26-7A-48. Publication of summons--Affidavit or certificate of publication. If the petition or an affidavit of the state's attorney discloses that any person or party to be served with the summons is out of the state, on inquiry cannot be found, is concealed within the state, resides out of the state, whose mail at the last known address has been returned, whose location is unknown or is affected by the designation "All Whom It May Concern," the court shall cause the summons, modified to declare the initials of the child in lieu of the name of the child, to be published once in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county where the action is pending or in a newspaper in another county designated by the court as most likely to give notice to the party to be served. Publication of the summons shall be made not less than five days before the date of the hearing on the petition. Notice given by the publication is the only required notice to the concerned persons or parties to be served who are described in this section. An affidavit or certificate of publication made by the concerned newspaper and accepted by the court is evidence of service of summons by publication.

If service of the summons by publication is authorized, the party making service may at his option, without any order of the court, personally serve the summons on any person or party out of the state or the party may admit service of the summons, and no publication of the summons for that party is necessary.

Source: SDC 1939, § 43.0308; SL 1991, ch 217, § 60B; SDCL, § 26-8-16.