LLC Review Desk's 2026 picks for LLC services in South Dakota, favorite first, are Mainstay Filing ($199), South Dakota Registered Agent.co ($199) and SD Registered Agent.org ($199). Mainstay Filing is our favorite, because the South Dakota formation, your registered agent and the annual report all come in a single $199 price.
By the LLC Review Desk editorial team
Position 1
Our top pick
1. Mainstay Filing: best for formation, agent and annual report in one simple price
$199 a year, and the state fee goes on top ($349 at checkout)
Our score
9.2out of 10
9.2 out of 10
Our favorite is Mainstay Filing, because $199 a year covers the South Dakota formation, a year as your registered agent and the annual report, and it renews at $199.
When your plan renews, Mainstay files the annual report for you. South Dakota charges $55 every year for it, and the date is due during the entity's anniversary month, and a late one costs $50 more. Mainstay passes the state's fee along at cost.
Over three years it costs $200 more than South Dakota Registered Agent.co, and for us the extra things it handles are worth that.
In the price
Formation paperwork prepared and sent in
A full year as your registered agent
Your annual report, prepared and filed for you
Your EIN application, taken care of
What we like
One yearly price of $199 that includes the annual report
Renews at $199, no add-ons
South Dakota's fee is passed through at cost
The EIN application is included
Trade-offs
After year one, its agent costs $100 a year more than South Dakota Registered Agent.co's
2. South Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for a South Dakota LLC that will stay put
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, with the state fee on top
Our score
9.0out of 10
9.0 out of 10
Coming in second is South Dakota Registered Agent.co, because forming in South Dakota is $199 plus the state fee, and your first year as registered agent is included, then $99 a year.
You get a street address in the state for your registered office, and any papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The annual report isn't part of its published price, so you send it to South Dakota yourself every year.
3. SD Registered Agent.org: best for a South Dakota-only LLC
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, with the state fee on top
Our score
8.9out of 10
8.9 out of 10
In third place is SD Registered Agent.org, because forming in South Dakota is $199 plus the state fee, and your first year as registered agent is included, then $99 a year.
You get a street address in the state for your registered office, and any papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The annual report isn't part of its published price, so you send it to South Dakota yourself every year.
Price and features don't set South Dakota Registered Agent.co apart from SD Registered Agent.org; pick the one you like.
In the price
Articles prepared and filed
A first year as your registered agent
What we like
Keeping the agent costs $99 yearly
Covers your first year of registered agent service
Every score out of 10 is our editors' call, made with the weighted criteria on How we rank, not a customer rating.
What South Dakota LLC services cost in 2026: year one, renewals and three years
Service
First year
Second year
Third year
Three-year total
Handles the annual report too
Mainstay Filing
$199
$199
$199
$597
Yes
South Dakota Registered Agent.co
$199
$99
$99
$397
No
SD Registered Agent.org
$199
$99
$99
$397
No
We took each price from the company's own pages on November 12, 2026. On top of every row, South Dakota charges a $150 filing fee, which isn't in these totals.
What decided the order
LLC Review Desk gives three-year cost 29% and filings in the price 29%, then divides 42% among renewal price, state fit and up-front totals. For South Dakota, it came down to filings in the price.
In South Dakota you'll need a report each year ($55 to the state), and sending it late adds $50. Mainstay's price includes that filing and South Dakota Registered Agent.co's doesn't, which is why coverage beat South Dakota Registered Agent.co's lower three-year cost.
You can read every criterion and weight on How we rank.
The South Dakota LLC filing fee and form, from the state
Heads up: the South Dakota Secretary of State takes $150 when you file the Articles of Organization. Every service below adds that fee at cost.
How long the state says it takes: Paper 1 to 3 business days; online processed immediately.
What a South Dakota LLC needs after it is formed
There's one recurring item: the annual report, every year, by due during the entity's anniversary month. The state asks for $55. A late filing adds $50. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Your questions about South Dakota LLC services
How much does forming an LLC in South Dakota set you back?
The state charges $150 to file, and services charge $199.
What paperwork makes the LLC official?
You send the Articles of Organization to the South Dakota Secretary of State.
Does South Dakota approve LLCs quickly?
The state's own estimate is Paper 1 to 3 business days; online processed immediately.
Does the South Dakota formation form ask me to name a registered agent?
Yes. You list a registered agent when you file and keep one on record, using a street address in South Dakota.
Is there paperwork after the LLC is formed?
Yes, one item: the annual report. It comes every year, by due during the entity's anniversary month, and the state asks $55.
Is the EIN included in the price?
With Mainstay Filing, yes; it comes with the yearly price. South Dakota Registered Agent.co and SD Registered Agent.org tack on $99 for it. You can also ask the IRS for an EIN yourself, free of charge.
Who should I use to form my South Dakota LLC?
Mainstay Filing, because for one yearly price of $199 you get the South Dakota filing, registered agent service and the annual report, then $199 at renewal.