SD Registered Agent.org takes the top spot because forming in South Dakota costs $199 plus the state fee, and year-one registered agent service is covered, then $99 a year.
The registered office is an in-state street address supplied by the plan, and any papers served on the company show up as scans in your online account.
Its published prices leave out the annual report, so the owner files it with South Dakota every year.
It costs less than Mainstay Filing over three years, and cost is one of our two heaviest criteria.
In the price
- LLC filing done for you
- Year one as your registered agent
Good
- Formation costs $199 before the state fee
- Keeps the agent for $99 a year after year one
- Covers your first year of registered agent service
Watch for
- Leaves the annual report to the owner
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
Mainstay Filing makes the list at number two because $199 a year pays for the South Dakota filing, a year as your registered agent and the annual report, and the renewal is $199.
Renewal includes Mainstay filing the annual report on your behalf. The state fee in South Dakota is $55 every year, due due during the entity's anniversary month, with $50 added if it is late, and Mainstay passes that fee through at cost.
SD Registered Agent.org undercuts it by $200 across three years, which leaves Mainstay Filing second on cost.
In the price
- The formation filing, submitted on your behalf
- Your registered agent for the full year
- Your annual report, prepared and filed for you
- EIN application handled
Good
- Renews at $199 with no add-ons
- South Dakota's fee is added at cost
- EIN application is part of the package
- A single $199 yearly price that covers the annual report
Watch for
- The agent part costs $100 a year more than SD Registered Agent.org's after year one
South Dakota Registered Agent.co makes the list at number three because forming in South Dakota costs $199 plus the state fee, and year-one registered agent service is covered, then $99 a year.
The registered office is an in-state street address supplied by the plan, and any papers served on the company show up as scans in your online account.
Its published prices leave out the annual report, so the owner files it with South Dakota every year.
We found no difference in price or features between SD Registered Agent.org and South Dakota Registered Agent.co; choose whichever you prefer.
In the price
- LLC filing done for you
- Year one as your registered agent
Good
- An agent price of $99 from year two
- Files the LLC for $199 and the state fee
- The registered agent role is free for the first year
Watch for
- Leaves the annual report to the owner
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
The 3 picks side by side
Each number out of 10 is our own mark, drawn from the weighted criteria on How we rank, and not a customer rating.
South Dakota LLC service pricing in 2026: first year, renewals, three-year total
Every price comes from the company's own pages as of November 12, 2026. The $150 South Dakota filing fee comes on top of each row and is left out of the totals.
How the cut was made
Filing Shortlist puts 28% of the weight on three-year price and 28% on what the price covers. The remaining 44% goes to renewal terms, fit for the state and price clarity, and for South Dakota the deciding factor was three-year price.
SD Registered Agent.org adds up to $397 over three years, which is $200 below Mainstay Filing. Mainstay would file the annual report too, but an owner can do that alone for the state fee, so the smaller price won this page.
Every criterion and weight is set out on How we rank.
Forming in South Dakota: filing fee and form
The Articles of Organization costs $150 to file with the South Dakota Secretary of State. Each service here adds that fee at cost to its own price.
The state's usual processing time: Paper 1 to 3 business days; online processed immediately.
Keeping the company in good order in South Dakota after formation
File the annual report every year, by 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.
Common questions about South Dakota LLC services
What is the price of starting an LLC in South Dakota?
The state filing fee is $150, and service fees run $199.
Which document creates the LLC?
The Articles of Organization, submitted to the South Dakota Secretary of State.
What is the state's turnaround for a new South Dakota LLC?
The state quotes Paper 1 to 3 business days; online processed immediately as its standard processing time.
Must a new company list a registered agent when it forms in South Dakota?
Yes. South Dakota wants a registered agent named at formation and kept on file afterwards, with a street address in the state.
What does the company have to file after forming in South Dakota?
The annual report, every year, due due during the entity's anniversary month, for a $55 state fee.
Is the EIN application part of the price?
With Mainstay Filing it is, inside the yearly price. For the EIN application, SD Registered Agent.org and South Dakota Registered Agent.co bill $99. The IRS issues EINs at no charge if you apply yourself.
Which service tops the South Dakota LLC shortlist?
SD Registered Agent.org, because the South Dakota formation runs $199 above the state's fee, with the registered agent free for a year and $99 yearly to keep the agent.
Where the figures come from
- South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services / Corporations Division (checked again August 2026)
- South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services / Corporations Division (checked again August 2026)
- South Dakota yearly filing: Annual report: fee and how, official source (checked again October 2026)
- South Dakota report due date (checked again August 2026)
- SDCL 47-34A-203 (checked again August 2026)
- South Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked again October 2026)
- South Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked again October 2026)
- South Dakota registered agent statute (checked again October 2026)
- Processing, official source (checked again October 2026)
- Pulled from SD Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from Mainstay Filing: South Dakota service page, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from South Dakota Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026