Local civics answers

Civics test answers for South Dakota

At your interview, four civics questions depend on where you live. These are the answers for South Dakota. Answer with the officials serving on the day of your interview.

Last updated November 2, 2026

Question 23

Who is one of your state's U.S. senators now?

Your answerName one.

  • John Thune
  • Mike Rounds

Question 61

Who is the governor of your state now?

Your answer

  • Larry Rhoden

Question 62

What is the capital of your state?

Your answer

  • Pierre

Question 29

U.S. representatives for South Dakota

Name your U.S. representative.

Your representative depends on your congressional district.

  • At largeDusty Johnson

How do you answer these questions in South Dakota?

South Dakota has two U.S. senators, John Thune and Mike Rounds. You only need to name one of them. A seat can change after an election, a resignation, or an appointment, so check the names again shortly before your interview.

South Dakota has a single seat in the House of Representatives, so everyone who lives there names the same person: Dusty Johnson.

South Dakota is one of 6 states with a single at-large seat, so the whole state shares one representative.

The governor of South Dakota is Larry Rhoden. Governors change after elections, so name the person in office on the day of your interview.

The capital of South Dakota is Pierre.

The governor question is also on the shorter list for the 65/20 special consideration, which is for applicants who are 65 or older and have been permanent residents for 20 years or more when they file. They study 20 questions instead of 128.

How do these questions fit into the civics test?

On the 2025 civics test, the officer asks up to 20 questions from the list of 128, and you pass by answering 12 correctly. The four questions on this page are part of that list, so any of them may come up. If one does, answer for the place where you live at the time of your interview.

Officeholders can change at any time, after an election, a resignation, or an appointment. We update this page from official sources and show the date of the last check at the top.

Read our guide to the 2025 civics test

After the oath: registering to vote

Once you take the Oath of Allegiance, you're a U.S. citizen and can register to vote. Each state sets its own deadlines and ways to register. vote.gov, the federal government's voter registration site, explains how it works in South Dakota and links to the state's election office.

Register to vote in South Dakota (vote.gov)
Practice the civics test

Sources

Answers for other states and territories