SOS Entity SearchPublic registry guide
All jurisdictions/South Dakota

46 · jurisdiction profile

South Dakota business filings, made easier to navigate.

This is the practical starting point for researching entities administered by South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services. Find the public search tool, understand the state’s filing rhythm, and plan the evidence and maintenance steps that follow.

Open official entity search

Domestic LLC

South Dakota domestic LLC Articles of Organization are $150 online or $165 by paper, including the paper processing surcharge. The filing requires a distinguishable name, organizer, principal office, South Dakota registered agent/office, and statutory information.

Domestic corporation

South Dakota domestic business corporation Articles of Incorporation use the current fee schedule and online/paper route; the accessible schedule separates corporation fees by filing type and does not expose the corporation line in the extract. Confirm the current amount and any share-based component in the live filing screen.

Standard turnaround

LLC and business-corporation formations can be filed immediately online, and online annual reports provide immediate downloadable receipt/acknowledgment after payment. Paper filings take normal office processing time and add the published $15 paper surcharge.

Executive overview

What this state profile helps you decide

A state registry profile has two jobs. First, it tells you where the official record lives and how to search it. Second, it gives you enough compliance context to understand what the record means after you find it.

For South Dakota, the filing office is South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services. The current public-facing portal is powered or identified as South Dakota SOS Enterprise / Business Services online. The agency page and search engine should be treated as the final source for live forms, accepted payment methods, processing queues, and entity-specific notices.

Use this page when you need a high-level answer. Use the linked modules when you are preparing an actual filing, trying to cure a delinquency, ordering documentary evidence, or changing the statutory agent.

State filing snapshot

The numbers and obligations to surface first

Decision pointWhat the current profile says
Domestic formationLLC: South Dakota domestic LLC Articles of Organization are $150 online or $165 by paper, including the paper processing surcharge. The filing requires a distinguishable name, organizer, principal office, South Dakota registered agent/office, and statutory information.
Corporation: South Dakota domestic business corporation Articles of Incorporation use the current fee schedule and online/paper route; the accessible schedule separates corporation fees by filing type and does not expose the corporation line in the extract. Confirm the current amount and any share-based component in the live filing screen.
Foreign qualificationLLC: A foreign LLC Certificate of Authority is $750 online or $765 by paper under the published fee schedule. The foreign applicant provides jurisdictional existence information, a South Dakota registered agent and office, and the required authority filing.
Corporation: A foreign business corporation Application for Certificate of Authority uses the South Dakota corporate fee schedule and paper surcharge; the reviewed extract did not expose the corporation line's amount. Supply certified or acceptable home-jurisdiction evidence, South Dakota agent/office details, and authorized-share data.
Recurring maintenanceLLC: South Dakota LLC annual reports are due every year on the first day of the anniversary month, beginning the following year. The published fee schedule lists $55 online or $70 paper for LLC annual reports; paper includes the $15 surcharge, and delinquent reports add a $55 late fee under the current form.
Corporation: Business corporations also file annual reports every year on the first day of the anniversary month. The corporation fee is entity/form-specific in the current schedule; paper filings add $15, and delinquency begins two months after the due date with a published $55 late fee for applicable reports.
Registered agentSouth Dakota permits a noncommercial registered agent, including an eligible individual, or a commercial registered agent registered with the Secretary. The agent must maintain an actual South Dakota street address for service; commercial agents use a state registration number and agent/office data are public.

Choose your next guide

Formation is the beginning, not the compliance plan

The cheapest formation route is not always the simplest operating route. Before filing, confirm the name standard, statutory agent requirements, authorized-share or member information, local licensing, tax registrations, and any professional-entity restrictions that apply to the planned activity.

After formation, calendar the first report or statement immediately. A newly created entity may have a first-year exception, an anniversary-month due date, a quarterly filing window, or a separate tax obligation. Treat the agency record, revenue department account, and local license file as related—but separate—workstreams.

How to use the official record responsibly

Save the entity ID, legal name, status, registered agent and office, formation or qualification date, and the most recent filed document. When a third party asks for “proof,” ask whether it needs a current certificate, certified charter, tax clearance, apostille, or a plain search result. Those are different documents with different evidentiary value.