South Dakota Unemployment Benefits 2026: Amount, Eligibility & How to Apply
Laid off in South Dakota? What the state pays, who qualifies, how to file with the SD DLR, and what to do if you're denied. Benefit amounts, deadlines, and eligibility rules on this page are verified against official SD DLR sources.
Last verified Sep 8, 2026
How much is South Dakota unemployment, and how do you file?
South Dakota pays $28 to $575 per week for up to 26 weeks in a benefit year, based on what you earned in your base period — not on what you were earning the day you were laid off. SD DLR divides the wages from your highest-earning base-period quarter by 26. That result, subject to the state minimum and maximum, is your weekly benefit amount (WBA).
File online with the SD DLR as soon as you have worked your last day. There is a waiting week, so the first week you claim is not the first week you are paid. Expect up to about four weeks from filing to your first payment, since the unpaid waiting week comes first and any separation issue has to be investigated. After that, money generally lands two to three business days after you submit each weekly request.
- Estimated time
- 20–40 minutes to file
- Weekly benefit
- $28 to $575 per week
- What you need
- ID, last employer's details, work dates, bank details
File your South Dakota claim
Apply through the official SD DLR system — filing anywhere else is either a copy of the same form or a scam. Generally file in the state where you performed the work. If you worked across state lines or recently moved, interstate or combined-wage options may apply.
- SD DLR Claims Call Center
- 605-626-3179
- When to file
- File on or after your last day of work, and do it the same week if you can. SD DLR's own guidance is blunt about it: waiting to file may cause you to lose benefits.
Quick facts: South Dakota unemployment benefits (2026)
Structured reference fields. Amounts and exact rules change over time and vary by your situation — every sourced row links to the official SD DLR page it was read from.
South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, Reemployment Assistance
$575 per week maximum (range $28–$575, effective Jul 5, 2026), based on your base-period wages.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SD DLRUp to 26 weeks — your total payout is capped at one-third of your base-period wages or 26 times your weekly amount, whichever is less, so uneven earnings can shorten a claim to as few as 15 weeks
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SD DLRSouth Dakota holds the first week of your claim as an unpaid waiting week. You still file a request for payment for it and must meet every requirement — it simply is not paid.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SD DLRWeekly. File a request for payment once a week, for the week that just ended, through the RA Benefits Portal. The claim week runs Sunday through Saturday, so the request for a week can be filed starting the following Sunday. Report your hours, your gross earnings, and your two job contacts on the same request — payment for a week you never requested is not recoverable later.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SD DLRFor most claimants, yes. SD DLR tells you when you file whether the work-search requirement applies to you, and if it does you must make at least two job contacts each week and report the details on your weekly request for payment.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SD DLR15 days from the date SD DLR mailed the determination
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SD DLRReemployment assistance is taxable income on your federal return. South Dakota has no state income tax, so there is no state tax on your benefits. Nothing is withheld automatically — you can ask SD DLR to take 10 percent out for federal tax. A Form 1099-G showing the year's benefits comes to you each January.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SD DLRSouth Dakota does not require same-day final pay. After a discharge or layoff, wages are due on the next regular payday or once you return the employer's property, whichever is later (SDCL 60-11-10). If you make a written demand for your wages, the employer has five days to pay.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SD DLRSouth Dakota has no law requiring unused vacation or PTO to be cashed out at separation. You get it only if the employer's written policy or your employment agreement promises it — and then the employer has to follow that policy consistently.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SD DLRSouth Dakota has no mini-WARN act, so the federal WARN Act is the whole rulebook — generally 60 days' written notice before a plant closing or mass layoff at an employer with 100 or more employees. SD DLR posts the WARN notices it receives.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SD DLRSep 8, 2026
Who qualifies for unemployment in South Dakota?
South Dakota tests three things separately: whether you earned enough in the base period, why the job ended, and whether you are able to work and available for work each week you claim. A layoff answers the second one — the wage test and the weekly requirements are where claims actually break down.
1. You earned enough during the base period
To qualify on wages, all three of the following must be true:
- You have wages in at least two quarters of your base period.
- You earned at least $728 in your highest-earning base-period quarter.
- Your wages in the other three quarters combined are at least 20 times your calculated weekly benefit amount.
