Concealed Carry Permits
South Dakota and the Pennington County Sheriff do NOT require any classes or range time for the basic permit. Once you have obtained a South Dakota driver’s license, you must spend 30 consecutive nights in Pennington County, and bring your Americas Campground/guest room receipt proving your stay to the sheriff’s department.
They will charge you $10, do a background check, and issue you a temporary permit in about a week or two. Then a short time later, the Dept. of Public Safety (Highway Patrol) will send you a card that is good for 5 years (the same length of time your driver’s license is good for).
Of course Americas Campground and Lodging can provide you with a campsite or guest room for the required stay. When you make a reservation, plan on getting your driver’s license at the start of the 30-day stay, then enjoy sightseeing in the Black Hills, and on the 31st day obtain your concealed carry permit.
To determine the 30 day requirement, the Sheriff’s Office will compare the date that is on your receipt for the campground or hotel as well as your drivers license. They might give you a grace period on the drivers license for a few days but that’s it. Don’t put off getting the drivers license very long or until the very end.
Enhanced Concealed Carry Permits
Read all the information on the SD Secretary of State’s site:
https://sdsos.gov/general-services/concealed-pistol-permits/cc-default.aspx
- Check into the campground/guest room
- Immediately obtain your South Dakota driver’s license
- Take the enhanced class as soon as possible:
ENHANCED CONCEALED PISTOL USE OF FORCE INSTRUCTORS
http://atg.sd.gov/docs/LET_EnhancedInstructorRoster.pdf
- Immediately make an appointment to bring the class completion certificate to the Sheriff to start the fingerprint process:
Address: 300 Kansas City St #100, Rapid City, SD 57701
Phone: (605) 394-6113
- Wait 2-3 weeks for the background/fingerprint check to be completed
- The Sheriff should call you back in to fill out the application when the fingerprints come back approved. You must do this within 30 days of that phone call, and at that time you would prove your minimum 30-day consecutive stay in Pennington County.
- If you have completed your 30-day stay BEFORE the results of the fingerprint check are back, you may be allowed to go to the Sheriff, fill out the application, pay the $100 fee, show your 30 days are up, and leave the area. You should ask to handle this directly with a deputy. Suggestion: Do not ask questions of the civilian personnel at the front desk. It has been our experience that you may receive incorrect/incomplete information.
To purchase firearms, you must usually find an individual range, pawn shop or gun show to have someone willing to sell you any type of gun or rifle. When we last checked ourselves with the ATF, we were told that most of the chain store managements have decided not to sell to anyone with a PMB address, even though it is your legal address shown on your South Dakota driver’s license. These stores will tell you they are complying with ATF regulations, but in fact they are simply reflecting the choice of that store’s management.
All addresses of this type throughout the country have been flagged by these businesses, so there is no reason to try to change it in any way.