South Dakota LLC Cost Calculator
How much it costs to start and keep an LLC in South Dakota: every state fee, line by line, with official sources.
Reviewed by Alejandro Amador · State fees verified October 2026
State fees verified October 2026 · official source
Four taps for a recommendation based on your situation.
- Each year after
- $180–$254
- 3-year total
- $604–$812
South Dakota approves online filings in instantly when filed online · rush: not stated ('completion sooner than the normal course of business upon request') for $50
#35 of 51 states for lowest first-year state fees
Northwest Registered Agent
Answer the fit check for a recommendation based on your situation.
Northwest Registered Agent: $39 + state fees, a year of registered agent included ($39 more than filing yourself).
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Commissions don't change our numbers or picks.
- Your home address off public records. They list their business address on your filings instead of yours, automatically.
- 1 year of registered agent included. Then $125/yr, a price they say they haven't raised in 20 years. Cancel online, no fee.
- Lawsuits and state notices within the hour. Legal documents are scanned to your account within an hour (24 hours max on busy days).
- Annual report reminders. They remind you before each deadline, and can file it for you for $100 + state fees (you can opt out).
3 more + fine print
- ✓ Real people, same-day email replies. A person answers calls and emails; they say all emails get a same-day reply.
- ✓ Business phone line, email and domain. A local-number phone line, an email inbox and a domain are included.
- ✓ Your data isn't sold. They state they don't sell customer data.
- · EIN not included ($50 if you want them to get it; it's free from the IRS).
- · Mail scanning covers 5 non-legal items a year, then $15 per document.
- · Purchases are non-refundable after 90 days; state fees are never refunded.
- Source: northwestregisteredagent.com, Oct 2026.
Your South Dakota LLC, done for you
Do it yourself
$205 first year
- Pro: Lowest cost: state fees only
- Con: You research and fill in the South Dakota forms
- Con: Your home address goes on the public record
- Con: You track annual reports and deadlines yourself
Have it done for you
from $244 first year
Only $39 more than doing it yourself, private address included
- Pro: You answer a short questionnaire; they prepare and file
- Pro: Their registered agent address, not your home
- Northwest Registered Agent$244 yr 1 · $180/yr after
- · 1 year of registered agent included
- · Their address on the public record, not yours
- ZenBusiness$304 yr 1 · $254/yr after
- · $0 formation, submitted within 7–10 business days
- · 1 year of annual report filing
Disclosure: affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It never changes the numbers above. Service prices exclude add-ons and were checked Northwest northwestregisteredagent.com, Oct 2026; ZenBusiness zenbusiness.com, Oct 2026. Confirm at checkout.
What filing yourself in South Dakota actually involves
The state fee is the easy part. Here's everything else, and what a formation service takes off your plate.
- 1
Check your name is available
EasyYourself: Search the South Dakota business database and make sure the name follows state naming rules.
No rejected namesWith a service: They check availability and naming rules before filing.
- 2
File your formation document ($150 state fee)
Some workYourself: Create an account on the South Dakota filing site, fill in the form and pay. If something's wrong it gets rejected and you refile.
Saves time, fewer mistakesWith a service: You answer a short questionnaire; they prepare and submit it.
- 3
Name a registered agent
Ongoing hassleYourself: List an address in the state where someone is available every business day to accept lawsuits and state notices. If it's your home, it becomes public.
Keeps your home address privateWith a service: Their address goes on the public record; they receive legal mail and forward it to you.
- 4
Get an EIN from the IRS
EasyYourself: Free on irs.gov; the online form takes about 15 minutes.
Small convenienceWith a service: Some plans include it, but it's free to do yourself.
- 5
Write an operating agreement
Some workYourself: Find a template and adapt it. Banks often ask for one when you open a business account.
Ready-made documentWith a service: Included in some plans.
- 6
Every year: file on time to keep your LLC
Ongoing hassleYourself: Track each deadline yourself (Annual report ($55 online / $70 paper; statutory reporting fee $55 under SDCL 47-34A-212(b)) due on the 1st day of the anniversary month, i.e). If you miss them: if the report is not delivered within 60 days after it is due, the SOS may start administrative dissolution (SDCL 47-34A-809).
No missed deadlinesWith a service: Deadline reminders, or the filing itself, depending on the plan.
South Dakota deadlines you'd be tracking
- Annual report
- Annual report ($55 online / $70 paper; statutory reporting fee $55 under SDCL 47-34A-212(b)) due on the 1st day of the anniversary month, i.e. the month the LLC was originally filed (SOS FAQ). It can be filed up to 2 months early. Change effective Jan 1, 2027 (SDCL 59-11-25 as amended by SL 2026, ch 203): reports are due in the anniversary month, or the entity may elect January 31 each year.
