Maybe you like to stand out in a crowd or do things on your own terms. It’s also possible that the luck of the draw places you in the last bunch of people who need to get new South Dakota plates.

Love them or lump them, the year-long change to new outer placards is nearly complete. Here’s a word to the wise for those who haven’t made the shift yet. We can see you.

It used to be that everybody had to renew their South Dakota vehicle registration by March 31. Thankfully, that law changed in 1987 to protect County Treasurer offices from those who suffer from mild to extreme cases of procrastination.

Currently the first letter of your last name determines your month of renewal. For those of you who have a last name that starts with letters T-Z, you are on the clock. Also if you have friends or relatives who fall in that category, feel free to give them an extra reminder or seven.

It will be readily apparent to most police officers that if the jalopy still has the old plates in December, they will find you pretty easily, turn on the light bar and reach for the ticket book. Merry Christmas.

However, some people in the A-B January gang jumped the gun and still have their old plates with a 2017 sticker on it. Their eagerness could be your salvation.

Speaking of the holiday season, there will be fewer days to pick up your plates if you want to visit/bother/aggravate your County Treasurer in person with Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving being designated holidays.

Being the savvy person that you are, online renewal would be just as handy and the plates will be mailed directly to you. Then the next step is to find time for installation or at the very least a low-level staffer within your household to do it.

Sure there will be some who will snap out of their food coma on Thanksgiving and exclaim, “Phooey! (or the interjection that suits them) I’ve got to put the new plates on the car.” Just reassure them it will be all right. They are only in violation of SDCL 32-5-2.1 if they don’t.


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