Would the Annual Permit Really Double to $50?

A headline about an annual permit doubling to $50 can be confusing because South Dakota has more than one kind of off-road vehicle permit. The key is to identify which permit the price refers to: the state nonresident decal or a separate Black Hills National Forest motorized trail permit.

The short answer depends on which permit you mean

If you mean South Dakota’s nonresident off-road vehicle permit, the $50 figure is the state permit’s current cost, not proof that a separate Black Hills permit has doubled. According to the South Dakota Department of Revenue, the nonresident permit costs $50 and is valid for one year as of November 2026. Decals mailed to applicants have an additional $2.50 mailing fee, according to the department.

If you mean the Black Hills National Forest Motorized Trail Permit, that is a different permit with a different purpose. The Forest Service requires a permit for motor vehicles using motorized trails in the Black Hills National Forest, and the South Dakota Department of Revenue says using US Forest Service trails requires a separate permit in addition to the state permit. So a state nonresident decal does not, by itself, settle what you need for a Black Hills motorized trail.

Permit	What it covers	What to know about the $50 figure
South Dakota nonresident off-road vehicle permit	The state nonresident permit for an off-road vehicle	The South Dakota Department of Revenue lists the cost as $50 and says it is valid for one year as of November 2026.
Black Hills National Forest Motorized Trail Permit	Motorized use on designated forest trails and certain forest roads	The Forest Service requires a permit for motor vehicles on motorized use trails. The $50 state permit figure should not be treated as the price of this separate permit.
Home-state plate or registration	Street legality and some road-use situations	The South Dakota Department of Revenue says an out-of-state OHV needs a hard license plate from its home-state DMV to be street legal. A plate does not replace a required trail permit.

That distinction is the practical answer to the headline: the state permit’s $50 cost applies to the nonresident state permit, while a Black Hills trail permit is separate. For a deeper breakdown of the state decal, see South Dakota’s Nonresident Annual Permit and South Dakota Nonresident ORV Permit Requirements. For the forest permit, Black Hills Annual Trail Permit Cost is the more relevant topic to check.

How the state permit and Black Hills permit work together

The nonresident state permit and the forest permit are not interchangeable. One is issued through South Dakota’s off-road vehicle permit system; the other is required for particular motorized travel on National Forest land. Which one you need depends on where you ride and how your machine is classified or plated.

The Forest Service says a Motor Vehicle Use Map is the official map for identifying roads, trails, and areas open to public motorized travel on the National Forest. Its Black Hills guidance says motorized use trails require a Motorized Trail Permit. Unlicensed OHVs on forest roads designated Open to All Vehicles also need a valid Black Hills Motorized Trail Permit, according to the Forest Service.

There is an exception for vehicles with a valid state plate: the Forest Service says those vehicles do not need a trail permit unless they are traveling on a designated motorized trail. That distinction matters when planning a route. A paved or open forest road and a designated motorized trail may have different permit requirements, even when they are close together.

Your machine and route	Permit question to resolve
Nonresident OHV on a designated Black Hills motorized trail	The South Dakota Department of Revenue says a separate US Forest Service permit is required in addition to the state permit.
Unlicensed OHV on a forest road marked Open to All Vehicles	The Forest Service says a valid Black Hills Motorized Trail Permit is required.
Vehicle with a valid state license plate on a forest road	The Forest Service says a permit is not needed unless the vehicle is on a designated motorized trail.
OHV on a designated motorized trail	The Forest Service requires a permit for motor vehicles on motorized use trails.

The phrase “state license plate” is also easy to misread as a universal pass. It is not. The Forest Service’s plate exception does not cancel the permit requirement on designated motorized trails. For a closer look at this issue, see Why a Plate Does Not Replace a Trail Permit and Does South Dakota Honor Out-of-State Registration?.

South Dakota title rules are a separate matter again. The South Dakota Department of Revenue says off-road vehicles must be titled even if they are not registered and licensed for highway use. A title establishes ownership; it is not the same thing as a trail permit, decal, or street-legal plate. If you are sorting out those differences, Does South Dakota Register ATVs? and What South Dakota Counts as an Off-Road Vehicle provide related background.

What visitors need to check before riding

A nonresident planning a South Dakota trip should check the state requirements and the rules for each riding area before leaving home. The state permit is not a substitute for a National Forest permit, and an out-of-state registration or plate does not automatically establish that every forest route is open to the machine.

