Chester, SD Public Records
Chester is an unincorporated community (a census-designated place) in Lake County, South Dakota, with an estimated population of 152 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey) and 0.8 square miles of land.
🏢 Local Government for Chester
Chester is not an incorporated city or town, so it has no city hall, town clerk or local government of its own. Local government services and records for Chester come from Lake County and from the township or town government whose territory includes it. Birth and death certificates, marriage records, deeds and court files come from the county and state offices below.
Population figure: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimate for the Chester census-designated place (a statistical area, not a government).
↑ Back to record types🏛️ County Courthouse & Records Office for Chester
Chester is in Lake County. In South Dakota, deeds, mortgages and other land records are recorded by the county Register of Deeds. Divorce cases in South Dakota are heard by the Circuit Court in each county. Wills and estates in South Dakota are handled by the Circuit Court in each county.
📍 Lake County at a Glance
| County | Lake County |
| County population (2024 est.) | 11,006 Source: www2.census.gov ↗ |
⚖️ Lake County Clerk of Court
| Address | 200 East Center Street, Madison, SD 57042-2941 |
| Directions | Get directions ↗ |
| Phone | (605) 256-5644 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to noon & 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday |
| Records available | South Dakota Circuit Court and magistrate court case records for the county (civil, criminal, divorce, probate, small claims) |
| Official website | Not stated |
| Sources | ujs.sd.gov/…/lake-county ↗ |
| Last verified | October 17, 2026 |
See the full Lake County records page →
↑ Back to record types📋 Where to Get Records for Chester
Where to get the most-requested public records for people and property in Chester, SD:
📋 Chester Records Guide
| Birth & death certificates | South Dakota Department of Health – Vital RecordsCertified birth and death certificates for South Dakota are issued by the state vital records office; in some places a county or local office can also issue copies. |
| Deeds & property records | In South Dakota, deeds, mortgages and other land records are recorded by the county Register of Deeds. |
| Court cases & divorce | Lake County courthouse. Divorce cases in South Dakota are heard by the Circuit Court in each county. |
| Wills & estates | Wills and estates in South Dakota are handled by the Circuit Court in each county. |
| State court system | South Dakota Unified Judicial System |
| Sex offender registry | South Dakota Sex Offender Registry |