Police Radio Encryption in South Dakota
South Dakota has an encryption rate of 9%. Out of 145 tracked public safety agencies, 0 are fully encrypted, 26 are partially encrypted, and 119 broadcast in the clear.
Agencies by Type
Encrypted & Partially Encrypted Agencies in South Dakota
- Beresford (Union County) — Partial
- Black Hills Airport (Lawrence County) — Partial
- Bon Homme County (Bon Homme County) — Partial
- Businesses (Brule County) — Partial
- Businesses (Clay County) — Partial
- Businesses (Davison County) — Partial
- Businesses (Grant County) — Partial
- Businesses (Minnehaha County) — Partial
- Butte County (Butte County) — Partial
- Department of Transportation (Statewide) — Partial
- Division of Criminal Investigation (Statewide) — Partial
- Emergency Management (Statewide) — Partial
- Emergency Management (Pennington County) — Partial
- Fall River County Businesses (Fall River County) — Partial
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (Statewide) — Partial
- Game Fish and Parks (Statewide) — Partial
- Highway Patrol (Statewide) — Partial
- Lincoln County Business (Lincoln County) — Partial
- Meade County (Meade County) — Partial
- Medical Support & Facilities (Roberts County) — Partial
- Minnehaha County (Minnehaha County) — Partial
- Pennington County (Aurora County) — Partial
- Rapid City (Statewide) — Partial
- Sioux Falls (Statewide) — Partial
- State Medical/EMS (Statewide) — Partial
- Sturgis (Meade County) — Partial
Statewide Encrypted Systems
These agencies operate on statewide radio systems and serve multiple jurisdictions across South Dakota.
- Department of Transportation (South Dakota State Radio System) — Partial
- Division of Criminal Investigation (South Dakota State Radio System) — Partial
- Emergency Management (South Dakota State Radio System) — Partial
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (South Dakota State Radio System) — Partial
- Game Fish and Parks (South Dakota State Radio System) — Partial
- Highway Patrol (South Dakota State Radio System) — Partial
- Rapid City (South Dakota State Radio System) — Partial
- Sioux Falls (South Dakota State Radio System) — Partial
- State Medical/EMS (South Dakota State Radio System) — Partial
County Breakdown
56 counties tracked across South Dakota. 15 have at least one encrypted or partially encrypted agency.
View all 56 counties
| County | Agencies | Encrypted | Partial | Clear | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bon Homme County | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| Lincoln County | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| Meade County | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 25% |
| Brule County | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25% |
| Butte County | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25% |
| Clay County | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25% |
| Davison County | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25% |
| Minnehaha County | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 17% |
| Lawrence County | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17% |
| Union County | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17% |
| Aurora County | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10% |
| Grant County | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10% |
| Pennington County | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10% |
| Roberts County | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7% |
| Fall River County | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6% |
| Custer County | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0% |
| Walworth County | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0% |
| Yankton County | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0% |
| Brown County | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
| Codington County | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
| Hughes County | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
| Oglala Lakota County | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
| Stanley County | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
| Deuel County | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Edmunds County | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Hand County | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Lake County | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Turner County | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Beadle County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Brookings County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Buffalo County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Campbell County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Charles Mix County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Clark County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Corson County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Day County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Faulk County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Gregory County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Haakon County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Hamlin County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Hanson County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Harding County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Jackson County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Marshall County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| McCook County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Mellette County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Miner County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Moody County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Perkins County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Potter County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Sanborn County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Spink County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Sully County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Todd County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Tripp County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Ziebach County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
What This Means for South Dakota Residents
South Dakota has a relatively low encryption rate of 9%. The majority of public safety agencies (119 out of 145) still broadcast in the clear, meaning scanner listeners and journalists retain access to most emergency radio traffic.
Encryption status can change at any time as agencies upgrade equipment or adopt new policies. The RTDNA considers police radio encryption the #1 threat to journalism in America. Use our search tool to check specific cities and counties in South Dakota.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is police radio encrypted in South Dakota?
In South Dakota, 0 out of 145 tracked public safety agencies use fully encrypted radio, and 26 use partial encryption. The overall encryption rate is 9%. Use the search tool on the homepage to check specific cities and counties.
Can I listen to police scanners in South Dakota?
Yes — 119 agencies in South Dakota still broadcast in the clear and can be monitored with a scanner. Check specific agencies using our search tool for detailed channel information.
How often is South Dakota data updated?
Data for South Dakota is synchronized weekly from RadioReference.com. Encryption status reflects the latest known radio configurations, though agencies can change their setup without notice. Report incorrect data.
Search all 145 agencies in South Dakota →
States with Similar Encryption Rates
Maine (9%) · Utah (9%) · Oklahoma (9%) · Tennessee (9%) · Virginia (9%)
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