The provisions of subdivision 43-28-2(7) apply to any certificate of discharge of any person who is a veteran as defined in § 33A-2-1. The certificate shall be recorded without charge and a certified copy of each version of the veteran’s discharge, excluding any copy that does not reflect the veteran’s character of discharge, shall be furnished to the person named in the certificate or the person’s dependents without charge if requested for the purpose of presenting or prosecuting a claim for compensation or pension. Otherwise, a discharge document recorded by the recorder or a designated official may be made available only to the veteran, the veteran’s parents, the veteran’s next of kin, the veteran’s legal representative, a county veterans service officer, a nationally accredited veterans’ organization service officer, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the veteran’s designee. Any person requesting a discharge document shall complete a form containing a statement specifying the person’s eligibility to receive the document based upon this section. The Department of Veterans Affairs shall provide the forms to each county register of deeds.

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Source: SL 1943, ch 37; SL 1953, ch 23; SDC Supp 1960, § 12.0712-1; SL 2003, ch 176, § 1; SDCL § 33-17-14; SL 2011, ch 1 (Ex. Ord. 11-1), §§ 20, 152, eff. Apr. 12, 2011; SL 2011, ch 152, § 16; SL 2015, ch 174, § 4, eff. Feb. 18, 2015; SL 2018, ch 199, § 3.