South Dakota state laws dictate that records documenting public decisions including court documents, arrest records, marriage certificates, vehicular violations and more are open and available to the public, largely due to the South Dakota Open Meetings Law. This legislation, itself in line with the Freedom of Information Act at the federal level, gives Hitchcock people with specifics relating to cases of governmental involvement, such as the names and addresses of those involved, the situations leading up an occurrence, effects and sentences passed down, and much more. Hitchcock is invested in promoting a free and open culture, and embraces these laws and regulations, imparting its residents the resources they need to keep both government bodies and criminals equally liable for their conduct.