If someone you love is locked up in South Dakota, video can spare you a long drive across a wide, rural state, but how it works depends on which kind of facility they're in. So the first thing to nail down is whether your person is in a state prison, a county jail, or federal or immigration custody, because that determines the vendor, the cost, and the rules.
South Dakota splits custody three ways. The state prison system (SD DOC, the South Dakota Department of Corrections, headquartered in Pierre) runs the state's prisons. County jails are run by sheriffs and handle people awaiting trial and serving shorter sentences. And federal and immigration custody play by their own rules, with one small federal prison camp in the state and no dedicated ICE detention center. Figure out which bucket your person is in first, because everything else flows from that.
Do South Dakota state prisons offer video visitation?
Yes. SD DOC offers both in-person and video visits, and the video side runs through the GTL/ViaPath VisitMe platform (sddoc.gtlvisitme.com). You book online, no later than 72 hours before the time you want. There's a nice quirk worth knowing: in the state system, in-person visits no longer require advance scheduling (you can just show up during visiting hours if you're approved), while video visits do have to be booked online ahead of time.
South Dakota also has a tablet-based option that not every state offers. Through a feature called VisitNow, the incarcerated person can initiate a video call from their tablet, by connecting it to a docking station, to the approved contacts on their phone list. Tablets also support messaging through Getting Out (text only, no photos, all reviewed), again limited to approved contacts on the phone list. So between scheduled VisitMe video, tablet VisitNow calls, and messaging, there are a few different ways to connect.
In-person visiting remains central. Every prospective visitor (and anyone who wants to send money) must complete a visitation application, and adult visitors renew it yearly. You'll pass a background check, show a government photo ID, and follow dress and conduct rules. Visits can be contact (across a table) or non-contact (through glass), depending on classification.
For money: approved visitors can send funds online through JailATM, or mail a money order or cashier's check (no cash, no personal checks) made out to the offender with their name and DOC ID. Property packages go through an approved vendor (Union Supply).
To get on the approved visitor list, complete the SD DOC visitation application, pass the background check, and remember to renew each year.
County and city jails
South Dakota's county jails are run by sheriffs, and each picks its own vendor, so cost and platform vary.
You'll see a mix. The Minnehaha County Jail in Sioux Falls (the state's largest) uses NCIC for phone, messaging, and video, and offers free lobby video visitation at the jail. The Brookings County Detention Center uses Reliance, with lobby video on set days (scheduled 24 hours ahead) and paid at-home video through the Reliance Connect app. Pennington County (Rapid City) runs its own system. The only way to be sure of any county's setup is to check that jail's page or call.
The vendor is facility-specific, so the company that works for one county won't necessarily be the one next door. One warning that saves people money and grief: accounts do not transfer between vendors. If your person moves from an NCIC jail to a Reliance jail (or into the state system), your funds and account don't follow. You set up fresh with the new vendor.
How county jail video visitation usually works
There are two flavors, and the difference is the whole ballgame for your wallet.
Onsite (or "onsite video") means you drive to the jail and sit at a video terminal in the lobby to talk to the person, who's on a screen inside. Onsite video is frequently free or low-cost (Minnehaha County's lobby video, for instance, is free).
Remote video means you connect from your own phone, tablet, or computer at home. That convenience is what you pay for. Remote sessions are charged per session or per minute, you typically prepay into a vendor account, and you usually reserve a slot in advance.
South Dakota jail video rates shift around, partly because the FCC has been capping these rates through 2024 to 2026 and partly because every facility prices differently. I'm not going to print a per-minute number here, because by the time you read it, it'll be wrong. Look up the rate on your specific jail's vendor page before you pay. What's stable is the structure: onsite (where offered) is often free or cheaper, remote tends to cost, and there are usually advance-registration rules.
Setting up a video visit
The steps are roughly the same whichever system you're dealing with:
1. Find the system for that exact facility. For the state, that's the GTL/ViaPath VisitMe portal (plus tablet VisitNow for the inmate-initiated calls). For a county jail, check the sheriff's site for the vendor (NCIC or Reliance, for example). Don't guess.
2. Create the right account and verify your identity, usually with a government photo ID.
3. Add your inmate and get on the approved list. You'll need the correct name and the DOC ID (state) or booking number (county), and for the state you must complete the visitation application first.
4. Schedule your visit, choosing onsite (where offered) or remote, and pay for any paid remote session. (For state video, book at least 72 hours ahead.)
5. Test your device and log in early. Get on about 15 minutes ahead. Check your camera, microphone, speakers, and internet. A failed connection on your end usually still burns the visit slot.
Federal and immigration custody
If your person is in federal Bureau of Prisons custody, South Dakota has one BOP facility: the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Yankton, a minimum-security men's camp in the southeast of the state. The BOP runs primarily in-person visiting with only limited video, so use the BOP inmate locator to find the institution and check its specific visiting rules. People convicted of more serious federal crimes from South Dakota are often designated to higher-security BOP prisons in other states, and someone recently arrested federally who isn't in the locator yet is likely still in U.S. Marshals custody, often held in a county jail under contract.