- First one due
- 1st day of the anniversary month in the year after formation (e.g. filed June 11, 2026, first due June 1, 2027).
- If you're late
- $55 penalty (SDCL 47-34A-212(b)). It is assessed, and the LLC becomes Delinquent, when the report is still unfiled 2 months after the due date.
- If you ignore it
- If the report is not delivered within 60 days after it is due, the SOS may start administrative dissolution (SDCL 47-34A-809). The LLC is dissolved if it does not cure within 60 days after notice (SDCL 47-34A-810).
- Getting reinstated
- $150 state fee, plus any back reports, taxes and penalties
Checked against official state sources, October 2026. Source
Doing it yourself makes sense if…
- · You don't mind your address on the public record
- · Someone is at that address every business day
- · You're comfortable with government forms
- · You'll set reminders for every annual deadline
A service makes sense if…
- · You work from home or rent, and want your address private
- · You travel or aren't reliably available during business hours
- · You'd rather not learn the state's forms and rules
- · You want reminders so you never miss a filing
Affiliate link; we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
| Line item | Year 1 | Per year after |
|---|---|---|
| State filing fee | $150 | $0 |
Annual / periodic reportDetails$55 online, $70 on paper. Due by the end of the anniversary month of formation; the first report is due in the year after formation. Delinquent annual report late fee $55. | $55 | $55 |
Formation service + registered agentoptionalDetailsNorthwest or ZenBusiness. Northwest: $39 formation, agent included year 1, then $125/yr; ZenBusiness: $0 formation, agent $99/yr, then $199/yr. | $39–$99 | $125–$199 |
| Total | $244–$304 | $180–$254 |
Recurring fees are counted in year 1 to be safe; some states first bill in year 2. Biennial fees count as half per year; the 3-year total uses exact payment counts. An EIN from the IRS is free.
Ready to form your South Dakota LLC?
A formation service files it and keeps your home address off the public record. Affiliate links; we may earn a commission.
Compare states
Add up to two states to see them side by side with the same options.
Thinking of forming in another state?
If you operate in South Dakota but form elsewhere, you also register in South Dakota as a “foreign” LLC and pay both states every year.
Forming in Delaware costs about $2,215–$2,860 more over 3 years, with no tax savings for a business that operates in South Dakota.
See the Delaware + South Dakota breakdown
| Line item | Year 1 | Per year after |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware: State filing fee | $110 | $0 |
Delaware: Annual LLC TaxDetailsRaised from $300 to $400 by HB 400 (2026), effective for the 2026 tax year (first $400 payment due June 1, 2027; the June 1, 2026 payment for tax year 2025 was $300). Due June 1 for the prior year; $200 late penalty + 1.5%/month interest on tax and penalty. | $400 | $400 |
| Delaware: Formation service feeoptional | $0–$299 | $0 |
| Delaware: registered agent (required) | $100–$300 | $100–$300 |
| South Dakota: foreign registration | $750 | $0 |
| Delaware: certificate of good standing | $5–$50 | $0 |
South Dakota: Annual / periodic reportDetails$55 online, $70 on paper. Due by the end of the anniversary month of formation; the first report is due in the year after formation. Delinquent annual report late fee $55. | $55 | $55 |
| South Dakota: registered agent serviceoptional | $100–$300 | $100–$300 |
Includes a commercial registered agent in Delaware, since you won't have an address there. South Dakota also asks for a certificate of good standing from Delaware. Delaware or Wyoming mainly make sense for venture-funded startups or specific legal needs.
First-year cost by state
Filing yourself, state fees only. Click a state.- $0–$79
- $80–$154
- $155–$199
- $200–$324
- $325+
All 50 states and DC
Filing yourself and acting as your own registered agent. Click a column to sort. ● = fees changed in 2025–2026.