What is the "base period"?
Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the effective date of your new claim.
In plain terms: SD DLR skips the quarter you are in and the one just before it, then measures the four quarters before that. A claim filed in September 2026 is built on wages from April 2025 through March 2026, so a raise you got this year or a job you started six months ago may not show up in your weekly amount at all.
Alternate base period
Yes. If you do not qualify on the standard base period, SD DLR tests an alternate base period made up of the last four completed calendar quarters before you filed, which pulls in your most recent earnings. There is also a special base period for workers whose claim follows a work-related injury, if the claim is filed within 24 months of the injury.
2. You lost the job through no fault of your own
You must be unemployed through no fault of your own. A layoff, a plant closing, or a cut in hours qualifies. Quitting without good cause attributable to the employer, or a discharge for misconduct connected with the work, can disqualify you. SD DLR takes statements from both you and your former employer before it decides.
A layoff, a position elimination, and a reduction in force all sit squarely inside this test. If your employer contests the claim and calls it something else, that dispute is decided in the appeal process below — not by whichever word appears on your separation paperwork. The distinction matters enough to be worth understanding before the hearing: laid off vs fired, and why the label changes your claim.
3. You are able to work and available for work
Each week you request payment, you must be able to work, available to accept full-time work, and actively looking for it unless SD DLR has told you the search requirement does not apply. Anything that would keep you from starting a job that week — travel, illness, no transportation — has to be reported.
How much will you get? Amounts and duration
South Dakota does not pay a flat rate. Your weekly amount comes out of a formula applied to your base-period wages, then it is capped.
Weekly minimum
$28
Weekly maximum
$575
as of Jul 5, 2026
Maximum duration
26 weeks
current maximum; scales by rule
How your weekly amount is calculated
SD DLR divides the wages from your highest-earning base-period quarter by 26. That result, subject to the state minimum and maximum, is your weekly benefit amount (WBA).
The most you can draw in your benefit year is one-third of your total base-period wages or 26 times your weekly benefit amount, whichever is smaller. Because of the one-third cap, a claim built on one strong quarter and three weak ones often runs 15 to 20 weeks rather than the full 26.
Worked example
If your best base-period quarter was $10,400, your weekly amount is $10,400 ÷ 26 = $400. Twenty-six weeks of that is $10,400. But if your total base-period wages were $30,000, the one-third cap is $10,000 — the lower figure — so you would draw 25 weeks, not 26.
South Dakota unemployment estimator
Rough estimate only. It applies the state's published formula, minimum and maximum to the wages you enter; the state agency's monetary determination sets your actual amount.
Only the states with a dependents allowance use this, and each defines a dependent narrowly (usually a child you mainly support, sometimes a non-working spouse) — not every household member. South Dakota pays no dependents allowance.
Alabama (ADOL): $45 to $275 a week, for up to 14 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of the average of the two highest base-period quarters. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/3 of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Alaska (AK DOLWD): $56 to $370 a week, up to $442 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Table: roughly 0.9%-2.2% of total base-period wages (statutory schedule), plus $24 per dependent (up to 3). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $50 plus 25% of wages over $50 disregarded. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Arizona (AZ DES): $229 to $320 a week, for up to 24 weeks. Formula: 1/25 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $160.49 disregarded (2026), then $ for $.
Arkansas (ADWS): $81 to $451 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of the average of the four base-period quarters (i.e., ~1/104 of BPW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 40% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
California (EDD): $40 to $450 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Statutory table: approximately 1/23 to 1/26 of high-quarter wages (sliding). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of $25 or 25% of wages disregarded, then $ for $.
Colorado (CDLE): $25 to $804 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Higher of (a) 60% of 1/26 of wages in the two highest consecutive quarters (capped at 50% of state AWW) or (b) 50% of 1/52 of BPW (capped at 55% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $ (Colorado 2024 law: 50% of WBA).
Connecticut (CT DOL): $44 to $721 a week, up to $796 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of the average of the two highest quarters, plus $15 per dependent (up to 5, capped at 75% of WBA). Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: 1/3 of gross wages disregarded, then $ for $ (2024 change; includes holiday pay).
