The county is entirely within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and contains part of Badlands National Park. It is an alcohol prohibition or dry county; taxes on alcohol consumed within the county go to other counties.
Oglala Lakota County is one of two counties in South Dakota that does not have its own county seat (Todd County is the other). Hot Springs in neighboring Fall River County serves as its administrative center. It is also one of five South Dakota counties that are entirely on an Indian reservation. (The others are Corson, Dewey, Todd, and Ziebach.) [Article: Why Does a Reservation County also have a County Government?]
Oglala Lakota County was renamed in May of 2015, originally it had been named Shannon County. Until 1982 Oglala Lakota and Washabaugh County, South Dakota, were the last unorganized counties in the United States. Although it was organized and received a home rule charter that year, Oglala Lakota County, as noted above, contracts with Fall River County for its Auditor, Treasurer, Director of Equalization, State’s Attorney and Registrar of Deeds.
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Deadline Approaching: Property Tax Reduction for Disabled Veterans
The Property Tax Reduction for Disabled Veterans is a program which exempts the first $100,000 of assessed property valuation from property tax. To qualify a veteran must have been rated as permanently or totally disabled due to a service-connected disability; the veteran must own and occupy the property that they wish to receive the tax […]
Nationwide Test of Emergency Alert Systems Oct. 3
PIERRE, S.D. – Cell phone users will be part of a nationwide test of emergency alert systems scheduled for this Wednesday, Oct. 3. The test had originally been scheduled for Sept. 20, but was postponed. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of […]
Courthouse Closed – Native American Day
The Oglala Lakota & Fall River County Courthouse in Hot Springs will be closed Monday, October 8th in observance of Native American Day. Regular business will resume as usual on Tuesday, October 9th.