According to the South Dakota Department of Revenue, applicants for the nonresident permit must provide a copy of their driver’s license and proof of their Social Security Number. The department also says online applications should be submitted at least two weeks before a planned trip. That lead time matters if you are counting on a decal arriving by mail; the department says mailed decals have an additional mailing fee.

When the decal arrives, placement matters. The South Dakota Department of Revenue says it must be displayed on the rear of the off-road vehicle in an easily visible location, and the expiration sticker must be placed on the decal for the permit to be valid. A decal kept in a bag or glove box will not meet that display instruction.

Out-of-state riders should also distinguish trail use from road use. According to the South Dakota Department of Revenue, an out-of-state OHV must have a hard license plate issued by its home-state DMV to be street legal. The same agency specifies minimum engine classifications for street legality: 200 cc for four-wheeled OHVs and 120 cc for two-wheeled OHVs. Electric four-wheeled OHVs are permitted to meet the street-legal engine classification requirement. Those vehicle rules are separate from the permit rules for motorized trails.

Wyoming riders have an additional reciprocity detail to consider. The Forest Service says trail users must display a Wyoming State ORV Permit on their vehicles because the Black Hills National Forest partners with the Wyoming State Trails Program. The Forest Service also says a Black Hills National Forest Trail Permit is not required for OHVs using trails in Wyoming. That arrangement does not mean a Wyoming permit replaces a South Dakota state permit or a Black Hills permit when one is required for riding in South Dakota.

For an out-of-state machine without a hard plate, verify what permits apply to the exact area and route. The Forest Service provides permit sales through forest offices, local vendors, online, and the visitor center. Its Motor Vehicle Use Map is available free from local Forest Service offices, local vendors, and online. Use that map to confirm that a road or trail is open to your vehicle type, then check the relevant permit instructions before setting out. South Dakota Trail Permits Explained offers more context on how the permit layers fit together.

A practical checklist for avoiding the wrong permit

Before paying for anything, name the route and the permit you are trying to buy. “Annual permit” can refer to different systems, and an amount attached to one permit should not be assumed to apply to another.

1. Identify the riding area. If the route includes a Black Hills National Forest motorized trail, the Forest Service requires a Motorized Trail Permit. The South Dakota Department of Revenue says a separate US Forest Service permit is needed in addition to the state permit for US Forest Service trails.

2. Check the official map. The Forest Service identifies the Motor Vehicle Use Map as the official map for roads, trails, and areas open to public motorized travel on the National Forest. Confirm the route’s designation rather than relying on a general trail map or a route shared by another rider.

3. Separate road legality from trail access. The South Dakota Department of Revenue says an out-of-state OHV needs a hard home-state DMV plate to be street legal. The Forest Service separately requires a permit on designated motorized trails, including for vehicles that otherwise qualify for its plate exception on forest roads.

4. Confirm which state permit applies. South Dakota residents cannot purchase the nonresident off-road decal, according to the South Dakota Department of Revenue. Visitors should review the application requirements and ensure that the permit they are considering fits their residency and machine.

5. Allow time for the decal. The South Dakota Department of Revenue recommends that online applications be submitted at least two weeks before the planned trip. If the decal is mailed, the department says an additional mailing fee applies.

6. Install the decal correctly. The South Dakota Department of Revenue says the decal belongs on the rear of the OHV in an easily visible location, and the expiration sticker must be attached for the permit to be valid.

7. Ask the permit seller to identify the permit by name. The Forest Service permits can be purchased from forest offices, local vendors, online, or the visitor center. When a vendor or website displays a price, confirm whether it is for the South Dakota nonresident decal or the Black Hills National Forest trail permit.

The safest takeaway is straightforward: do not use “$50 annual permit” as a catch-all description. The South Dakota nonresident permit and the Black Hills National Forest Motorized Trail Permit serve different purposes. Verify the fee and requirements for each one with the agency responsible for it, and check current official information before buying.

Sources

• South Dakota Department of Revenue — Off-Road Vehicles | South Dakota Department of Revenue (checked November 3, 2026)

Disclaimer

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Laws, prices and regulations vary by location and change over time. Consult a qualified professional for guidance on your specific situation.