Rapid City SD – Pennington County officials confirmed today that the response to a cybersecurity incident first identified last Sunday morning continues to limit several public-facing county departments, even as core public safety services remain unaffected.
According to a release from the Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office, dated July 9, the county is working with local, state, and federal partners to investigate the incident while restoring systems.
Impact on County Services – Per the State:s Attorney’s Office, July 9, 2026
Planning and Zoning The county’s Planning & Zoning Commission will meet on July 13 solely to elect officers; all other agenda items are continued to July 27. Staff are currently processing building permits manually.
Treasurer’s Office: Unable to process vehicle registrations or accept payments of any kind.
Renewals remain available online at my605drive.sd.gov or at self-service kiosks.
Residents with temporary plates expiring within the week are directed to the Treasurer’s Office at 900 Concourse Drive.
Auditor’s Office: Early voting remains available; lien payments cannot be processed.
Register of Deeds: Accepting real estate recordings, though they cannot be fully processed.
Birth, death, and marriage certificates remain available via VitalChek.com or by phone at 605-773-4961.
County Commission: Meetings will continue as scheduled but may not be livestreamed; recordings will be posted as systems allow.
Critical Public Safety Services— 911 dispatch, the Pennington County Jail, and court services — remain fully operational.
Rapid City remains under review
Rapid City residents interact with both governments regularly, even if the distinction isn’t always visible day to day.
Pennington County is the larger jurisdiction, encompassing Rapid City and the surrounding area; county offices handle vehicle titles, property records, and marriage licenses for all county residents, including those in the city.
The City of Rapid City is a separate government with its own IT infrastructure, finance systems, and permitting processes — utility bills and building permits within city limits are handled entirely apart from county systems.
The two governments share some infrastructure and collaborate on select systems, which is precisely why an incident on the county’s network prompted the city to launch its own review.
Separately, the City of Rapid City confirmed in its own release that it is conducting “an extensive investigation of its systems” in relation to the county incident.
“Due to the incident at the County, the City’s IT team is conducting a thorough investigation to ensure City systems and data have not been affected,” City IT Director Jim Gilbert said in the release, adding that shared infrastructure between the city and county makes the review “a necessary step.”
This review is distinct from the county’s confirmed disruptions above and, as of publication, has not resulted in any confirmed changes to city meeting schedules, including the city’s own Planning Commission.
Per the same release, online utility payment processing is currently unavailable; residents can mail payments or pay in person at the City Finance Office, where physical receipts will be provided.
Processing of city building permits has also been disrupted, with no definitive timeline given for completion, though City Finance Officer Daniel Ainslie is quoted as expecting the impacts to be resolved soon.
Residents are advised to check with specific county and city departments before visiting in person. For county service updates, officials point to PennCo.org or the Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office Facebook page.
Regional Cyber Investigation Pauses Rapid City Building and Utility Payments
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