The department shall prescribe and adopt a uniform method of numbering certificates of title which is unique and for which the numbers may not be duplicated. The department shall appropriately file and index all records by title number. Applications, certificates of titles, and any other documents filed with the department shall be retained by the department.

Source: SDC 1939, § 44.0202 (9) as added by SL 1951, ch 229, § 2; SL 1963, ch 252; SL 1965, ch 186, § 2; SL 1989, ch 257, § 18; SL 2020, ch 126, § 1.