Translation Services in Sioux Falls, SD

Languages spoken in Sioux Falls

11.2% of Sioux Falls residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, and 4.1% speak English less than “very well.” Spanish leads, followed by Russian, Polish, and other Slavic and German and other West Germanic.

Language spoken at home	Residents	Speak English less than “very well”
Spanish	8,558	3,865
Other languages	5,431	1,730
Other Indo-European languages	2,094	721
Russian, Polish, and other Slavic	1,639	n/a
Other Asian and Pacific Island languages	738	n/a
German and other West Germanic	547	n/a
French, Haitian Creole, or Cajun	539	n/a

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Sioux Falls city (tables C16001, C16002, B05002, B05006) (opens in a new tab). Figures with a wide margin of error are not shown.

Sioux Falls by the numbers

Residents: 201,469
Speak a language other than English at home: 20,980 11.2%
Speak English less than “very well”: 7,698 4.1%
Limited-English households: 1,943 2.3%
Born outside the U.S.: 17,455 8.7%

Detailed languages in South Dakota

The Census Bureau publishes individual languages for states, not for cities. These are the most-spoken languages other than English in South Dakota.

Spanish22,332
Other Native languages of North America9,521
German6,258
Amharic, Somali, or other Afro-Asiatic languages3,115
Other languages of Asia1,713
Swahili or other languages of Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa1,637
Nepali, Marathi, or other Indic languages1,516
Russian1,460

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B16001, South Dakota.

Language access rules in South Dakota

Court interpreter program: South Dakota Unified Judicial System (UJS) language access program, which publishes statewide and circuit language access plans, an Interpreter Handbook on ethics, procedures, and qualifications, an Interpreter Code of Ethics, and a list of languages for which UJS has needed interpreters and translators in past cases; prospective interpreters contact the UJS Language Access Coordinator.
Court-certified languages: The Third Judicial Circuit's language access plan states that the South Dakota court system has no formal interpreter certification requirements; that circuit keeps a list of local agencies and freelance interpreters, requires adequate fluency in English and the interpreted language, and consults outside sources such as Lutheran Social Services for languages not on its list. UJS posts a statement on interpreter services in languages including Amharic, Arabic, Dinka, French, Karen, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
The rule: SDCL 19-3-7 requires the court to procure and appoint a disinterested interpreter or translator when a witness cannot communicate in or understand English, with the fee paid and collected as other costs, and SDCL 23A-22-11 (Criminal Rule 28) lets a court appoint an interpreter and set reasonable compensation; SDCL 19-3-10 requires a qualified interpreter for deaf or mute persons in grand jury and criminal-exposure court proceedings, agency proceedings, and before any interrogation after arrest.
Agencies pay for deaf interpreters: Under SDCL 19-3-12, the court, board, commission, or agency conducting a proceeding appoints the interpreter required by 19-3-10, fixes a reasonable fee, and pays it from funds appropriated for its operation.
Paid sign language interpreting requires DHS registration: SDCL 1-36A-10.3 makes it a Class 2 misdemeanor to interpret for deaf or hard-of-hearing people for a fee, or to use the title interpreter, without certification and registration with the Department of Human Services, subject to exceptions in 1-36A-16 such as signing assistance in a medical emergency until a certified interpreter arrives.
Recognized interpreter credentials: Under SDCL 1-36A-10.5 (amended 2023), DHS registers interpreters certified by and in good standing with RID, NAD, the EIPA Center with a score of at least 3.5, or another department-approved entity, with annual registration required.
Official languages: SDCL 1-27-20 makes English the common language of official public documents, records, and meetings, and since 2019 designates the language of the Oceti Sakowin (Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota) as the state's official indigenous language.
Refugee program: South Dakota operates a hybrid refugee program in which the state administers Refugee Medical Assistance and a non-governmental replacement designee administers Refugee Cash Assistance and Refugee Support Services; because ORR stopped Refugee Support Services formula funding to nonprofit replacement designees effective October 1, 2025, the Department of Social Services sought state-based partners to deliver those services.

Sources

Where Sioux Falls residents born abroad come from

Countries of birth point to the languages behind the Census groups above, and to the documents (birth certificates, diplomas, court records) that arrive for translation.

Ethiopia1,859
El Salvador1,538
Guatemala1,538
Liberia1,204
Mexico1,053
Other Eastern Africa502

Language services in Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls questions

What languages are spoken in Sioux Falls?

11.2% of Sioux Falls residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, and 4.1% speak English less than “very well.” Spanish leads, followed by Russian, Polish, and other Slavic and German and other West Germanic. The most common countries of birth among residents born abroad are Ethiopia, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

How many Sioux Falls households have limited English?

1,943 of 85,992 households (2.3%), according to the Census Bureau: households in which no one age 14 or older speaks only English or speaks English “very well.” These are the households most likely to need an interpreter or translated documents.

How are court interpreters credentialed in South Dakota?

South Dakota Unified Judicial System (UJS) language access program, which publishes statewide and circuit language access plans, an Interpreter Handbook on ethics, procedures, and qualifications, an Interpreter Code of Ethics, and a list of languages for which UJS has needed interpreters and translators in past cases; prospective interpreters contact the UJS Language Access Coordinator. The Third Judicial Circuit's language access plan states that the South Dakota court system has no formal interpreter certification requirements; that circuit keeps a list of local agencies and freelance interpreters, requires adequate fluency in English and the interpreted language, and consults outside sources such as Lutheran Social Services for languages not on its list. UJS posts a statement on interpreter services in languages including Amharic, Arabic, Dinka, French, Karen, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Do you provide on-site interpreters in Sioux Falls?

Yes. We schedule interpreters in person in Sioux Falls and across South Dakota, and by phone and video nationwide, in 250+ languages including Spanish and ASL. Book less common languages as early as you can.

Do you provide conference and meeting interpreters in Sioux Falls?

Yes. We staff conferences, conventions, trade shows, seminars, corporate training, and client meetings in Sioux Falls with simultaneous or consecutive interpreters. For simultaneous interpreting, our own technicians deliver, run, and strike the booths, transmitters, and receivers, shipped from our own inventory.