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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 2 · South Dakota

The South Dakota Registered Agent Unit (2026): 6 Tasks and the 3 Best Agents

Ranked for 2026, the services worth hiring for naming a registered agent in South Dakota are SD Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and South Dakota Registered Agent.co ($99 a year). Work through the 6 tasks and your registered agent will be appointed the right way.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

The quick version

Legally required
Yes
Official page sdlegislature.gov, last read October 2026
Cost of hiring an agent
$99 to $149 a year
Published rates
Annual report
$55 a year
Official page sdlegislature.gov, last read October 2026
Tasks in this unit
6
In order

What this unit teaches

  • Why South Dakota wants an agent on file
  • Who is eligible and the address test
  • How an agent gets on record
  • Which agents we recommend and why

South Dakota: our recommended services

Five published criteria decide the order; read them on how we grade.

Top of the class

1. SD Registered Agent.org: best for a small yearly agent fee

Start with this one$99 yearly, $99 at renewal

SD Registered Agent.org earns the top grade in South Dakota: an in-state street address for the registered office at $99 a year.

A smaller three-year total than Mainstay Filing earns it first place; cost counts 34%.

What the price covers

  • An in-state office address
  • Online copies of legal papers

What works

  • Less each year than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 per year

What to weigh

  • Serves South Dakota alone
  • No help with the annual report
Visit SD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Mainstay Filing: best for one agent in every state

All fifty states$149 yearly, $149 at renewal

Mainstay Filing is a solid second-place option: a $149 yearly agent fee that is identical across all fifty states.

It runs $150 above SD Registered Agent.org over three years, and cost is 34% of the grade.

What the price covers

  • A street address for the registered office
  • Free scans of legal papers served on the company, sent the business day they arrive
  • Up to three government letters a year are scanned free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • Good in every state
  • Price $149; renews at $149

What to weigh

  • $50 more a year than the local pick
  • Reports stay on your plate
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. South Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for a second local choice

Local choice$99 yearly, $99 at renewal

South Dakota Registered Agent.co takes third place: an in-state street address for the registered office at $99 a year.

It lists the same prices as SD Registered Agent.org.

What the price covers

  • An in-state office address
  • Online copies of legal papers

What works

  • $99 per year
  • Less each year than Mainstay Filing

What to weigh

  • Serves South Dakota alone
  • No help with the annual report
Visit South Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The South Dakota picks compared

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1SD Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit SD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3South Dakota Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit South Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Taken from each company's price page on November 13, 2026. State fees do not change with your choice of agent.

Naming a South Dakota registered agent, task by task

  1. Task 1

    Start with the legal rule

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

    Source: Official page sdlegislature.gov, last read October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Check who is eligible

    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 rule comes from SDCL 59-11-6.

  3. Task 3

    Pass the address test

    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.

    Paying a service keeps your home address out of public records.

  4. Task 4

    Serve yourself or use a professional

    Hiring from the recommended agents costs $99 to $149 a year; serving yourself is the option for those who qualify.

  5. Task 5

    Get the agent listed publicly

    A new company names its agent when it files the Articles of Organization; to replace the agent later, file again with the South Dakota Secretary of State.

    Source: Official page sdlegislature.gov, last read October 2026

  6. Task 6

    Check the record every year

    Send in the annual report on time ($55, due during the entity's anniversary month) and the agent record stays correct.

    Source: Official page sdlegislature.gov, last read October 2026

South Dakota agent costs

Line itemReceiverTotal
A professional agentThe provider$99 to $149 a year
Every year afterThe provider$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportGoes to the state$55 every year
State amounts come from South Dakota's official fee schedules (see the sources below); service prices come from each company's site. The three-year state total adds the filing, the reports for years two and three and any minimum tax.

Why the list runs this way

Course fee across three years settled first place in South Dakota. It is worth 34% of the grade, and the other 66% comes from assignments the price completes, second-year fee, match with the state syllabus and plain pricing.

SD Registered Agent.org costs $297 for years one to three, while Mainstay Filing costs $150 more.

Check your South Dakota answers

Is an LLC in South Dakota obliged to keep a registered agent?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

Often. Test yourself against the two rules in tasks 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes, any time. Task 5 explains how to file the change with the South Dakota Secretary of State.

What does a registered agent cost in South Dakota?

$99 to $149 a year across our picks.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

The yearly item is the annual report, which costs $55.

Which registered agent would you choose?

SD Registered Agent.org is first, Mainstay Filing and South Dakota Registered Agent.co follow, and SD Registered Agent.org wins on course fee across three years.

Reading list and sources

  1. Want proof for what the unit says about South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services /? Go to sdsos.gov; the copy we used dates from August 2026.
  2. Want proof for what the unit says about South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services /? Go to sosenterprise.sd.gov; the copy we used dates from August 2026.
  3. Want proof for what the unit says about South Dakota yearly filing: Annual report: fee and? Go to sdlegislature.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  4. Want proof for what the unit says about South Dakota report due date? Go to sdlegislature.gov; the copy we used dates from August 2026.
  5. Want proof for what the unit says about SDCL 47-34A-203? Go to sdlegislature.gov; the copy we used dates from August 2026.
  6. Want proof for what the unit says about South Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source? Go to sdsos.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  7. Want proof for what the unit says about South Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source? Go to sdlegislature.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  8. Want proof for what the unit says about South Dakota registered agent statute? Go to sdlegislature.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  9. Figures from SD Registered Agent.org's pricing page, November 13, 2026
  10. Figures from Mainstay Filing's South Dakota service page, November 13, 2026
  11. Figures from South Dakota Registered Agent.co's pricing page, November 13, 2026