Whenever the decision or judgment of the court has become final, the clerk of courts shall give notice to the attorneys or parties of record by electronic or first-class mail that the exhibits in the possession of the clerk, if not collected within thirty days, shall upon order of the court be destroyed or sold at sale under chapter 15-19. However, upon proper application to the court, the exhibit may be preserved as a part of the permanent record in the files. If an exhibit is a necessary part of the judgment or consists of a written instrument establishing the liability of a party against whom judgment has been rendered, a copy of it shall be made and retained by the clerk and the original canceled by endorsement across its face before being returned to the person entitled thereto as determined by the court. Unless the person entitled thereto as determined by the court shall furnish a true copy of such exhibit, he shall pay the fee of the clerk for making such copy.

Source: SDC 1939 & Supp 1960, § 33.1602; SL 1977, ch 171; SL 1979, ch 148; Supreme Court Rule 82-21; SL 1990, ch 149, § 9; SL 2020, ch 250 (Supreme Court Rule 20-02), eff. Feb. 24, 2020.