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Filing Verdict

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

LLC service verdict · South Dakota

3 Best LLC Services in South Dakota (2026)

Filing Verdict's 2026 verdict on LLC services in South Dakota: Mainstay Filing ($199), SD Registered Agent.org ($199) and South Dakota Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. Mainstay Filing takes first place: $199 a year pays for the formation filing, a full year as your registered agent and the annual report, renewing at $199.
The Filing Verdict editorial team
Our top pick in South Dakota
Spot 1

1. Mainstay Filing: best for formation, agent and annual report for one price

$199 each year plus the state fee ($349 due at checkout)

9.5Editorial score
out of 10

Mainstay Filing wins here: the South Dakota formation, your registered agent and the annual report all sit in a single $199 yearly charge.

Mainstay files the annual report for you as part of the renewal. South Dakota charges $55 every year, due due during the entity's anniversary month, and a late filing adds $50; the state's fee is passed through at cost.

The three-year bill is $200 higher than SD Registered Agent.org's, and the wider coverage is worth that to us.

What you get

  • Formation paperwork prepared and filed
  • A full year of registered agent service
  • The annual report, prepared and filed
  • The EIN application

What we like

  • The EIN application comes with it
  • $199 at renewal, nothing extra
  • One $199 yearly price that includes the annual report
  • South Dakota's fee is passed through at cost

Cons

  • From year two its agent costs $100 a year more than SD Registered Agent.org's
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full Mainstay Filing verdict
Lower renewal than Mainstay
Spot 2

2. SD Registered Agent.org: best for a South Dakota LLC that plans to stay local

Formation $199, then $99 a year for the agent, plus the state fee

9.2Editorial score
out of 10

Second place goes to SD Registered Agent.org: a $199 formation fee on top of the state's own, then $99 a year for the agent.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

The annual report filing is not in its published prices, so you file it with South Dakota yourself every year.

What you get

  • The formation filing
  • A first year of registered agent service

What we like

  • Formation at $199 before the state fee
  • $99 per year keeps the agent after year one
  • Includes the first year as your registered agent

Cons

  • Does not take over the annual report
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit SD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full SD Registered Agent.org verdict
Lower renewal than Mainstay
Spot 3

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

Formation $199, then $99 a year for the agent, plus the state fee

9.0Editorial score
out of 10

Third place goes to South Dakota Registered Agent.co: a $199 formation fee on top of the state's own, then $99 a year for the agent.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

The annual report filing is not in its published prices, so you file it with South Dakota yourself every year.

Nothing in the published prices or features divides SD Registered Agent.org from South Dakota Registered Agent.co; pick either.

What you get

  • The formation filing
  • A first year of registered agent service

What we like

  • Year-two agent cost of $99
  • The first registered agent year is included
  • $199 to file, state fee extra

Cons

  • Does not take over the annual report
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit South Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full South Dakota Registered Agent.co verdict

The 3 verdicts at a glance

No.ServiceVerdict scoreService feeYear twoBest forVisit
1Mainstay Filing9.5$199$199/yrFormation, agent and annual report, one price Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2SD Registered Agent.org9.2$199$99/yrA South Dakota-only LLC watching its budget Visit SD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3South Dakota Registered Agent.co9.0$199$99/yrA South Dakota-only LLC watching its budget Visit South Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Scores come from Filing Verdict's editors, out of 10, using the criteria explained on How we rank; they are not customer ratings.

South Dakota LLC service prices for 2026: year one, renewals and three years

ServiceYear 1Year 2Year 3Total, 3 yearsAnnual report handled for you
Mainstay Filing$199$199$199$597Yes
SD Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397No
South Dakota Registered Agent.co$199$99$99$397No
Prices were read from each company's own pages on November 12, 2026. South Dakota's $150 filing fee goes on top of every row and is not counted in these totals.

How the order was set

Two criteria lead Filing Verdict's method at 35% apiece: total over three years and paperwork the price handles. Renewal behavior, match to the state and up-front pricing share the other 30%, and South Dakota came down to paperwork the price handles.

South Dakota wants a report every year with a $55 state fee, and filing late adds $50. Mainstay's price includes that filing and SD Registered Agent.org's does not, so the coverage score outweighed SD Registered Agent.org's lower three-year cost.

The full list of criteria and weights is on How we rank.

South Dakota LLC filing fee and form: official figures

Filing the Articles of Organization costs $150 at the South Dakota Secretary of State. Each service on this page adds that fee on top of its own price, at cost.

Standard turnaround from the state: Paper 1 to 3 business days; online processed immediately.

South Dakota LLC upkeep after the filing

The annual report is filed every year, due due during the entity's anniversary month. The state fee is $55. A late filing adds $50. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

South Dakota LLC service: questions answered

What does it cost to form an LLC in South Dakota?

The state filing fee is $150, and the service fee is $199.

Which form do I file to create the LLC?

You file the Articles of Organization with the South Dakota Secretary of State.

How long does South Dakota take to approve a new LLC?

The state's standard processing time: Paper 1 to 3 business days; online processed immediately.

Does a South Dakota LLC have to name a registered agent?

Yes. South Dakota requires every LLC to keep a registered agent on file, and the agent needs a street address in the state.

Which yearly filings does a South Dakota LLC owe?

Just the annual report, every year, due due during the entity's anniversary month ($55 state fee).

Does the price include the EIN application?

Mainstay Filing includes it in the yearly price. SD Registered Agent.org and South Dakota Registered Agent.co bill $99 extra. The IRS charges nothing for an EIN.

Which LLC service is the best pick in South Dakota?

Mainstay Filing, because one $199 yearly price that files the South Dakota formation, acts as your registered agent and files the annual report, renewing at $199.

Keep reading

Sources and dates

  1. South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services / Corporations Division, confirmed August 2026
  2. South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services / Corporations Division, confirmed August 2026
  3. South Dakota yearly filing: Annual report: fee and how, official source, confirmed October 2026
  4. South Dakota report due date, confirmed August 2026
  5. SDCL 47-34A-203, confirmed August 2026
  6. South Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source, confirmed October 2026
  7. South Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source, confirmed October 2026
  8. South Dakota registered agent statute, confirmed October 2026
  9. Processing, official source, confirmed October 2026
  10. Checked November 12, 2026: Mainstay Filing, South Dakota service page
  11. Checked November 12, 2026: SD Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages
  12. Checked November 12, 2026: South Dakota Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages