District of South Dakota Bankruptcy Trustee Directory (2026)

The District of South Dakota functions as a single federal judicial district covering the entire state, with administrative oversight managed through the United States Trustee Program for Region 12 (which encompasses Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota).

Court operations and hearings occur in multiple courthouses, including Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Pierre, and Aberdeen, while private bankruptcy trustees administer individual Chapter 7, Chapter 12, and Chapter 13 cases statewide.

Key Points: District of South Dakota Bankruptcy Trustees

Bankruptcy District: South Dakota functions as a single federal judicial district, with main court offices in Sioux Falls and Pierre, and hearing locations serving the Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Pierre, and Aberdeen divisions.
U.S. Trustee Program: Administrative oversight for all trustees and proceedings is maintained under Region 12 of the U.S. Trustee Program (headquartered in Des Moines, IA).
Chapter 7 Liquidation: Chapter 7 Trustees in South Dakota review the debtor’s schedules and financial documents, conduct the Section 341 Meeting of Creditors, evaluate exemptions, and liquidate non-exempt assets for distribution to unsecured creditors.
Chapter 13 Reorganization: The Chapter 13 Trustee supervises repayment plans statewide, presides over Section 341 meetings, evaluates plan feasibility for confirmation hearings, collects monthly plan payments from debtors, and distributes funds to creditors.
Document Submissions: Debtors must provide financial documents such as tax returns, recent pay stubs, and complete bank statements.

The District of South Dakota

The District of South Dakota is organized into four judicial divisions. These divisions govern where a bankruptcy petition is filed and administered, which determines the local Chapter 7 trustee assigned to your case, while a single standing Chapter 13 trustee administers reorganization cases statewide.

Southern Division (Sioux Falls)

The main bankruptcy court and clerk’s office for the district is located at the United States Courthouse, 400 South Phillips Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD 57104. The Southern Division handles case administration for southeastern South Dakota, serving the following counties: Bon Homme, Brookings, Brule, Charles Mix, Clay, Davison, Douglas, Hanson, Hutchinson, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Sanborn, Turner, and Yankton.

Western Division (Rapid City)

Court proceedings for the Western Division are conducted at the Andrew W. Bogue Federal Building and United States Courthouse, 515 9th Street, Rapid City, SD 57701.

The Western Division serves West River region counties: Bennett, Butte, Custer, Fall River, Haakon, Harding, Jackson, Lawrence, Meade, Oglala Lakota, Pennington, Perkins, and Ziebach.

Central Division (Pierre)

The Central Division clerk’s office and bankruptcy court facilities are located at the United States Post Office and Courthouse, 225 South Pierre Street, Pierre, SD 57501.

The Central Division serves central South Dakota counties: Buffalo, Dewey, Hughes, Hyde, Jones, Lyman, Mellette, Potter, Stanley, Sully, Todd, and Tripp.

Northern Division (Aberdeen)

Court hearings for the Northern Division are held at the United States Post Office and Courthouse, 102 4th Avenue SE, Aberdeen, SD 57401.

The Northern Division serves northeastern and northern South Dakota counties: Beadle, Brown, Campbell, Clark, Codington, Corson, Day, Deuel, Edmunds, Grant, Hamlin, Hand, Jerauld, Marshall, McPherson, Roberts, Spink, and Walworth.

Below is a breakdown of the distribution of Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 filings handled by trustees across South Dakota.

Year	Chapter 7 Filings	Chapter 13 Filings	Total Filings
2025	505	158	663
2024	464	153	617
2023	459	163	622

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustees

Appointed panel trustees in the District of South Dakota oversee Chapter 7 liquidation proceedings in accordance with 11 U.S.C. §704(a). These statutory duties require the Chapter 7 trustee to:

Examine the debtor’s voluntary petition, schedules, bank statements, pay stubs, and financial disclosures.
Preside over and conduct the mandatory 341 Meeting of Creditors.
Investigate the financial affairs of the debtor, including pre-petition property transfers and financial transactions.
Identify, secure, and liquidate non-exempt estate property to distribute funds to general unsecured creditors.

