To be clear, this is not a goofy scam to get a permit like is often advertised on the Internet. Folks with the address of their private mailbox (PMB) on their South Dakota drivers license can get a pistol permit and it is totally legal. This information was provided to me by the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office.
If you are a United States citizen and are not a resident of another state, you can become a resident of South Dakota without being required to move here. The benefits of doing so allows people to register their vehicles here, have a place to vote, and take advantage of South Dakota's low taxes. People who permanently live in an RV, truckers, traveling nurses, and other people who travel full-time are the most common to come to one of our Enhanced Permit classes.
What those people don't realize is that while they do have residency in South Dakota, in order to get a pistol permit they must have a physical residence in the state. The PMB address on their drivers license does not qualify and they would not be allowed to apply.
How to apply for a South Dakota Enhanced pistol permit with a PMB address on my drivers license
To get an Enhanced Pistol Permit in South Dakota with a PMB address on your drivers license, you have to establish physical residency in the state for 30 days. To do this you must:
- Take a South Dakota Enhanced Pistol Permit Class at Sioux Falls Shooting
- Rent a campsite, hotel room, apartment, AirBNB, or something similar with a physical address for more than 30 days. (You do not need to maintain that address after you have applied, but you will need to take this step again when you renew.)
- Present the receipts(s) of that rental along with your drivers license at the sheriff's office when you apply for the permit, along with your certificate of completion of the course and the fingerprint cards you are issued at the class.
- Wait for a call from the sheriff's office to tell you that you have been approved.
- Optionally, you may pick up your temporary permit from the sheriff's office on approval.
- Your permit will be mailed to you within approximately 30 days after you are approved, times can vary.
If your address of residence is a PMB and you are renewing, you will need to once again take a class to renew your permit.
South Dakota Enhanced Permits, as all pistol permits in South Dakota, have no fees of any kind associated with them except for the fee to take a class. No background check fee, no permit fee.
Also of note for those who have a PMB on their South Dakota drivers license is that you are not allowed to buy a firearm under federal law. You must have a permanent residence in order to purchase a firearm from a gun store or any federal firearms licensee.