| Arizona | $50 | $50 | $0 | $50 |
| Mississippi | $50 | $50 | $0 | $50 |
| Missouri | $50 | $50 | $0 | $50 |
| New Mexico | $50 | $50 | $0 | $50 |
| Kentucky | $40 | $55 | $15 | $115 |
| Montana● | $35 | $55 | $20 | $135 |
| Hawaii | $51 | $66 | $15 | $126 |
| Colorado | $50 | $75 | $25 | $175 |
| Michigan | $50 | $75 | $25 | $175 |
| Utah | $59 | $77 | $18 | $149 |
| Iowa | $50 | $80 | $15 | $140 |
| Ohio | $99 | $99 | $0 | $99 |
| Idaho | $100 | $100 | $0 | $100 |
| South Carolina | $110 | $110 | $0 | $110 |
| Oklahoma | $100 | $125 | $25 | $225 |
| West Virginia | $100 | $125 | $25 | $225 |
| Indiana | $95 | $127 | $16 | $191 |
| Pennsylvania | $125 | $132 | $7 | $160 |
| Virginia | $100 | $150 | $50 | $350 |
| Minnesota | $155 | $155 | $0 | $155 |
| Wisconsin | $130 | $155 | $25 | $255 |
| Louisiana● | $125 | $160 | $35 | $300 |
| Wyoming● | $100 | $160 | $60 | $400 |
| Georgia● | $110 | $170 | $60 | $410 |
| Kansas● | $85 | $175 | $45 | $355 |
| Nebraska | $100 | $175 | $13 | $225 |
| New Jersey● | $100 | $175 | $75+ | $475 |
| North Dakota | $135 | $185 | $50 | $385 |
| Arkansas | $45 | $195 | $150 | $795 |
| Alabama | $200 | $200 | $0+ | $200 |
| Connecticut | $120 | $200 | $80 | $520 |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $200 | $100+ | $600 |
| Oregon | $100 | $200 | $100 | $600 |
| Vermont | $155 | $200 | $45 | $380 |
| South Dakota | $150 | $205 | $55 | $425 |
| Illinois | $150 | $225 | $75 | $525 |
| Washington | $180 | $250 | $70 | $530 |
| Maine | $175 | $260 | $85 | $600 |
| Florida | $125 | $264 | $139 | $819 |
| Texas● | $300 | $300 | $0+ | $300 |
| North Carolina | $125 | $325 | $200 | $1,125 |
| District of Columbia | $99 | $399 | $150 | $999 |
| Alaska | $250 | $400 | $100 | $800 |
| Maryland | $100 | $400 | $300 | $1,600 |
| New York | $200 | $409 | $5+ | $427 |
| Nevada | $75 | $425 | $350+ | $1,825 |
| Delaware● | $110 | $510 | $400 | $2,110 |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $600 | $450 | $2,400 |
| Tennessee | $300 | $700 | $400+ | $2,300 |
| California● | $70 | $890 | $810+ | $4,130 |
| Massachusetts | $500 | $1,000 | $500 | $3,000 |
+ = plus taxes that depend on income or ownership (see the state page).
South Dakota LLC fees explained
Filing directly with the state, a South Dakota LLC costs $205 in the first year and $55 a year after that. That's $30 more than the median state ($175), ranking #35 of 51 for lowest first-year cost.
- Articles of organization: $150
- Name reservation (optional): $25
- Annual / periodic report: $55 per year. $55 online, $70 on paper. Due by the end of the anniversary month of formation; the first report is due in the year after formation. Delinquent annual report late fee $55.
- Newspaper publication: not required
- Expedited filing: Expedited service $50
Articles: $150 online, $165 paper (includes the paper filing fee). One aggregator reports a roughly $3.68 card processing fee on online payments (not confirmed officially). Older aggregator figures of $50 for the annual report are outdated; the official schedule says $55 online. No state income or franchise tax on LLCs.
Sources
Compiled October 2026. Formation and recurring fees confirmed on official state sources.
How this calculator works
State fees come from each state's Secretary of State (or equivalent) fee schedule, compiled in October 2026. Each state page lists the sources used. Where an official page couldn't be confirmed, the page says so.
- Filing fee: the standard online fee for a domestic LLC's articles of organization (or certificate of formation).
- Recurring state costs: annual or biennial reports, franchise or privilege taxes and required state licenses. They're counted in the first year to be conservative.
- Publication: a few states require you to publish a notice in local newspapers. Cost varies by county, so it's shown as a range.
- Services: prices come from the providers' own sites (Northwest Registered Agent, ZenBusiness), checked October 2026. Ranges span real offers, for example a $39 formation with a year of registered agent included versus a $0 formation plus a $199/yr agent.
Not included: federal and state income taxes, local business licenses, professional licenses and sales tax permits, which depend on your business and city.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay for an EIN?
No. An Employer Identification Number is free directly from the IRS. Services that charge for it are only filling in the form for you.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Usually yes, if you have a physical address in the state and are available during business hours. That address becomes part of the public record, which is why many owners use a service.
Should I form my LLC in Delaware or Wyoming instead?
For most small businesses, no. If you operate in your home state you'll typically have to register there as a foreign LLC anyway, paying both states' fees.