Delaware (DE DOL): $20 to $450 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/46 of total wages in the two highest quarters. Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: Greater of $10 or 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
District of Columbia (DOES): $50 to $444 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/3 of wages plus $50 disregarded, then $ for $.
Florida (FloridaCommerce): $32 to $275 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 8 x federal minimum wage ($58) disregarded, then $ for $.
Georgia (GDOL): $55 to $365 a week, for up to 14 weeks. Formula: Sum of the two highest base-period quarters divided by 42; the statutory alternate (highest quarter / 21) applies only when the regular monetary test fails. Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: $50 disregarded, then $ for $ (excludes jury pay).
Hawaii (DLIR): $5 to $868 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/21 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $150 disregarded, then $ for $.
Idaho (IDOL): $72 to $624 a week, for up to 21 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Illinois (IDES): $51 to $628 a week, up to $859 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 47% of the claimant's average weekly wage in the two highest quarters (= 0.47 x sum of 2 HQ / 26); plus 9% for a nonworking spouse or 17.3% for dependent child (of prior-2-HQ AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Indiana (IN DWD): $37 to $390 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 47% of average weekly wage in the base period (BPW/52 x 0.47). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Flat $100 disregarded, then $ for $.
Iowa (IWD): $96 to $644 a week, up to $790 with dependents, for up to 16 weeks. Formula: 1/23 of high-quarter wages (0 dependents); 1/22 (1), 1/21 (2), 1/20 (3), 1/19 (4+); caps = 53%-65% of state AWW. Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $ (excludes jury pay).
Kansas (KDOL): $165 to $663 a week, for up to 16 weeks. Formula: 4.25% of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Kentucky (KCC): $39 to $746 a week, for up to 16 weeks. Formula: 1.1923% of total base-period wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 20% of wages disregarded, then $ for $.
Louisiana (LWC): $35 to $282 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Formula: 1/25 of the average of the four base-period quarters, capped. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Lesser of 50% of WBA or $50 disregarded, then $ for $. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Maine (MDOL): $108 to $623 a week, up to $1,090 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/22 of the average of the two highest quarters, plus $25 per dependent (capped at 75% of WBA). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: First $123 disregarded, then $ for $ (as of June 1, 2025). Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Maryland (MD DOL): $50 to $430 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Statutory table ~1/24 of high-quarter wages, plus $8 per dependent (up to 5) not to exceed the max. Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: $50 disregarded, then $ for $.
Massachusetts (DUA): $60 to $1,105 a week, up to $1,657 with dependents, for up to 30 weeks. Formula: 50% of average weekly wage (2 highest quarters / 26, or HQ/13 if wages in 2 or fewer quarters), plus $25 per dependent child (dependency allowance capped at 50% of WBA). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/3 of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Michigan (UIA): $218 to $530 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 4.1% of high-quarter wages, plus $19.33 per dependent (up to 5); rising to $614 max and $26/dependent on Jan 1, 2027 (PA 2024). Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: WBA reduced 50 cents per $1 earned; wages plus benefits cannot exceed 1.5 x WBA.
Minnesota (DEED): $37 to $948 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Higher of 50% of average weekly wage in the base period (cap 66 2/3% of state AWW = $948) or 50% of average weekly wage in the high quarter (cap 43% of state AWW = $611). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: WBA reduced 50 cents for each $1 earned (excludes jury/National Guard/volunteer firefighter pay).
Mississippi (MDES): $30 to $235 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $40 disregarded, then $ for $.
Missouri (MO DES): $35 to $320 a week, for up to 20 weeks. Formula: 4% of the average of the two highest quarters. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of 20% of WBA or $20 disregarded, then $ for $ (disregard excludes termination/severance pay).
Montana (MT DLI): $238 to $805 a week, for up to 24 weeks. Formula: 1% of total base-period wages, or 1.9% of wages in the two highest quarters, whichever is greater. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Nebraska (NDOL): $70 to $582 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/2 of average weekly wage in the high quarter (= HQ/26). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Nevada (DETR): $16 to $631 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/25 of high-quarter wages (cap 50% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/3 of wages disregarded, then $ for $. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
New Hampshire (NHES): $32 to $427 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Statutory table: about 1%-1.1% of annual (base-period) wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 30% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
New Jersey (NJDOL): $186 to $905 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 60% of the claimant's average weekly wage, plus dependency allowance (7% for first dependent, 4% each for next two; max 15%), capped at 57% of state AWW. Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: Greater of 20% of WBA or $5 disregarded, then $ for $.
