owner licensing
- Extreme risk protection orders
- Most domestic violence gun laws
- Assault weapon restrictions
- Large capacity magazine ban
- Waiting periods
- Concealed carry permit
- Open carry regulations
- Child access prevention laws
SPOTLIGHT
GUN LAW SCORECARD
The data is clear: States with stronger gun laws have less gun violence. See how your state compares in our annual ranking.
Read MoreEXPLORE SOUTH DAKOTA’S GUN LAWS
WHO CAN HAVE A GUN
OWNER RESPONSIBILITIES
CHILD & CONSUMER SAFETY
GUNS IN PUBLIC
HARDWARE & AMMUNITION
OTHER LAWS & POLICIES
SUPPORT GUN SAFETY
We’re in this together. To build a safer America—one where children and parents in every neighborhood can learn, play, work, and worship without fear of gun violence—we need you standing beside us in this fight.
