Any person who appears to be intoxicated or incapacitated by the effects of alcohol or drugs and is clearly dangerous to the health and safety of oneself or others may be taken into protective custody by law enforcement authorities, acting with probable cause. If the person is taken into protective custody, the person must be taken to an approved treatment facility offering detoxication services for emergency detainment. If emergency detainment is not appropriate, as determined by the administrator of the treatment facility or an authorized designee, the person may be detained as a patient in protective custody until no longer intoxicated or up to forty-eight hours after admission. If no approved treatment facility is readily available, the person must be taken to an emergency medical service or a jail, but only until the person is no longer intoxicated or incapacitated or only so long as may be necessary to prevent injury to oneself or others.

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Terms Used In South Dakota Codified Laws 34-20A-55

  • Person: includes natural persons, partnerships, associations, cooperative corporations, limited liability companies, and corporations. See South Dakota Codified Laws 2-14-2
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.

Source: SL 1974, ch 240, § 10 (a), (b); SL 1975, ch 222; SDCL Supp, § 34-20A-54; SL 1976, ch 217, § 3; SL 1983, ch 198, § 10; SL 1985, ch 277, § 7; SL 2010, ch 173, § 1; SL 2022, ch 108, § 2.