Immigration custody in South Dakota runs through county jails rather than a dedicated detention center, and it's an active area, so be careful with older information. People detained by ICE in South Dakota are typically held short-term in county jails, the Minnehaha County Jail in Sioux Falls tends to handle the eastern part of the state and the Pennington County Jail in Rapid City the west, and then routed into ICE's regional system (the field office covering this region is based in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota), which often means transfer out of state for longer-term detention. Because people in immigration custody are frequently moved across state lines, confirm where your person actually is before making any plans. To locate someone in ICE custody, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator, which needs the person's A-Number (the nine-digit alien registration number) or their name plus country of birth. Each facility sets its own visiting and video rules, so confirm directly, and remember immigration bonds are handled through ICE, not posted at the facility.
A note on staying connected
Video is good for one thing money can't really replace: seeing a face, watching a kid wave, reading an expression. And in a state as spread out as South Dakota, where the prison or jail can be hours away, the tablet calls and at-home video options are a genuine help.
But be honest with yourself about what carries the weight day to day. Mail is the steadiest line there is. It doesn't drop the call, doesn't need a scheduled slot, and the person can hold it and read it again at 2 a.m. when the walls close in. Phone calls are the backbone of staying in touch, the thing you'll actually do most weeks. Video is the bonus on top, the face-to-face when you can get it. Build your routine around mail and calls, and treat video as the thing that makes the distance feel a little smaller.
Related pages:
/prisons/south-dakota
FCC 2026 call and video rate caps guide
Arrest Record Search (affiliate)
Frequently asked questions
Do South Dakota state prisons offer video visits?
Yes. SD DOC offers both in-person and video visits. Video runs through the GTL/ViaPath VisitMe platform and must be booked online at least 72 hours ahead. There's also a tablet-based VisitNow option.
What vendor does the South Dakota DOC use?
Video and scheduling run through GTL/ViaPath's VisitMe portal (sddoc.gtlvisitme.com). Tablet messaging uses Getting Out, and money goes through JailATM. County jails pick their own vendors.
What is a VisitNow tablet video call?
A feature that lets the incarcerated person start a video call from their tablet, by docking it at a station, to approved contacts on their phone list. It's separate from scheduled VisitMe video visits.
Is in-person visiting still allowed in South Dakota?
Yes. In the state system, in-person visits no longer require advance scheduling, you can come during visiting hours if approved. You must be on the approved list, with a yearly application renewal.
How do I get on the approved visitor list?
Complete the SD DOC visitation application and pass the background check. Adult visitors renew the application yearly. Anyone who wants to send money also has to complete the application.
What vendor do South Dakota county jails use?
It varies. Minnehaha County (Sioux Falls) uses NCIC, with free lobby video; Brookings County uses Reliance. Always confirm the vendor and rules on the specific county's page.
Are county jail video visits free in South Dakota?
Sometimes. Minnehaha County offers free lobby video at the jail; at-home remote video (for example, through Reliance in Brookings) is paid. Check your specific jail.
What is onsite vs remote video visiting?
Onsite means you go to the jail and use a terminal there, often free where offered. Remote means you connect from your own device at home, which typically costs money at county jails.
Do vendor accounts transfer between jails?
No. Accounts and funds don't move between vendors. If your person transfers to a facility using a different company, you set up a new account with that vendor.
How do I find which facility someone is in?
Use the SD DOC offender locator for state prisons and the county sheriff (or jail roster, like Minnehaha's) for local jails. For federal, use the BOP locator. For ICE, use the Online Detainee Locator.
Is there a federal prison in South Dakota?
Yes, one: the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Yankton, a minimum-security men's camp. Higher-security federal inmates are usually sent out of state. Use the BOP inmate locator.
Where are ICE detainees held in South Dakota?
Short-term in county jails, the Minnehaha County Jail (Sioux Falls) for the east and the Pennington County Jail (Rapid City) for the west, then routed into ICE's regional system, often out of state.
How do I find someone in ICE custody?
Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator. You'll need the person's A-Number, or their full name plus country of birth. Check often, since people are moved quickly, often across state lines.
Is video the only way to see an inmate?
No. State prisons offer in-person plus video (and tablet calls), and most county jails offer onsite or remote video. Federal custody is mostly in-person with limited video.
What do I need to set up a video visit?
For the state: an approved visitation application and a VisitMe account, plus a device and internet. For a jail: the vendor account, the person's name and ID, and a tested device.
How do I send money in South Dakota prisons?
For the state, send funds online through JailATM, or mail a money order or cashier's check (no cash or personal checks) made out to the offender with their DOC ID. County jails use their own vendors. ====================================================================
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