The attorney general is elected by popular vote to a four-year term and holds an executive position as the state's chief legal officer.

The office handles felony criminal appeals, advises local prosecutors in the conduct of criminal trials and handles cases at the request of local prosecutors.

In addition, the office issues formal opinions interpreting statutes for the agencies and political subdivisions of the state.

A graduate of the University of South Dakota School of Law had held the office of attorney general from 1959 until 2022.

South Dakota has the second longest streak of Republican attorneys general in the country, dating back to 1975 (Nebraska has had Republican attorneys general since 1951).