South Dakota LLCs file Articles of Organization and an annual report. Online and paper charges differ.
This guide covers forming a new South Dakota LLC. If your LLC already exists in another state or country, use the foreign-registration process instead.
South Dakota LLC at a glance
- Official filing website
- South Dakota Secretary of State
- Business name check
- Search business namesA name search does not reserve or approve the name.
- Formation document
- Articles of Organization
- State filing fee
- $150$150 online or $165 on paper, including the paper filing charge.
- Processing time
- OnlineImmediate in the cited guidePaper1-2 business days; add mail transitPublished guide estimate. Published guide estimate for a complete filing; not a state guarantee. Check the filing office before setting a deadline.
- Ongoing report or tax
- Annual Report
- Report / renewal charge
- $55$55 online or $70 on paper.
- Frequency / due date
- Annually; check the due date on the business record
- Sales tax base rate
- 4.2%Local rates may apply. July 1, 2026 snapshot; not an address-specific rate. The general state rate is 4.2%. The tax base is broad and local rates may add; do not use an older 4.5% table.Official tax agency ↗
- Names in formation records
- Conditional or optional listingA manager-managed LLC names each initial manager. Each organizer is identified regardless of management structure. Other filings and private bank/tax records may identify owners.
Before you file in South Dakota
Prepare the name, principal and mailing addresses, agent, organizers and any initial managers.
File the Articles of Organization
South Dakota business services ↗
- Start domestic LLC articles online or use the paper form.
- Enter addresses and agent details, add organizers and name initial managers if manager-managed.
- Sign, pay the charge for your method and save the articles and business ID.
What to enter in the form
- Managers
- A manager-managed LLC lists its initial managers.
- Organizers
- Identify the people signing the articles regardless of the management choice.
- Optional fields
- Keep the operating agreement in the LLC’s own records. An option to upload extra documents does not mean the state requires that agreement.
- Addresses
- Enter the business’s principal address. Use the mailing-address field if correspondence goes to a different address.
After approval in South Dakota
- Find the next annual-report due date in the official business search and add a reminder.
Annual Report
Find the LLC and report due date ↗
- Open the company’s annual report and select the due year.
- Confirm or update addresses, agent and required management details.
- Sign, pay the current online or paper fee and save acceptance.
Compare the filing cycles in our annual report and recurring-fee table.
Next steps: operating agreement · get an EIN · starting checklist.
Sources and filing links
Sources checked . Confirm the state’s current fees and instructions before filing.
- South Dakota Secretary of State: Filing Fees
- South Dakota Secretary of State: Annual Report instructions
Research and walkthrough references
These references provide background and filing walkthroughs. Follow current state instructions if an older walkthrough differs.
See our editorial policy for the research process and contact page for correction information.