New Mexico (NMDWS): $116 to $624 a week, up to $674 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 53.5% of the average weekly wage in the high quarter (0.535 x HQ/13), plus $25 per dependent child (up to 50% of WBA / max 2 per DOL range). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 20% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $ (excludes jury pay).
New York (NYSDOL): $140 to $869 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages (1/25 if high-quarter wages are $3,575 or less). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Hours-based: no reduction for up to 10 hours of work per week if earnings do not exceed the max WBA; benefits reduced in steps (75%/50%/25%) for 11-30 hours worked.
North Carolina (DES): $15 to $350 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Formula: Wages in the last two completed quarters of the base period divided by 52, capped at $350. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 20% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
North Dakota (JSND): $43 to $800 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/65 of the sum of the two highest quarters plus one-half of the third-highest quarter. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 60% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Ohio (ODJFS): $176 to $624 a week, up to $842 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 50% of average weekly wage, up to a maximum that depends on dependency class (A: 0 deps, B: 1-2, C: 3+). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 20% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Oklahoma (OESC): $16 to $649 a week, for up to 16 weeks. Formula: 1/23 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $100 disregarded, then $ for $.
Oregon (OED): $211 to $902 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1.25% of total base-period wages (min 15% / max 64% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of 1/3 of WBA or 10 x state minimum wage (~$163) disregarded, then $ for $.
Pennsylvania (PA L&I): $68 to $605 a week, up to $613 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Statutory rate table: approximately (4% of high-quarter wages + $2) x 0.98 (about 50% of full-time weekly wage), plus $5 for a dependent spouse or child and $3 for a second dependent (max $8). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of $21 or 30% of WBA disregarded (partial benefit credit), then $ for $.
Rhode Island (RI DLT): $82 to $777 a week, up to $971 with dependents, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 3.85% of the average of the two highest quarters (cap 57.5% of state AWW), plus greater of $15 or 5% of WBA per dependent (up to 5). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
South Carolina (SC DEW): $42 to $350 a week, for up to 20 weeks. Formula: 50% of the average weekly wage in the high quarter (= HQ/26), capped. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
South Dakota (SD DLR): $28 to $575 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/4 of wages over $25 disregarded, then $ for $.
Tennessee (TDLWD): $55 to $325 a week, for up to 12 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of the average of the two highest quarters (statutory table), max $325. Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of $50 or 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Texas (TWC): $75 to $605 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/25 of high-quarter wages (cap 47.6% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: Greater of $5 or 25% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Utah (UT DWS): $47 to $806 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 1/26 of high-quarter wages minus $5 (cap 62.5% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 30% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
Vermont (VDOL): $94 to $757 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Wages in the two highest quarters divided by 45 (cap 57% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 50% of gross wages disregarded, then $ for $. Current indexed amount unconfirmed — verify before you rely on any figure.
Virginia (VEC): $160 to $478 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Statutory table: approximately 1/50 of wages in the two highest quarters (max $478 requires $18,900.01 in two quarters). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $100 disregarded (2025 law), then $ for $.
Washington (ESD): $383 to $1,208 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 3.85% of the average of the two highest quarters (min 20% / max 63% of state AWW). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: 1/4 of wages over $5 disregarded, then $ for $.
West Virginia (WorkForce WV): $24 to $662 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: Wage-class table: 55% of 1/52 of the median wages in the worker's wage class (max frozen at $662 by 2024 legislation). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: $60 disregarded, then $ for $.
Wisconsin (WI DWD): $54 to $370 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 4% of high-quarter wages (statutory max $370). Waiting week: yes. Part-time earnings: First $30 disregarded plus 33% of wages over $30; WBA reduced by 67% of earnings above $30.
Wyoming (WY DWS): $48 to $671 a week, for up to 26 weeks. Formula: 4% of high-quarter wages (cap 55% of state AWW). Waiting week: no. Part-time earnings: 50% of WBA disregarded, then $ for $.