Trustees require debtors to submit financial verification records, including federal and state income tax returns (or tax transcripts), recent pay stubs/proof of income, and complete bank statements.

Pursuant to Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 4002(b) and local practice within the District of South Dakota, these documents must be provided to the trustee no later than 7 days before the scheduled Section 341 Meeting.

Failure to satisfy these statutory disclosure requirements under 11 U.S.C. §521(a)(3) and (4) may result in the trustee continuing the 341 Meeting, filing a motion to compel, or seeking case dismissal.

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustees in the District of South Carolina (2026)

Below are the Chapter 7 trustees for the District of South Carolina in 2026.

Trustee Name	Contact Information & Address
Nicole B. Hughes	25 Main Place, Suite 200 Council Bluffs, IA 51503 E-mail: nhughes@telpnerlaw.com Phone: (712) 325-9000
Robert Meadors	PO Box 1024 Sioux Falls, SD 57101 -1024 E-mail: rlm@bsmllp.com Phone: (605) 333-0070
Lee Ann Pierce	316 4th Street P.O. Box 524 Brookings, SD 57006 E-mail: leeannpierce@swiftel.net Phone: (605)692-9415

Chapter 13 Standing Trustee

The Chapter 13 standing trustee in the District of South Dakota supervises wage earner reorganization plans pursuant to Sections 1302 and 1326. Primary statutory responsibilities include evaluating proposed household budgets, examining schedules, placing debtors under oath during the Section 341 Meeting of Creditors, and scrutinizing proposed repayment plans for accuracy, statutory compliance, and feasibility.

Beyond the petition review, the Chapter 13 trustee participates in confirmation hearings, receives direct or payroll-deducted monthly plan contributions, and disburses payments to secured, priority, and general unsecured creditors once the court confirms the reorganization plan.

The Standing Chapter 13 trustee administers wage earner reorganization cases across all four divisions (Southern, Western, Central, and Northern) within the District of South Dakota.

Trustee Name	Contact Information & Address
Kyle L. Carlson	55 2nd Avenue SW PO Box 519 Barnesville, MN 56514 E-mail: info@carlsonch13mn.com Phone: (218) 354-7356

Conclusion

Trustees operating across South Dakota supervise liquidation and reorganization proceedings serving all four court divisions: Southern (Sioux Falls), Western (Rapid City), Central (Pierre), and Northern (Aberdeen).

Preparing for the mandatory Section 341 Meeting of Creditors, supplying requested tax transcripts and financial documents in a timely manner, and verifying the accuracy of all petition schedules ensures that the trustee can complete their estate administration without unnecessary delays or risk of case dismissal.

Professor Hernandez is an attorney specializing in consumer finance and debt relief. He is the author of Consumer Bankruptcy Law (Routledge) and teaches law and finance courses in both English and Spanish at an international university.

Educational Resources

For Institutions: Colleges and universities may request examination copies of my textbook directly from Routledge Publishing.
For Students & Practitioners: Single print and digital copies are available via Amazon Books.
Video Lectures: Stream comprehensive legal breakdowns and video explanations on the Bankruptcy.blog YouTube Channel.

Bankruptcy Court & Consumer Resources

Explore additional consumer guides and state-specific directories to navigate your legal options:

A step-by-step master guide to completing and understanding the bankruptcy petition.
Bankruptcy Court Directory: Full listings for the federal bankruptcy court system and trustee contact information.
State Bankruptcy Exemptions: Review your state‑specific exemptions or compare them with the federal exemptions.
341 Meeting Procedures: Prepare for your court date with updated rules, expectations, and practical guidance.

Please note that the information on this site does not constitute legal advice and should be considered for informational purposes only.

Bankruptcy Code Statutory References

11 U.S. Code §341 – Meetings of creditors and equity security holders.
11 U.S. Code §704 – Duties of trustee.
11 U.S. Code §521 – Debtor’s duties.
11 U.S. Code §1302 – Trustee.
11 U.S. Code §1326 – Payments.
11 U.S. Code §1324 – Confirmation hearing.
Federal Bankruptcy Rule 4002. Debtor’s Duties.