Aurora County homeowners pay a median of $1,574 a year in property tax on a median home value of $151,900. Its effective tax rate (property taxes paid as a share of home values, per the Tax Foundation) is 0.97%, the 26th highest of 65 South Dakota counties. Aurora County Director of Equalization explains how values were set for Aurora County and receives the local boards' records. The county assessor sets each home's value. Your first appeal usually goes to the local board of equalization for your city or township, unless your area has a consolidated board or you live in unorganized territory.
Closed for 2026Closed for 2026. The local board deadline was March 12, 2026, and the county board deadline was April 7, 2026. The next window opens when 2027 assessment notices are mailed, which must happen by March 1, 2027. The 2027 dates are not yet published. As an estimate only, using the statute's rules, the local board deadline would be about March 11, 2027, and the county board deadline about April 6, 2027. Relief programs have separate deadlines, such as November 1 for the disabled veteran exemption.
Local board of equalization: your written appeal must be mailed or delivered to the clerk of the local board by the Thursday before the third Monday in March. A postmark on or before that date counts. In 2026 that was March 12. The local board meets starting the third Monday in March. County board of equalization: file a written appeal with the county auditor by the first Tuesday in April. A postmark on or before that date counts. In 2026 that was April 7. Office of Hearing Examiners: send a letter to the chief administrative law judge in Pierre by the third Friday in May, which was May 15 in 2026. Circuit court: file within 30 days after the later of the published or served notice of the county board's decision (SDCL 10-11-44). From the Office of Hearing Examiners, file within 30 days after notice of its decision. Example: Brown County's 2026 Assessment and Appeal Procedure lists March 12 for the local board appeal and April 7 for the county board appeal.
Phone: 605-942-7164
Official county listing · call the county courthouse and ask for the county director of equalization
The Director of Equalization explains how your home's value was set and can answer questions before you appeal.
The county assessor must mail an assessment notice to each owner by March 1. The notice must also tell owners about certain tax relief programs, such as the owner-occupied, veteran and elderly or disabled programs.
Look up your home on the Aurora County Director of Equalization website and check square footage, bathrooms, condition and features. Mistakes are the easiest wins. Use our record card checklist.
Mail or deliver a written notice of appeal to the clerk of your city or township local board by the Thursday before the third Monday in March. If your appeal is not resolved there, file a written appeal with the Aurora County County Auditor by the first Tuesday in April. If your area has a consolidated board, file with the Aurora County County Auditor by the first Tuesday in April instead.
Recent sales of similar homes near you, with an explanation of how they match your home; Assessments of similar nearby homes that show your home is assessed higher; Errors in the property record, such as wrong size, wrong legal description or wrong classification; A written statement of the reason you are appealing, such as 'property is higher than market value'.
You must prove your value is wrong. The DOR Property Owner guide says that just stating the value is too high is not enough. You must have evidence, such as sales of similar properties or the assessments of similar properties, and you must show how those properties are comparable to yours. Your appeal must cover the total value of the property. An appeal on only the land or only the building counts as an appeal of the whole property.
Next step: County board of equalization. Written appeal to the county auditor by the first Tuesday in April (April 7 in 2026). A postmark on or before that date counts. The county board must mail its decision by the Friday after it adjourns (May 8 in 2026). If you disagree with the local board's decision, file a written appeal with the county auditor. The county board is made up of the county commissioners. It hears appeals from local board decisions, and from property owners in unorganized territories, which have no local board. If your property is in an area that combined its local and county boards (a consolidated board), your first appeal goes to the consolidated board, and you file with the county auditor by the same April deadline. After the county board, you can appeal to the Office of Hearing Examiners by the third Friday in May, or go to circuit court within 30 days. You cannot appeal to both at the same time.
The official appeal form is PT 17: Objection to Real Property Assessment (local board form; the clerk helps you complete it at the hearing).
Open Form PT 17Enter the market value on your assessment notice and what you think the home would really sell for. We estimate the yearly saving if the board agrees with you.
Some states cap how fast the taxable value of a home can rise (California, Florida, Michigan and Texas homesteads, for example). If your taxable value is already held below market value by a cap, a lower market value may not lower this year's bill.
Fill in your details and download a written appeal statement as a PDF or Word file. Most boards also require their own appeal form: file the form and attach this letter and your evidence to it.
Tax Appeal Map is a free information site, not a law firm or appraiser. The letter is a template, not legal advice.
Local board of equalization: your written appeal must be mailed or delivered to the clerk of the local board by the Thursday before the third Monday in March. A postmark on or before that date counts. In 2026 that was March 12. The local board meets starting the third Monday in March. County board of equalization: file a written appeal with the county auditor by the first Tuesday in April. A postmark on or before that date counts. In 2026 that was April 7. Office of Hearing Examiners: send a letter to the chief administrative law judge in Pierre by the third Friday in May, which was May 15 in 2026. Circuit court: file within 30 days after the later of the published or served notice of the county board's decision (SDCL 10-11-44). From the Office of Hearing Examiners, file within 30 days after notice of its decision. Example: Brown County's 2026 Assessment and Appeal Procedure lists March 12 for the local board appeal and April 7 for the county board appeal.
Check your assessment notice first. Most areas start with the city or township local board of equalization: send a written appeal to its clerk by the Thursday before the third Monday in March. If your area has a consolidated board, file with the Aurora County County Auditor by the first Tuesday in April instead. If the local board does not resolve your appeal, file with the Aurora County County Auditor by the first Tuesday in April.
Phone 605-942-7164.
No filing fee appears in the Department of Revenue guides or the statutes reviewed.
Contact details change; call or check the office website before you visit.