<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta charset="UTF-8" /><meta http-equiv='content-language' content='en-us'/><title>SDLRC - Codified Law 23A-2-1 - Complaint as statement of offense--Signature under oath--Traffic ticket issued by law enforcement officer. </title><meta name="Generator" content="PowerTools for Open XML" /><style>span { white-space: pre-wrap; } p.s2048332Normal { margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-align: justify; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; } span.s2048332SENU { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2048332CL { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } p.s2048332Normal-000000 { margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent: 0.50in; text-align: justify; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; } span.s2048332DefaultParagraphFont { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2048332000001 { font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2048332SCL { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2048332SCL-000002 { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } body { text-decoration-skip-ink: none; } </style></head><body><div><p dir="ltr" class="s2048332Normal"><a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&amp;Statute=23A-2-1"><span class="s2048332SENU">23A-2-1</span></a><span xml:space="preserve" class="s2048332SENU">. </span><span class="s2048332CL">Complaint as statement of offense--Signature under oath--Traffic ticket issued by law enforcement officer.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2048332Normal-000000"><span class="s2048332DefaultParagraphFont">A complaint is a written statement of the essential facts constituting an offense charged. The complaint shall be signed under oath before a person authorized to administer oaths in the State of South Dakota. A law enforcement officer, in lieu of signing a complaint for a misdemeanor or felony under oath, may sign a statement printed or written on a complaint or summons on a uniform traffic ticket stating: "I declare and affirm under the penalties of perjury that this complaint or summons has been examined by me, and to the best of my knowledge and belief, is in all things true and correct." Any person who signs a statement as required by this section, knowing the statement to be false or untrue, in whole or in part, is guilty of perjury.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2048332Normal"><span xml:space="preserve" class="s2048332000001"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2048332Normal"><span class="s2048332SCL">Source:</span><span xml:space="preserve" class="s2048332SCL-000002"> SDC 1939 &amp; Supp 1960, § 34.1501; SDCL § 23-19-2; SL 1978, ch 178, § 3; SL 2015, ch 134, § 2; SL 2017, ch 105, § 1.</span></p></div></body></html>