This is a rough estimate: it applies South Dakota's published formula, minimum and maximum from the same data as this page to the wages you enter, and the SD DLR monetary determination sets your actual amount. Comparing states, or laid off somewhere else? Open the full unemployment benefits estimator
Can you work part-time and get South Dakota unemployment?
Losing hours is not the same as losing the job, and South Dakota pays a reduced benefit for a partial week. You can draw partial benefits if you worked fewer than 40 hours that week, your earnings do not exceed your weekly benefit amount, and you are still seeking full-time work.
The earnings allowance, and the math above it
The first $25 you earn in a week is ignored outright. On top of that, one-quarter of whatever you earned above $25 is also disregarded — so only three-quarters of the amount over $25 actually comes off your payment.
Subtract $25 from your gross earnings for the week. Take three-quarters of what is left and subtract that from your weekly benefit amount. What remains is your payment. If your gross earnings for the week exceed your weekly benefit amount, or you worked 40 hours or more, there is no partial payment for that week.
Worked example
- Weekly benefit amount (WBA)
- $400
- Earnings disregarded ($25 plus one-quarter of the rest)
- $50
- Gross earnings that week
- $125
- Benefit for the week
- $325
On $125 of gross earnings, the first $25 is ignored, leaving $100. One-quarter of that $100 — another $25 — is also disregarded, so $50 in total costs you nothing and the remaining $75 comes off the payment. A $400 weekly benefit amount becomes $325 for that week. Earn more than $400 in the week, or work 40 hours or more, and there is no payment at all.
What a part-time week does not excuse you from
Report your hours and your gross earnings before deductions for the week you did the work, not the week the check clears. That includes part-time, temporary, contract, and self-employment work. SD DLR cross-checks your reports against employer wage records, and unreported earnings become an overpayment you have to repay.
A reduced payment is still a claimed week, so everything else still applies: be able and available for full-time work, make and log your two job contacts if the requirement applies to you, and file the weekly request on time. Part-time work does not lower the two-contact minimum.
Not sure what your weekly benefit amount is yet? The SD DLR determination is the figure that counts — for a rough, salary-based placeholder until it arrives, try the unemployment benefits estimator, then run the numbers above against it.
How to apply for South Dakota unemployment, step by step
A claim filed any day of the week takes effect on the preceding Sunday. SD DLR cannot pay for weeks before that Sunday, so a claim you put off by a week is a week of benefits you do not get back.
Before you start: what you'll need
- Social Security number.
- A valid driver license or state ID number.
- The name, address, and phone number of every employer you worked for in the last 18 months.
- First and last dates you worked for each employer, and the reason each job ended.
- Gross wages for any week in which you worked before filing.
- Bank routing and account numbers if you want direct deposit instead of the debit card.
- DD Form 214 if you served in the military in the past 18 months.
- SF-8 or SF-50 if you worked for the federal government, and your Alien Registration number if you are not a U.S. citizen.
The filing sequence
File your claim on or after your last day of work
Apply through the RA Benefits Portal at sd.gov/rabenefits, which is open 24 hours a day, or call the Claims Call Center at 605-626-3179 on a weekday morning. The claim backdates to the Sunday of the week you file — no further.
Report every separation payment when you file
Severance, wages in lieu of notice, vacation, holiday, sick, back pay, and dismissal pay all have to be reported. South Dakota assigns these payments to the weeks they represent starting from your last day worked, so reporting them up front is what keeps a delay from turning into an overpayment.
Read your monetary determination and your work-search notice
SD DLR mails a monetary determination showing your base period, weekly benefit amount, and maximum benefit, and tells you separately whether the two-contact weekly work-search requirement applies to you. Do not assume you are exempt because someone else was.
Set up how you get paid
Benefits default to a Way2Go Card debit Mastercard. If you would rather have direct deposit, enroll in the RA Benefits Portal or submit the form with a voided check — do it in the first week so your first payment is not sitting on a card in the mail.
Serve the unpaid waiting week
The first week of your claim is a waiting week. File the request for payment for it and meet every requirement anyway, or the week does not count as served and your first payable week moves back.
File a request for payment every week and log two job contacts
Submit a weekly request for each week you are unemployed, and enter the employer name, address, phone, position, contact person, and method for each job contact. SD DLR verifies those contacts directly with employers.
