How to file for unemployment in South Dakota
The online claim is usually the fastest way. Here is what to have ready, when your claim starts and what comes after you file.
All about unemployment in South Dakota
Checked against official sources: October 31, 2026.
Filing, step by step
File online through the RA Benefits Portal, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (the fastest way). You first create a mySD login and then an RA profile. You can also file by phone with the Claims Call Center at 605-626-3179, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. Central time.
When to file and when your claim starts
File as soon as you become unemployed or your hours are cut. Waiting to file may cause you to lose some benefits. Claim weeks run Sunday through Saturday. The Sunday after you apply is the first day you can ask for payment for your first week.
What to have ready
- Your Social Security number
- Your driver's license or other state ID number
- Your work history for the last 18 months: each employer's name, address and phone number, dates worked (month and year), pay rate and why you are no longer working there
- Your union hall name and local number, if you get work through a union
- Your Alien Registration Number, if you are not a U.S. citizen
- Federal workers: SF-8 and SF-50. Military: DD-214
- A correct mailing address and phone number for any employers outside South Dakota
Certify (claim your weeks)
How often: Weekly. Ask for payment every week online in the RA Benefits Portal or by phone at 605-626-3212. Each request must be done by 11:59 p.m. Central time on the Saturday of the week you are claiming. Report all hours (to the nearest tenth) and gross earnings for the week you worked, even if you have not been paid yet.
Your first payment
Your first payment comes three to four weeks after you apply. After that, payments are made two business days after you file your weekly request if there are no issues. You choose direct deposit or a Way2Go prepaid debit Mastercard.
Register for work
South Dakota claimants are registered in SDWORKS automatically when they file. If you live in another state, you must register with your state's workforce agency and send proof within 14 calendar days of filing, or you could lose benefits.
Law: SDCL 61-6-1; RA Claimant Handbook (rev. 01/2026)
Official source: Source page
What applies in every state
- File with the unemployment program of the state where you worked. If you worked in another state or in several states, the agency in the state where you live now can tell you how to file with other states.
- It generally takes two to three weeks after you file to get your first payment. Some states require a one-week waiting period, so the second week you claim is the first week paid.
Free help
Call 605-626-3179. Legal aid and other free help in South Dakota → Official sources →
More questions about unemployment in South Dakota
Is there a waiting week in South Dakota?
Yes. The first week of your claim is an unpaid waiting week. You must still file a payment request for it and meet all the rules that week, including the work search.