1st Amendment
6.5B-
Press shield lawsAnti-SLAPP protectionsPublic forum protectionsCampus speech policies+2 more
State Freedom Profile
South Dakota
No state income taxConstitutional carryLow regulatory burden
Across the hybrid multi-source index, South Dakota is above average in overall freedom, ranking #6 of 50 states with a score of 69/100. Its strongest areas are regulatory burden, economic freedom, property rights, while it scores lowest in education choice, 4th amendment, criminal justice.
- best
- 9.8
- average
- 6.9
- worst
- 2.4
69.0
Grade B-
0255075100
FDCBA
Score by category
How South Dakota performs in each freedom category, ranked best to worst.
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Category breakdown
Each score is drawn from the publisher listed on the tile. Hover the source chip for edition and methodology detail.
2nd Amendment
8.8A
Guns & Ammo 2023 — rank 7/50
Constitutional/permitless carryConcealed carry shall-issue vs may-issueAssault weapon restrictionsMagazine capacity limits+3 more
4th Amendment
4.5D+
IJ Policing for Profit 2025 — forfeiture grade D-
Civil asset forfeiture protectionsWarrant requirements for digital dataSurveillance camera/drone restrictionsLicense plate reader policies+2 more
Economic Freedom
9.6A+
Fraser EFNA 2024 (Overall subn score 8.18 for 2023) — rank 3/50
State income tax ratesSales tax ratesProperty tax burdenBusiness tax climate+3 more
Criminal Justice
2.4F
Vera People in Prison 2024 — rank 38/50 (408/100k)
Incarceration rate per capitaPolice accountability measuresBail reformMandatory minimum sentencing+3 more
Drug Policy
5.5C
Cannabis status 2025 — Medical (comprehensive medical program, possession criminal)
Recreational marijuana legalityMedical marijuana programDecriminalization of possessionDrug court availability+2 more
Property Rights
9.5A+
IJ Eminent Domain 2025 — post-Kelo protections A
Eminent domain protectionsZoning flexibilityRent control restrictionsBuilding code burden+2 more
Religious Liberty
7.5B+
State RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act)Conscience protections for professionalsReligious organization exemptionsReligious land use protections+2 more
Education Choice
4.9D+
EdChoice ABCs 2025 — non-universal, 1 program — top program covers 47% of students
School voucher programsEducation savings accounts (ESAs)Charter school availabilityHomeschool regulation level+2 more
Regulatory Burden
9.8A+
Mercatus RegData 2024 — rank 2/48 (45,309 restrictions)
Occupational licensing requirementsBusiness licensing burdenRegulatory code volumePermit processing times+2 more
Provenance
Sources & methodology
- 6.5
1st Amendment
FreedomRankings Editorial (no strong annual state-level source exists for 1st Amendment speech protections)
- 8.8
2nd Amendment
Guns & Ammo "Best States for Gun Owners"
- 4.5
4th Amendment
Institute for Justice -- "Policing for Profit" (asset forfeiture grades)
- 9.6
Economic Freedom
Fraser Institute -- Economic Freedom of North America (EFNA)
- 2.4
Criminal Justice
Vera Institute -- "People in Prison" (annual incarceration data)
- 5.5
Drug Policy
Per-state cannabis legality status (composite: NORML state pages, DISA legality map, NCSL medical cannabis tracker)
- 9.5
Property Rights
Institute for Justice -- Eminent Domain / Castle Coalition
- 7.5
Religious Liberty
FreedomRankings Editorial (no strong annual state-level source exists for religious liberty rankings)
- 4.9
Education Choice
EdChoice -- "ABCs of School Choice"
- 9.8
Regulatory Burden
Mercatus Center -- RegData state regulatory restrictions
Frequently Asked
South Dakota Freedom — Common Questions
Answers are generated from South Dakota's actual category scores and rank. Toggle the source to recompute against a different dataset.
How does South Dakota rank among US states for freedom?
South Dakota ranks #6 of 50 US states with a freedom score of 69/100. The score is a weighted average of 10 categories — constitutional rights, economic freedom, criminal justice, drug policy, education choice, and more — drawn from the FreedomRankings Hybrid multi-source index (Fraser Institute, EdChoice, Institute for Justice, Vera Institute, NORML, Mercatus RegData, Guns & Ammo).
What are South Dakota's strongest freedoms?
South Dakota scores highest in Regulatory Burden (9.8/10), Economic Freedom (9.6/10), and Property Rights (9.5/10). These are the categories where South Dakota is most protective of individual liberty relative to other US states.
What are South Dakota's biggest freedom restrictions?
South Dakota scores lowest in Criminal Justice (2.4/10), 4th Amendment (4.5/10), and Education Choice (4.9/10). These are the categories where South Dakota is most restrictive relative to other US states.
Is South Dakota a gun-friendly state?
South Dakota scores 8.8/10 on Second Amendment / gun rights, which places it among the most gun-friendly states in the country. This score reflects carry laws, permit requirements, magazine and assault-weapon restrictions, red flag laws, and castle doctrine / stand-your-ground protections.
How does South Dakota score on economic freedom and taxes?
South Dakota scores 9.6/10 on economic freedom, placing it among the top states for economic freedom. The score reflects state income-tax rates, sales and property taxes, business tax climate, right-to-work status, and the overall regulatory burden on economic activity.
What is South Dakota's drug policy score?
South Dakota scores 5.5/10 on drug policy, which makes it mixed on drug policy — some reforms but ongoing restrictions. The score incorporates recreational and medical marijuana legality, decriminalization of possession, harm-reduction programs, and sentencing for drug offenses.
How does South Dakota rank for school choice and education freedom?
South Dakota scores 4.9/10 on education choice, placing it below average for education freedom. The score reflects voucher programs, education savings accounts, charter-school access, homeschool regulations, and tax-credit scholarships.
How is South Dakota's freedom score calculated?
Each of South Dakota's 10 category scores (0–10) is a weighted average, then multiplied by 10 to produce the overall 0–100 freedom score. Categories are weighted equally by default, but visitors can adjust the weights on the rankings page to produce a personalised ranking. The default source is the FreedomRankings Hybrid multi-source index; the Cato Institute 2023 edition and an editorial assessment are also available as toggles. See the methodology page for per-category source attribution.
Elected Officials
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