South Dakota No Chase Law
Agency discretion
Does South Dakota have a no-chase law? No — South Dakota has no statewide law restricting police pursuits. Each department sets its own chase policy.
What governs pursuits in South Dakota
SDCL 32-33-18, 32-33-18.2 (eluding, not pursuit restriction); SDCL 23-3 (agency organization)
No statewide statute restricts when SD police may initiate or continue a vehicle pursuit; SDCL Title 23-3 covers law enforcement agency organization but does not set pursuit criteria. SDCL 32-33-18/18.2 criminalizes fleeing/eluding an officer (Class 1 misdemeanor, license revocation up to 1 year) but that governs the fleeing driver, not officer pursuit conduct. Pursuit decisions are set by each department's own policy (e.g., SD Highway Patrol, local PDs).
Will police chase a motorcycle in South Dakota?
No SD law bars chasing a motorcycle specifically. Whether an officer pursues a fleeing motorcycle is a department-level, discretionary safety call (speed, traffic, visibility) under each agency's own pursuit policy.
No US state has a literal law forbidding officers from chasing motorcycles. What riders call a "no-chase law" is nearly always a department policy that tells officers to break off a pursuit when the danger to the public outweighs the arrest — and fleeing remains a crime in South Dakota regardless. See the state-by-state motorcycle guide for how this works everywhere.
Recent changes
2025 update (SD Legislature ch. 44 §19) revised eluding penalty language, not pursuit-restriction rules.
Sources
- sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/23-3
- sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/2055202
- dps.sd.gov/safety-enforcement/highway-patrol/laws
Verified as of August 2026. Department policies can change without notice — check the agency's published policy for current break-off criteria.