15-39-69. Venue. The venue is limited to the county of the residence of the defendant, if the defendant is a natural person, or the county in which the cause of action arose. If the defendant is a corporation, limited liability company, or a partnership, the proceedings shall be commenced in any county in which the defendant has its place of business. However, if the plaintiff in an action brought by the Bureau of Administration pursuant to § 1-14-14.3 is the State of South Dakota, an agency, as defined in subdivision 1-26-1(1), or employee of the state or any agency acting within the scope of the employee's employment, the proceedings may only be commenced in Hughes County. No change of venue may be recognized except by stipulations of the parties, or by order of the court on a showing of good cause by the defendant. Nothing in this section waives the common law doctrine of sovereign immunity or acts as a consent to suit by the State of South Dakota, its agencies, or its employees acting within the scope of their employment.
Source: SDC 1939 & Supp 1960, § 33.4107; SDCL, § 15-39-33; Supreme Court Rule 81-4; SL 1982, ch 167; SL 1994, ch 351, § 38; SL 1996, ch 5, § 5.