South Dakota School Recording Laws

South Dakota's one-party consent law (SDCL 23A-35A-20) permits any participant in a conversation, including students and parents, to record meetings, classroom interactions, and school conferences without notifying the other party. FERPA (20 U.S.C. 1232g) separately governs how schools may share recordings that contain identifiable student education records.

Recording in South Dakota schools involves a mix of state recording law, federal student privacy protections, and individual school district policies. South Dakota's one-party consent law (SDCL 23A-35A-20) allows participants in conversations to record without notifying others, but schools also must comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and may have their own rules about recording on school grounds.

This guide covers student, parent, and teacher recording rights, school security cameras, school board meeting recording, IEP and special education meeting recording, and how these different legal frameworks interact.

Student Recording Rights

Can Students Record at School?

Under South Dakota's one-party consent law, students can legally record conversations they participate in. This includes:

• Conversations with teachers about grades or assignments
• Discussions with school counselors (subject to counselor-student privilege considerations)
• Interactions with school administrators
• Conversations with other students

However, school districts have the authority to adopt policies that restrict recording on school grounds. A student who records in violation of a school policy could face disciplinary action, even though the recording itself is legal under state law.

Common School Recording Policies

Many South Dakota school districts have policies that:

• Prohibit students from using recording devices during class without teacher permission
• Restrict cell phone use during instructional time
• Require permission before recording other students
• Ban recording in certain areas like locker rooms and restrooms

Before recording at school, students should review their school's student handbook and acceptable use policies.

Recording Bullying and Harassment

Students who are experiencing bullying or harassment may want to record incidents as evidence. Under one-party consent, a student being bullied can record the interaction. These recordings can be valuable when:

• Filing a complaint with school administrators
• Providing evidence to parents
• Supporting a formal bullying investigation
• Documenting a pattern of harassment

South Dakota's anti-bullying law requires school districts to adopt policies that address bullying behavior. Recordings can help substantiate complaints under these policies.

Parent Recording Rights

Recording Meetings With Teachers and Administrators

South Dakota parents can record conversations with teachers, principals, counselors, and other school staff under one-party consent. Common situations where parents record include:

• Parent-teacher conferences. Recording the discussion helps parents remember details about their child's academic progress and teacher recommendations.
• Disciplinary meetings. When a child faces suspension or expulsion, recording the meeting preserves a complete record of what was said.
• Meetings about academic concerns. Recording discussions about grade disputes, curriculum issues, or placement decisions provides documentation.
• Safety discussions. Recording conversations about bullying incidents, safety concerns, or emergency protocols.

IEP and 504 Plan Meetings

Parents of students with disabilities frequently want to record Individualized Education Program (IEP) and Section 504 plan meetings. Recording a meeting you attend is not a crime in South Dakota, because SDCL 23A-35A-20 lets a participant record. That does not give you a right to record over the school's objection.

No federal statute gives parents a right to record IEP meetings. In its 1999 IDEA regulations (Appendix A, Question 21), the U.S. Department of Education said a state or school district may require, prohibit, limit, or otherwise regulate recording at IEP meetings. A policy that limits recording must allow it when a recording is needed for the parent to understand the IEP or the IEP process. Section 504 meetings are not covered by that IDEA guidance, so the district's own policy controls.

If the school records the meeting and keeps the recording, it becomes part of your child's education record under FERPA.

Practical considerations for recording IEP/504 meetings:

• Ask for your school district's written recording policy for IEP and 504 meetings before the meeting
• If the district requires notice, provide it in advance to avoid delays or meeting cancellations
• If the district limits recording and you need a recording to understand the IEP, say so in writing and ask for an exception
• Recording can help you review complex information about accommodations, goals, and services
• If a dispute arises, the recording provides an objective record of what was discussed and agreed upon

Recording Child Protection Services Interactions at School

If Department of Social Services (Child Protection Services) workers meet with your child at school and you are present, you can record the interaction under one-party consent. If you are not present, you cannot record the conversation yourself; ask the school and the Department of Social Services what their policies allow.

Teacher and Staff Recording Rights

Can Teachers Record Students?

