The current flag of South Dakota was adopted in 1992 to represent the U.S. state of South Dakota. It consists of a field of sky blue charged with a version (in navy blue on white) of the state seal in the center, surrounded by gold triangles representing the sun's rays, surrounded in turn by inscriptions in gold sans-serif capitals of "" on top and "" (the state nickname) on the bottom. The sun represents the common weather in South Dakota.

The first state flag was designed and adopted in 1909. This original flag was bi-faced, with a sun motif on one side and the state seal on the other. A redesign in 1963 embedded the state seal inside the original flag's sun motif. The inscription on the bottom was "" before it was changed in 1992.

Statute

thumb|right|The [[South Dakota Army National Guard with the state flag.]]

The 2025 South Dakota Codified Laws, Title 1, Chapter 6, § 1-6-4, defines the state flag as follows:

Design of the seal

The 2025 South Dakota Codified Laws, Title 1, Chapter 6, § 1-6-2, defines that the state seal shall consist of:

  • Circular border: "State of South Dakota" written at top and "Great Seal 1889" at bottom, with stars on either side
  • Left foreground: Smelting furnace, hoist house, mill, and dump near a grove on the riverbank
  • Left background: Three ranges of hills
  • Right foreground: Farmer holding a breaking plow drawn by two horses
  • Right background: Pasture with grazing cattle and a field of corn; hills in the distance
  • Center: River flowing into the distance with a steamboat; shrubbery on riverbanks
  • Top: State motto, "Under God the People Rule"

History

Unofficial flag (1883)

On June 21, 1883 the people of Huron gathered and came up with the idea of a Dakota state flag. The flags were planned to be raised on July 4, and hang out till the election of that year. They were described as bearing the words: "State of Dakota." In June, Captain Lyons was sailing though Yankton when he flew a state flag from the masthead of his boat. It bore the motto "C. A. Lyons & Co."

Original flag (1909)

thumb|200px|Reverse side of the flag as depicted in National Geographic, 1917

The first flag of South Dakota was designed by Ida McNeil in 1909. Ernest May, a state legislator from Deadwood, approached South Dakota Department of History superintendent Doane Robinson about the lack of a state flag. McNeil was then a legislative reference librarian at the state department. McNeil later recalled that during their meeting, Robinson turned to her and told May, "Miss Anding will make you a flag".

Seth Bullock, a Deadwood lawman, is sometimes credited as having brought forth the original request for a state flag to May, who in turn brought it to the state department. This claim might have originated from a 1948 edition of The Wi-Iyohi, a monthly bulletin published by the South Dakota State Historical Society. However, South Dakota historians and biographers of Bullock have not uncovered any evidence supporting this claim, and Robinson's 1925 Encyclopedia of South Dakota did not include any mention of Bullock's involvement.

The first two flags went to the Secretary of State and Seth Bullock. Bullock's flag is now preserved at the state archives.

In 2015, the original state flag was reported as missing from the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre. Secretary of State Shantel Krebs, within whose office the flag had been on display, and department employee Theresa Bray initially noted the disappearance on January 2. The capitol conducted internal searches for several weeks but was unable to find the flag. It was then reported to the Legislative Audit office, who then referred it to the South Dakota Attorney General's Office. In October 2015, the flag was recovered in Washington, D.C. from a former state employee, who had removed it from storage in 2013 while repairs were being done to the display.

First redesign (1963)

thumb| Second state flag, 1963–1992

By 1963, the need for a revised flag was evident. The two-sided design was difficult and costly to reproduce—about $75 for materials in 1963 ()—and McNeil recreated the flags upon request for various state organizations. The designs on both sides often showed through to the other.

On February 3, 1966, the South Dakota Legislature approved a further measure to create the Special State Flag Account, which set aside funds for the production and purchasing of new flags, and directed the finance department to keep on hand a stock of flags to be distributed as needed.

Second redesign (1992)

thumb|right|The state flag flying.

thumb|right|200px|The South Dakota state flag as depicted in the 1976 bicentennial postage stamp series.

Following the adoption of the new state nickname as "the Mount Rushmore state", State Representative Gordon Pederson introduced a new bill to change the wording on the state flag. Although the new design was adopted and remains in use today, the 1963 and 1992 bills both included language that the previous versions of the state flag were still valid to use.

Flag pledge

The official pledge of the South Dakota flag is, "I pledge loyalty and support to the flag and state of South Dakota, land of sunshine, land of infinite variety." The only protocol to the state flag pledge is that it does not either replace or preempt the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States.

Redesign proposals

2012

thumb| Proposed flag of South Dakota from 2012, designed by Dick Termes

In January 2012, Representative Bernie Hunhoff sponsored a bill to adopt a new design for the state flag based on artwork by Dick Termes of Spearfish, South Dakota. Hunhoff introduced the bill on January 25, 2012; it was referred to the State Affairs committee. On February 6, Immediately after being amended, the bill was "deferred to the 41st legislative day".

2024

In January 2024, another bill that would have created a South Dakota state flag design commission was killed in the same manner to the 2012 proposal.

See also

  • Symbols of the state of South Dakota
  • Seal of South Dakota

Notes

References

  • Signs and Symbols of South Dakota