When the money actually arrives
Expect up to about four weeks from filing to your first payment, since the unpaid waiting week comes first and any separation issue has to be investigated. After that, money generally lands two to three business days after you submit each weekly request.
How you get paid
A Way2Go Card debit Mastercard by default, or direct deposit to your own bank account if you enroll through the RA Benefits Portal.
Keeping your benefits: payment requests and work search
Approval is not the finish line. Benefits stop for people who miss the filing window or cannot produce a work-search log, and a missed week is far harder to recover than it is to claim on time.
Request payment weekly
File a request for payment once a week, for the week that just ended, through the RA Benefits Portal. The claim week runs Sunday through Saturday, so the request for a week can be filed starting the following Sunday. Report your hours, your gross earnings, and your two job contacts on the same request — payment for a week you never requested is not recoverable later.
Work search: registration, minimums, and records
Deadline: SD DLR notifies you at the time you file whether the work-search requirement applies. If it does, set up your account on SDWORKS at southdakotaworks.org that same week so you have a place to find and document contacts from your very first claimed week.
At least two job contacts each week you request payment, entered on the weekly request itself.
What counts:
- Submitting a job application online or in person.
- Submitting a resume online or in person.
- Attending a job interview.
- Taking part in a reemployment program approved by SD DLR.
For every contact, record the business name, the date, the phone, address, email or website, the position you applied for, the hiring contact's name, and how you made contact. SD DLR uses the state's Job Search Tracking Sheet for this and verifies contacts with employers — a contact you cannot document is a week you may have to pay back.
What to do if your South Dakota claim is denied
A denial is a first decision, not a final one. Employers contest claims routinely, and plenty of denials are reversed at the hearing — but only if you appeal inside the window.
Appeal deadline
15 days
You have 15 days from the mailing date of a determination to file a written appeal. File it late and you have to show good cause for the delay, or the appeal is dismissed as untimely without anyone ever looking at the merits. South Dakota will not take an appeal by phone or email.
Verified Sep 8, 2026 · verify with SD DLRHow to file your appeal
- File online through the RA Benefits Portal.
- Mail a signed written appeal to Appeals Section, Reemployment Assistance Division, PO Box 4730, Aberdeen, SD 57402-4730.
- Or fax it to 605-626-2322.
- Or deliver it in person to any South Dakota job service office.
- Appeals cannot be filed by telephone or by email.
What to include
- Your full name and current mailing address.
- Your Social Security number.
- The determination you are appealing and its mailing date.
- The reason you believe the determination is wrong.
- Any dates you would not be available for a hearing.
The hearing, and what comes after
You get a written acknowledgment and an appeals brochure, then a Notice of Hearing at least seven days beforehand. An administrative law judge takes sworn testimony, usually by telephone, and you can request an in-person hearing in writing. Both sides may bring witnesses and documents.
If you disagree with the administrative law judge, you have 15 days to ask the Department of Labor and Regulation to review the decision, or 30 days to appeal directly to Circuit Court. The Secretary's decision can then go to Circuit Court and on to the South Dakota Supreme Court.
Do not stop filing while you appeal. Keep filing your weekly requests for payment the entire time an appeal is pending. If you win, SD DLR pays only the weeks you actually filed for — a favorable decision does not create payment for weeks you skipped.
Can you get unemployment in South Dakota if you quit?
Quitting is not an automatic no. Every state disqualifies a voluntary quit without good cause; what counts as good cause is where states differ — and good cause only clears the separation question, not the weekly able-available-and-searching requirements.
If you quit: South Dakota's good-cause rule
Employees who voluntarily quit without good cause may be denied benefits. Eligibility can only be determined once a claim is filed and facts are obtained from you and your former employer.
Two separate hurdles
- Good cause may avoid the separation disqualification for a voluntary quit.
- You must still meet the ongoing requirements every week you claim: able to work, available for work, and actively seeking it, plus the base-period wage or hours test.
Quitting makes a claim harder, not impossible. File anyway — the agency decides.
Source: SDCL 61-6-13 · last verified 2026-09-07 · provisional: quoted from the page's indexed text, not a direct read
Severance, final pay, and PTO in South Dakota
These three decide when your unemployment money starts and how much cash you have to bridge the gap. They are separate rules and they interact.
