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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 1 · South Dakota

Starting an LLC in South Dakota (2026): 7 Tasks and the 3 Best LLC Services

For setting up an LLC in South Dakota in 2026, this unit puts Mainstay Filing ($199), South Dakota Registered Agent.co ($199) and SD Registered Agent.org ($199) at the top of the class, in that order. By the numbers: 7 tasks, $150 to file, $55 for the annual report.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Unit overview

State filing fee
$150
Source: sdlegislature.gov, read in October 2026
Annual report
$55 a year
Deadline wording: due during the entity's anniversary month
State cost, years 1 to 3
$260
Service fees not included
Task count
7
In order

What this unit teaches

  • What South Dakota charges to form an LLC and who takes the filing
  • What the registered agent rule asks for
  • What you file every year after that
  • Which services we recommend and why

The South Dakota honor roll

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

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for new owners who would rather hand off the work

Start with this one$199 yearly plus the $150 state fee

Our first pick is Mainstay Filing; for $199 each year you get the formation filed, a registered agent in place and the annual report sent in.

South Dakota Registered Agent.co is $200 lower across three years; this service still ranks higher because it does more of the work.

It also sends in the annual report, with South Dakota's $55 fee billed at cost.

What the price covers

  • The formation filing
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed for you on time
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • No markup on the state fee

What works

  • The renewal holds at $199
  • One flat $199 each year
  • It files your EIN application for you

What to weigh

  • $100 a year more than South Dakota Registered Agent.co at renewal
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. South Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for a tight-budget formation

One-state plan$199 to open, $99 a year after year one

South Dakota Registered Agent.co takes second place: the formation costs $199 beyond the state fee, and the agent renews at $99.

The price leaves out the annual report, so that is yours to file every year.

What the price covers

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 and the state fee
  • Year-one agent service costs nothing extra

What to weigh

  • You prepare the annual report yourself
  • An EIN add-on costs $99
Visit South Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. SD Registered Agent.org: best for a small agent renewal

One-state plan$199 to open, $99 a year after year one

SD Registered Agent.org takes third place: the formation costs $199 beyond the state fee, and the agent renews at $99.

The price leaves out the annual report, so that is yours to file every year.

Its prices are the same as South Dakota Registered Agent.co's, so either works.

What the price covers

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 and the state fee
  • Year-one agent service costs nothing extra
  • $99 yearly from year two

What to weigh

  • You prepare the annual report yourself
  • An EIN add-on costs $99
Visit SD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The South Dakota picks compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2South Dakota Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit South Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3SD Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit SD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. Add the $150 state fee to every row.

How a South Dakota LLC gets formed

  1. Task 1

    Choose the LLC's name

    Open the business search run by the South Dakota Secretary of State before anything else; it shows whether the name already sits on the South Dakota register.

    If the first name fails, you want another ready.

  2. Task 2

    Assign the registered agent role

    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.

    Any of the recommended services can take the registered agent job.

    Source: Source: sdlegislature.gov, read in October 2026

  3. Task 3

    File on your own, or get help

    You can file yourself for $150, or pay $199 more for a service. Our recommended services sit at the top of this unit.

  4. Task 4

    Prepare and sign the Articles of Organization

    Send the Articles of Organization to the South Dakota Secretary of State along with $150 to bring the LLC into existence. Published processing time: Paper 1 to 3 business days; online processed immediately.

    Source: Source: sdlegislature.gov, read in October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Order the LLC's federal tax number

    State approval first, IRS number second. If you hire Mainstay Filing, the EIN application is taken care of.

  6. Task 6

    Write an operating agreement

    Even a South Dakota LLC with one owner is better off with a written operating agreement in the files.

  7. Task 7

    Handle South Dakota's recurring filing

    The filing that repeats is the annual report ($55, every year, by due during the entity's anniversary month). Lateness adds $50.

    Source: Source: sdlegislature.gov, read in October 2026

South Dakota costs by task

Line itemPayeeAmount
Forming the LLCPaid to the state$150
Annual reportPaid to the state$55 every year
Penalty for filing latePaid to the state$50
Service, if you hire oneThe service$199 at the start
Three years of state feesPaid to the state$260
Three years of state cost equals the filing fee, plus the reports in years two and three, plus any minimum tax. The sources are listed below.

Why the list runs this way

Assignments the price completes makes up 31% of the grade, and that is where got ahead in South Dakota.

South Dakota Registered Agent.co is cheaper, but you would still do the annual report yourself.

Common questions

What will it cost to register a new LLC with South Dakota?

South Dakota bills $150. Put $199 on top if a service does the filing.

Which form creates the LLC?

The South Dakota Secretary of State takes the Articles of Organization, the paper that creates 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?

Posted processing time: Paper 1 to 3 business days; online processed immediately.

What does South Dakota require each year?

What repeats is the annual report ($55, every year, due due during the entity's anniversary month).

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state takes filings straight from owners, so no service is needed; plan on $150 and a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing, because a flat $199 covers formation, the registered agent and the annual report, and renewal costs $199. After it come South Dakota Registered Agent.co and SD Registered Agent.org.

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. Want proof for what the unit says about Processing, official source? Go to sdsos.gov; the copy we used dates from October 2026.
  10. Mainstay Filing: South Dakota service page, as seen on November 13, 2026
  11. South Dakota Registered Agent.co: pricing page, as seen on November 13, 2026
  12. SD Registered Agent.org: pricing page, as seen on November 13, 2026