FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  May 12, 2008

For more information:  Janet Sayler County Treasurer, 394-2163


Pennington County Treasurer Reminds Vehicle Owners to Get Ready to “Keep Your 
Plate-July “08”.

Rapid City, SD-With less than two months to go until the implementation of South 
Dakota’s new license plate system, Pennington County Treasurer Janet Sayler is advising 
vehicle owners to plan ahead when it comes to titling and registering their vehicles now 
through July.

Effective July 1, 2008, South Dakota will change from a license plate with vehicle system 
to a license plate with owner system.  Currently, the plates that are on a vehicle when it’s 
sold stay with the vehicle, and the license plate number remains the identifying number 
of that specific vehicle as long as the plate series is valid.  With the new license plate 
with owner system, the plates on a vehicle belong to the title owner(s) of the vehicle.   If 
the vehicle is sold, the seller keeps the plates for use on the next vehicle they acquire as 
long as it is the same type of vehicle and the plates are not expired.

County Treasurers will be utilizing a new computer system called Sdcars(South Dakota 
Customized Automated Registration System) to process transactions under the new 
system.  According to Sayler, the Pennington County Treasurer’s Office will need to be 
closed for the Division of Motor Vehicle business for a brief period to allow for the 
conversion to the new system.

“Our office will be closed for all MNV business on June 28 so all records can be 
converted from the old system to the new one.  What that means is vehicle owners won’t 
be able to title or register their vehicles on that day,” said Sayler.  “Vehicle owners 
should plan on coming in early during the month of June to make sure they get their 
business complete before the 28th.”

With the new system officially going on-line July 1, the Division of Motor Vehicles is 
anticipating using the first week of July to resolve any issues that may occur with the 
conversion.  Sayler advises vehicle owners scheduled for registration in July and August 
to ether come in prior to June 29 or wait until after July 7 to title or register their vehicles.  
Those people needing to license their boats for the July 4 weekend should take care of it 
before June 28.

For more information on “Keep Your Plate—July ‘08” and the Sdcars system, log on to 
Sdcars.org.