How severance affects your claim
South Dakota deducts severance, dismissal pay, and wages in lieu of notice dollar for dollar, and treats you as ineligible for the number of weeks the payment represents, counting from your last day worked rather than from the date the check arrived. Vacation, holiday, sick, and back pay are handled the same way. Report every separation payment and let the SD DLR decide how it affects your claim — confirm with the agency.
Report it either way. An unreported payment that the agency finds later becomes an overpayment you have to pay back, sometimes with a penalty — a far worse outcome than a delayed start. For how the two interact in general, and how timing a severance payment changes it, see severance and unemployment.
Final paycheck timing
South Dakota does not require same-day final pay. After a discharge or layoff, wages are due on the next regular payday or once you return the employer's property, whichever is later (SDCL 60-11-10). If you make a written demand for your wages, the employer has five days to pay.
Check the figure before you cash it — unpaid commission, an expense reimbursement, or a promised bonus is easiest to raise while the separation is still fresh. The final paycheck calculator works out what you should be owed and when it is due.
Unused PTO and vacation
South Dakota has no law requiring unused vacation or PTO to be cashed out at separation. You get it only if the employer's written policy or your employment agreement promises it — and then the employer has to follow that policy consistently.
Layoff notice: WARN and state law
South Dakota has no mini-WARN act, so the federal WARN Act is the whole rulebook — generally 60 days' written notice before a plant closing or mass layoff at an employer with 100 or more employees. SD DLR posts the WARN notices it receives.
Whether your layoff should have come with notice — and what happens if it did not — is set out in full in the South Dakota WARN Act guide, along with the notices employers have actually filed in the state.
Are South Dakota unemployment benefits taxable?
Federal tax applies; no state income tax
Reemployment assistance is taxable income on your federal return. South Dakota has no state income tax, so there is no state tax on your benefits. Nothing is withheld automatically — you can ask SD DLR to take 10 percent out for federal tax. A Form 1099-G showing the year's benefits comes to you each January.
Benefits arrive with no tax taken out unless you ask for withholding. Choosing 10% federal tax withholding can reduce the chance of an unexpected tax bill, but whether withholding makes sense depends on your individual tax situation — your other income for the year, your filing status, and any credits you expect. Confirm your own situation with a tax professional.
South Dakota unemployment FAQ
Where do I file for unemployment in South Dakota?+
How much unemployment will I get in South Dakota?+
Is there a waiting week for South Dakota unemployment?+
Do I have to look for work to keep benefits in South Dakota?+
Are South Dakota unemployment benefits taxable?+
When do I get my final paycheck and is unused PTO paid out in South Dakota after a layoff?+
Does South Dakota have its own mini-WARN layoff-notice law?+
How long does it take to get South Dakota unemployment benefits?+
What is the base period for South Dakota unemployment?+
What do I do if my South Dakota unemployment claim is denied?+
Does severance pay stop unemployment benefits in South Dakota?+
Can I get unemployment in South Dakota if I was fired or quit?+
How often do I have to certify or request payment in South Dakota?+
Can I work part-time and still get South Dakota unemployment?+
How much can I earn before South Dakota unemployment benefits are reduced?+
What is the maximum South Dakota unemployment benefit in 2026?+
Can you get unemployment in South Dakota if you quit your job?+
Filed your claim? Here's what to do next
Unemployment replaces a fraction of a paycheck. The next hour is better spent on the things that actually decide how long your runway lasts.
Layoff Runway Calculator
Combine your SD benefit, severance, and savings into a months-of-runway number.
Open toolUnemployment Benefits Estimator
Sanity-check the weekly amount before your determination arrives.
Open toolCOBRA vs Marketplace Calculator
Health coverage is the second bill to solve, and COBRA is rarely the cheapest option.
Open toolSeverance Pay Calculator
See what a severance offer is worth before you sign the release.
Open toolOfficial South Dakota sources
Benefit amounts, deadlines, and eligibility rules on this page are verified against official South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, Reemployment Assistance sources. Rules and amounts change — check the source before you rely on a number.
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Educational content only. LayoffNext does not provide legal, financial, tax, insurance, employment, immigration, unemployment, investment, or mental health advice. Always consult a licensed professional or official government source for guidance specific to your situation.
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