exempt one motor vehicle of a debtor from being taken by legal process.
SB 150 would amend South Dakota law to allow debtors who are heads of households to exempt one motor vehicle from being seized by creditors. The vehicle must be valued at $5,000 or less after accounting for any existing loan or security interest. This change modifies existing exemption rules (§ 43-45-4), adding the vehicle as a specific exempt asset alongside other personal property limits. The bill directly affects South Dakota residents facing debt collection who qualify as heads of families, providing a concrete safeguard for their primary transportation.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 28, 2026
Last action Feb 19, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Introduced
→
Senate Judiciary Engrossed
·
1 edit
·
Feb 5, 2026
MINOR
The bill introduces a new exemption allowing debtors to protect one motor vehicle from legal seizure, provided its value does not exceed $5,000 after accounting for existing liens. This addition expands the list of protected assets under South Dakota law to include essential transportation for those facing financial hardship.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded from protecting specific personal items (like furniture, books, and clothing) to also include one motor vehicle.
EXEMPTIONS
Added a new exemption for a debtor's interest in one motor vehicle, capped at $5,000 in value over any existing security interests or liens.
Floor votes · Senate Feb 17, 2026
How they voted
24–10
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 35
Feb 17, 2026
D
Democratic3
100% Yea
R
Republican32
65% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
11
Key actions
7
Committee
3
Amendments
2
Feb 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 15, NAYS 19 S.J. 312
upper
Feb 17, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Deferred to another day , Passed, S.J. 270
upper
Feb 17, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Reconsidered , Passed, YEAS 24, NAYS 10 S.J. 269
upper
Feb 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Intent to reconsider , Passed, S.J. 263
upper
Feb 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 16, NAYS 17 S.J. 262
upper
Feb 12, 2026
Introduced
Senate Motion to amend , Passed, S.J. 262 Amendment 150D
upper
Feb 9, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Deferred to another day , Passed, S.J. 220
upper
Feb 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Judiciary Do Pass Amended , Passed, YEAS 4, NAYS 2 S.J. 16
upper
Feb 5, 2026
Introduced
Judiciary Motion to amend , Passed, S.J. 15 Amendment 150A
upper
Jan 28, 2026
Introduced
First read in Senate and referred to Senate Judiciary S.J. 129
upper
6 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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