Buffalo County Transfer on Death Deed Form (South Dakota)

All Buffalo County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:

Transfer on Death Deed Form

Buffalo County Transfer on Death Deed Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Buffalo County compliant document last validated/updated 5/14/2025

Transfer on Death Deed Guide

Buffalo County Transfer on Death Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Buffalo County compliant document last validated/updated 5/27/2025

Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Deed Document

Buffalo County Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Deed Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Buffalo County compliant document last validated/updated 6/12/2025

The following South Dakota and Buffalo County supplemental forms are included as a courtesy with your order:

When using these Transfer on Death Deed forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Buffalo County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:

Buffalo County Register of Deeds

Courthouse - 112 Osman Ave / PO Box 174, Gann Valley, South Dakota 57341-0174

Hours: 8:30 to 4:30 Monday through Friday

Phone: (605) 293-3239

Local jurisdictions located in Buffalo County include:

  • Fort Thompson
  • Gann Valley

How long does it take to get my forms?

Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.

How do I get my forms, are they emailed?

Immediately after you submit payment, the Buffalo County forms you order will be available for download directly from your account. You can then download the forms to your computer. If you do not already have an account, one will be created for you as part of the order process, and your login details will be provided to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance. Forms are NOT emailed to you.

What does "validated/updated" mean?

This indicates the most recent date when at least one of the following occurred:

  • Updated: The document was updated or changed to remain compliant.
  • Validated: The document was examined by an attorney or staff, or it was successfully recorded in Buffalo County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Buffalo County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Buffalo County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can the Transfer on Death Deed forms be re-used?

Yes. You can re-use the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have more than one property in Buffalo County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Buffalo County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by South Dakota or Buffalo County. These could be tax related, informational, or even as simple as a coversheet. Supplemental forms are provided for free with your order where available.

What type of files are the forms?

All of our Buffalo County Transfer on Death Deed forms are PDFs. You will need to have or get Adobe Reader to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I need any special software to use these forms?

You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I have to enter all of my property information online?

No. The blank forms are downloaded to your computer and you fill them out there, at your convenience.

Can I save the completed form, email it to someone?

Yes, you can save your deed form at any point with your information in it. The forms can also be emailed, blank or complete, as attachments.

Are there any recurring fees involved?

No. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

As of July 1, 2014, owners of real estate in South Dakota have access to a new estate planning tool: the transfer on death deed (TODD). Find the full text of the South Dakota Real Property Transfer on Death Act at 29A-6-401 of the South Dakota Codified Laws.

The statute is based on the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act (URPTODA). In addition to South Dakota, a growing number of states are choosing to adopt the provisions of the URPTODA. The new law allows landowners to direct the distribution of what is often their most significant asset, their real estate, with a correctly executed and recorded transfer on death deed.

Standard conveyances such as warranty or quitclaim deeds, when executed, define permanent transfers of ownership. Deeds under URPTODA, however, are revocable (29A-6-405). Transferors under this law may sell, mortgage, rent, or otherwise use the property in any way they wish; TODDs only contain a potential future interest (29A-6-414(1)). They provide owners with the flexibility to accommodate changing circumstances by modifying or even cancelling the recorded transfer. This is possible because TODD beneficiaries have absolutely no rights to or interest in the property while the owner is alive (29A-6-414(5)). In addition, the beneficiary pays nothing to the owner for the potential future interest, and the owner is not obligated to inform the beneficiary about the transfer (29A-6-409).

Transfer on death deeds are nontestamentary, which means title to the property passes to the beneficiary without instructions in a will or the need for probate distribution (29A-6-406). Unnecessary conflicts are likely to add confusion and expense to what is often a difficult time, so landowners should take care to ensure that their wills and TODDs lead to the same outcomes.

South Dakota's version of the URPTODA sets out the specific requirements for lawful transfer on death deeds at 29A-6-408. TODDs must:

- contain the essential elements and formalities of a properly recordable "traditional" deed as required by the standards of title;

- state that the transfer to the designated beneficiary is to occur at the transferor's death; and

- be recorded before the transferor's death in the public records in the office of the register of deeds in the county where the property is located.

In general, the beneficiary must be alive at the time of the transferor's death or the interest returns to the estate (29A-6-415(2)). To prevent this from happening, the owner may identify one or more contingent beneficiaries. Beneficiaries take title subject to any obligations (contracts, easements, etc.) associated with the property when the transferor dies (29A-6-416).

With the new transfer on death deeds, real property owners in South Dakota have gained a convenient, flexible option for managing one aspect of a comprehensive estate plan. Even so, a TODD may not be appropriate for everyone. Since each situation is unique, contact an attorney with specific questions or for complex circumstances.

(South Dakota TODD Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Buffalo County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

Save Time and Money

Get your Buffalo County Transfer on Death Deed form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.

4.8 out of 5 - ( 4563 Reviews )

JAMES D.

July 10th, 2025

Slick as can be and so convenient.rnrnWorked like a charm

Reply from Staff

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MARY LACEY M.

June 30th, 2025

Great service! Recording was smooth and swiftly performed. Deeds.com is an excellent service.rn

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We are delighted to have been of service. Thank you for the positive review!

Robert F.

June 30th, 2025

Breeze.... It feels silly to hire an attorney to do this for just one beneficiary. Thanks.

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Josephine R.

November 18th, 2019

Completed, notarized, and recorded with no issues.

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david t.

January 15th, 2019

No review provided.

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Thank you!

Vickie G.

January 14th, 2019

The form and instruction were perfect. Thank you.

Reply from Staff

Thank You Vickie!

David C.

January 22nd, 2019

My biggest complaint is I did not know when my document was ready until I got this survey. An email should be sent to say document is ready.

Reply from Staff

Sorry about that David. We will look into better email notifications. Hope you have a great day.

Veronica F.

April 24th, 2019

Im so happy with this site. It was quick and painless and worth the money hassle free if I ever need to settle another deed I will be back.

Reply from Staff

Thank you Veronica, we really appreciate your feedback.

Michael C.

January 4th, 2023

Overall positive experience; especially liked immediate access to downloaded documents and instructions. My only concern was lack of adequate space in portions of your beneficiary deed blank form which then required me to use 3 exhibits to complete all necessary documents for the county recorders office. Assuming they accept them I will call this a strong win. Thanks.

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Tammy C.

September 24th, 2020

Was very easy to use and i would recommend it

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Christine G.

April 23rd, 2021

. Easy to use.

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Peggy J.

July 26th, 2021

I have been researching for months to figure out how to remove deceased owner of property with right of survivorship in Florida. The County Clerk was not helpful. They refer you to get legal advice which is expensive. So hopefully by completing these forms I can actually complete the task. And would be helpful to be reassured that this is all I need to complete overdue task. I was hesitant to pay, but I believe this is legit. If so- a great Thank you.

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Robin F.

November 9th, 2022

Very Convenient and easy to use

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Gjnana D.

April 23rd, 2022

These guidelines and form helped me lot in preparing quit deed to add my spouse's name in tittle property

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George S.

June 24th, 2020

Very good, very expensive. I hope that this is what my lawyer needed for us to finish our wills.

George

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Thank you!