Teachers participating in conversations with students can record those conversations under one-party consent. However, teachers should be aware of:

• FERPA restrictions on sharing recordings that contain student educational information
• School district policies that may restrict teacher recording
• Privacy concerns when recording minors
• Union agreements that may address recording in the classroom

Classroom Recording for Educational Purposes

Teachers who record lectures or class sessions for educational purposes (posting to learning management systems, providing to absent students) should:

• Follow their district's policies on recording and sharing classroom content
• Be aware that recordings of students may become education records subject to FERPA
• Obtain appropriate consent if sharing recordings beyond the classroom
• Avoid recording in areas where students have privacy expectations

School Security Cameras

Where Schools Can Place Cameras

South Dakota schools widely use security cameras for safety and monitoring. SDCL 22-21-1 restricts cameras only in private places, so video cameras are generally allowed in areas where students have no reasonable expectation of privacy:

• Hallways and corridors
• Cafeterias and lunch areas
• Gymnasiums (during general use, not as changing areas)
• Parking lots and exterior grounds
• Libraries and common study areas
• School entrances and exits
• Bus loading zones

Where Schools Cannot Place Cameras

Schools should not install cameras in locations where students have a reasonable expectation of privacy:

• Restrooms and bathrooms
• Locker rooms and changing areas
• Shower facilities
• Health office examination areas
• Counseling offices during private sessions

SDCL 22-21-1 makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to 1 year in jail and a $2,000 fine) to install a camera or recorder in a private place without the consent of the people entitled to privacy there. South Dakota defines a private place as one where a person can reasonably expect to be safe from intrusion or surveillance, but the definition excludes places the public or a substantial group can enter, so whether it reaches a shared restroom or locker room depends on the facts. Recording anyone undressed, or under or through their clothing, without consent and with intent to gratify oneself or to embarrass, harass, or invade their privacy is separately a crime under SDCL 22-21-4 wherever it happens.

Audio on School Security Cameras

School security cameras that capture audio raise additional legal concerns. Under SDCL 23A-35A-20, recording audio of conversations requires at least one party's consent. Recording students' conversations that no staff member takes part in, where they reasonably expect privacy, can be a Class 5 felony under SDCL 23A-35A-20, punishable by up to five years in prison. Many school districts use video-only surveillance to avoid this issue.

School Board Meeting Recording

Your Right to Record Open Meetings

South Dakota's Open Meetings Law (SDCL 1-25-11) explicitly protects the right to record public school board meetings. No school board can prevent the public from recording an open meeting as long as the recording is reasonable, obvious, and not disruptive.

You can record:

• Regular school board meetings
• Special school board meetings
• Public hearings on school budgets, policies, or construction
• Committee meetings that are open to the public

Executive Sessions

School boards can close portions of meetings (executive sessions) for specific reasons under SDCL 1-25-2, such as student disciplinary matters, personnel issues, or pending litigation. Recording is not permitted during closed sessions.

FERPA and Recording

How FERPA Affects School Recording

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA does not directly regulate recording, but it affects how recordings containing student information can be used and shared.

Key FERPA principles related to recording:

• Recordings of students that become part of their education records are protected by FERPA
• Schools generally cannot release recordings that are education records without parent consent (or student consent for students 18 and older), subject to FERPA's listed exceptions
• Security camera footage that captures identifiable students may be subject to FERPA when maintained as education records
• Parents have the right to inspect and review their own child's education records, which may include recordings

FERPA and Parent Recordings

FERPA does not prevent parents from making their own recordings during school meetings. A parent's personal recording of an IEP meeting or parent-teacher conference is the parent's property, not a school education record. The parent is not bound by FERPA in how they use their own recording.

However, if a parent's recording captures personally identifiable information about other students (for example, other students' names and grades mentioned during a meeting), sharing that recording publicly could raise privacy concerns.

More South Dakota Recording Laws

Audio Recording | Video Recording | Voyeurism & Hidden Cameras | Workplace Recording | Recording Police | Phone Call Recording | Security Cameras | Recording in Public | Landlord-Tenant | Dashcam Laws | Schools | Medical Recording

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record a teacher in South Dakota?

Yes. Under South Dakota's one-party consent law (SDCL 23A-35A-20), you can record any conversation you participate in, including conversations with teachers. However, your school may have a policy that restricts recording, which could result in disciplinary consequences.

Can parents record IEP meetings in South Dakota?

Recording a meeting you attend is not a crime under South Dakota's one-party consent law, but that does not give you a right to record over the school's objection. Federal IDEA guidance lets a school limit or prohibit recording of IEP meetings, but it must allow a recording when a parent needs one to understand the IEP or the process. Ask for your district's policy before the meeting.

Can schools put cameras in locker rooms in South Dakota?

Schools should not, and the law backs that up in two ways. SDCL 22-21-1 makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to install a camera in a private place without consent, although whether a shared locker room counts as a private place depends on the facts. Recording anyone undressed without consent and with intent to embarrass, harass, or invade their privacy is separately a crime under SDCL 22-21-4.

Can I record a school board meeting in South Dakota?

Yes. SDCL 1-25-11 explicitly protects the right to record open public meetings, including school board meetings. Your recording must be reasonable, obvious, and not disruptive. You cannot record closed executive sessions.

Does FERPA prevent recording at school?

No. FERPA does not prohibit parents or students from making their own recordings. FERPA restricts how schools share education records, including recordings that contain identifiable student information. Your personal recording of a meeting is your property, not a school record.