Skip to content
Business Basics LabLLC paperwork, measured state by state.

Lab sheet 1 · South Dakota

Forming an LLC in South Dakota (2026): 7 Procedures and the 3 Best LLC Services

The readings for forming an LLC in South Dakota in 2026 rank SD Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and South Dakota Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. South Dakota collects $150 at filing and expects the annual report every year; 7 procedures cover the whole run.

Recorded by the Business Basics Lab staff ·

Sheet summary

Fee for filing
$150Reference sdlegislature.gov, October 2026
Annual report
$55 a yearDeadline as stated: due during the entity's anniversary month
State fees collected in three years
$260No service fees counted
Number of procedures
7Listed below

You will be able to

  • The official South Dakota fee and form
  • Who may serve as the registered agent
  • How to remain in good standing
  • The readings and their reasoning

Best reading

The South Dakota results

The order follows five published criteria, set out in how we measure.
Begin here

1. SD Registered Agent.org: best for a small first invoice

$199 plus fees; $99 yearly after

Top of the South Dakota readings is SD Registered Agent.org: a formation fee of $199 and an agent renewal of $99 a year.

On three-year cost it reads below Mainstay Filing, a large part of the measurement.

The annual report lies outside the price.

What the price performs

  • The filing is performed for you
  • Agent service for the first year

Measured strengths

  • $99 a year afterward
  • $199 to form
  • Agent service for year one costs nothing extra

Measured limits

  • No annual report service is offered
  • Assistance with the EIN is $99 more
Visit SD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for new owners who prefer to delegate

$199/yr plus the $150 state fee

Mainstay Filing is an acceptable second choice: observed cost is $199 a year for filing, registered agent service and the annual report, with no change at renewal ($199).

SD Registered Agent.org measures $200 lower over three years, which keeps this service out of first place.

The owner does not file the annual report; the $55 state fee is simply passed through.

What the price performs

  • Formation filing
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Annual report filed on schedule
  • EIN application included
  • State fee passed through at cost

Measured strengths

  • It submits the EIN application
  • The renewal price stays at $199
  • $199 per year for the full bundle

Measured limits

  • Its renewal is $100 higher than SD Registered Agent.org's
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Local candidate

3. South Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for LLCs that keep to South Dakota

$199 plus fees; $99 yearly after

Reading 3 belongs to South Dakota Registered Agent.co, because a formation fee of $199 and an agent renewal of $99 a year.

The annual report lies outside the price.

On price it matches SD Registered Agent.org.

What the price performs

  • The filing is performed for you
  • Agent service for the first year

Measured strengths

  • $199 to form
  • Agent service for year one costs nothing extra
  • $99 a year afterward

Measured limits

  • No annual report service is offered
  • Assistance with the EIN is $99 more
Visit South Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Comparison of the services

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1SD Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit SD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3South Dakota Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit South Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Drawn from each company's pricing on November 13, 2026. Every row needs the $150 state fee added.

The sheet, procedure by procedure

  1. Procedure 1: Confirm no other company holds the name

    A name held by another South Dakota company can cause the filing to be returned; the business search at the South Dakota Secretary of State gives the answer in advance.

    TipCheck the matching web domain in the same sitting.

  2. Procedure 2: Appoint a registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A commercial registered agent listed with the state, a noncommercial agent (an individual or entity with a South Dakota address), or the title of an office in the company.

    The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in South Dakota, plus a South Dakota mailing address if it differs.

    TipAny ranked service can be engaged for this procedure.

    Specimen: Reference sdlegislature.gov, October 2026

  3. Procedure 3: Compare filing alone with engaging a service

    The owner can file for $150 or add $199 for a service. The ranked services appear above.

  4. Procedure 4: Prepare the Articles of Organization

    The company comes into existence through the Articles of Organization, delivered to the South Dakota Secretary of State with $150. Official timing: Paper 1 to 3 business days; online processed immediately.

    Specimen: Reference sdlegislature.gov, October 2026

  5. Procedure 5: Obtain an EIN

    The IRS issues EINs, not South Dakota. Apply after approval and pass the number to the bank. This procedure sits inside the Mainstay Filing package.

  6. Procedure 6: Prepare an operating agreement

    Even a single-owner South Dakota LLC gains from a written operating agreement kept on file.

  7. Procedure 7: Maintain good standing in South Dakota

    Recurrence is governed by the annual report ($55, every year, by due during the entity's anniversary month). Filing late adds $50.

    Specimen: Reference sdlegislature.gov, October 2026

What will be paid

ProcedurePaid toPrice
Formation filingState$150
Annual reportState$55 every year
Late reportState$50
Help from a serviceThe service$199 at the outset
State fees for three yearsState$260
Figures paid to South Dakota are its published fees, with the specimens listed beneath the table; each service row is that company's own price. The three-year state row sums the filing, the year-two report, the year-three report and any minimum tax.

Why SD Registered Agent.org comes first

Measured cost over three years accounts for 36% of the reading, and it is where pulled ahead in South Dakota.

SD Registered Agent.org totals $397 over three years, a difference of $200 from Mainstay Filing.

Questions readers ask

What does South Dakota charge to set up an LLC?

Filing costs $150. A ranked service adds $199 in year one.

Which form creates the LLC?

The South Dakota Secretary of State receives the Articles of Organization, the document that forms the company.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

How long does South Dakota take to process the filing?

The state lists Paper 1 to 3 business days; online processed immediately.

What does South Dakota require each year?

File the annual report every year, paying $55; the deadline is due during the entity's anniversary month.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

South Dakota takes filings directly from owners, so no service is required; expect $150 and a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

SD Registered Agent.org reads highest, Mainstay Filing and South Dakota Registered Agent.co follow; SD Registered Agent.org leads on measured cost over three years.

Next sheet

Specimens and records

  1. To reproduce the South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services / result, consult sdsos.gov. Our observation of it is dated August 2026.
  2. To reproduce the South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services / result, consult sosenterprise.sd.gov. Our observation of it is dated August 2026.
  3. To reproduce the South Dakota yearly filing: Annual report: fee and result, consult sdlegislature.gov. Our observation of it is dated October 2026.
  4. To reproduce the South Dakota report due date result, consult sdlegislature.gov. Our observation of it is dated August 2026.
  5. To reproduce the SDCL 47-34A-203 result, consult sdlegislature.gov. Our observation of it is dated August 2026.
  6. To reproduce the South Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source result, consult sdsos.gov. Our observation of it is dated October 2026.
  7. To reproduce the South Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source result, consult sdlegislature.gov. Our observation of it is dated October 2026.
  8. To reproduce the South Dakota registered agent statute result, consult sdlegislature.gov. Our observation of it is dated October 2026.
  9. To reproduce the Processing, official source result, consult sdsos.gov. Our observation of it is dated October 2026.
  10. SD Registered Agent.org pricing page, recorded November 13, 2026
  11. Mainstay Filing South Dakota service page, recorded November 13, 2026
  12. South Dakota Registered Agent.co pricing page, recorded November 13, 2026