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Formation ClassClass is in session: LLC paperwork, state by state.

Class 1 · South Dakota

South Dakota LLC Formation Class (2026): 7 Assignments and the 3 Best LLC Services

For starting an LLC in South Dakota in 2026, the class favorites are Mainstay Filing ($199), South Dakota Registered Agent.co ($199) and SD Registered Agent.org ($199), graded from first to last. The class has 7 assignments and a $150 state fee, and it finishes with the annual report.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

The quick version

State filing fee$150sdlegislature.gov (page read October 2026)
Annual report$55 a yearDeadline set by the state: due during the entity's anniversary month
What the state collects in three years$260Filing plus the repeating state fees
Assignment count7Each one explained

You will leave able to

  • The official South Dakota fee and form
  • Who can be the registered agent
  • What happens once the LLC exists
  • Who we would hire to file

The South Dakota honor roll

The teacher's five criteria are on how we grade, and they decide the order.
Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for no annual report paperwork to do

First year $199; renewal $199; state fee extra

Mainstay Filing gets first place, and the reason is that you hand in $199 each year and the formation, the registered agent and the annual report are taken care of.

You pay $200 extra across three years compared with South Dakota Registered Agent.co, and you keep less of the paperwork.

Add the annual report to what it does, with South Dakota's $55 passed along at cost.

Covered by the tuition

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed on time
  • EIN application included
  • The official fee, nothing added

Strengths

  • The EIN application is in the price
  • Renews for $199
  • $199 yearly with everything in it

Weak spots

  • South Dakota Registered Agent.co renews for $100 less
In-state service

2. South Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for a bare-bones formation

$199 the first year, $99 after

Second place goes to South Dakota Registered Agent.co, since $199 to begin, with no agent fee in year one, then $99 each year from year two.

Nothing in the price covers the annual report.

Covered by the tuition

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • No agent fee in year one
  • $99 a year after that
  • $199 above the state fee

Weak spots

  • The annual report remains your responsibility
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more
In-state service

3. SD Registered Agent.org: best for a small agent renewal

$199 the first year, $99 after

Third place goes to SD Registered Agent.org, since $199 to begin, with no agent fee in year one, then $99 each year from year two.

Nothing in the price covers the annual report.

South Dakota Registered Agent.co and this service cost the same.

Covered by the tuition

  • Filing made with the state
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • $99 a year after that
  • No agent fee in year one
  • $199 above the state fee

Weak spots

  • The annual report remains your responsibility
  • Help with the EIN is $99 more

Grades and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2South Dakota Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit South Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3SD Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit SD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. Each row still needs South Dakota's $150 fee.

Formation in order

  1. Assignment
    1

    Name the company

    If a South Dakota company already holds your name, the filing can be sent back, so look it up at the South Dakota Secretary of State before going any further.

    A spare name saves a trip back to the board.

  2. Assignment
    2

    Appoint a registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A commercial registered agent listed with the state, a noncommercial agent (an individual or entity with a South Dakota address), or the title of an office in the company.

    The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in South Dakota, plus a South Dakota mailing address if it differs.

    You can hire any of the graded services for this.

    Textbook page: sdlegislature.gov (page read October 2026)

  3. Assignment
    3

    Self-filing versus a service

    With no service, the bill is the state's $150. Each of the graded services adds $199 and handles the paperwork.

  4. Assignment
    4

    Put together and mail the Articles of Organization

    Send the Articles of Organization to the South Dakota Secretary of State along with $150, and the LLC exists. Per the state, Paper 1 to 3 business days; online processed immediately.

    Textbook page: sdlegislature.gov (page read October 2026)

  5. Assignment
    5

    Apply to the IRS for an EIN

    With approval in hand, the IRS can issue a federal tax ID for the LLC, and a business bank account depends on it. Mainstay Filing does this one for you at no added charge.

  6. Assignment
    6

    Prepare the operating agreement

    The operating agreement is where the South Dakota LLC's owners write down who owns what and how decisions get made. The company keeps it; the state never sees it.

  7. Assignment
    7

    Keep the LLC active

    Once a year the LLC sends in the annual report with $55; it is due due during the entity's anniversary month. Late filers pay $50 extra.

    Textbook page: sdlegislature.gov (page read October 2026)

What each assignment costs in South Dakota

What forWho gets paidTotal
Forming the LLCPaid to the state$150
Annual reportPaid to the state$55 every year
Penalty for filing latePaid to the state$50
Service fees (optional)Your service$199 for year one
State fees over years one to threePaid to the state$260
Anything paid to South Dakota is an official fee you can look up on the pages listed below. The three-year row combines the filing, two later reports and a minimum tax where there is one, and service prices are not part of it.

The reasoning behind the grades

Homework the price does makes up 34% of the grade, and that is where got ahead in South Dakota.

A price that handles the annual report counted for more than South Dakota Registered Agent.co's smaller three-year total.

Short answers

How much does South Dakota charge to start an LLC?

The official schedule says $150. The graded services bill $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

Hand the Articles of Organization to the South Dakota Secretary of State.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

How long does South Dakota take to process the filing?

Stated processing time: Paper 1 to 3 business days; online processed immediately.

What does South Dakota require each year?

Expect South Dakota to ask for the annual report every year, at $55, with timing described as due during the entity's anniversary month.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Allowed. File on your own for $150 and arrange a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

The grade order is Mainstay Filing, South Dakota Registered Agent.co and SD Registered Agent.org, and Mainstay Filing is first since $199 yearly covers the formation, the registered agent and the annual report, and the renewal bill is $199.

More classes

Textbook pages and extra reading

  1. Class notes on South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services / come straight from sdsos.gov (reread August 2026).
  2. Class notes on South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services / come straight from sosenterprise.sd.gov (reread August 2026).
  3. Class notes on South Dakota yearly filing: Annual report: fee and come straight from sdlegislature.gov (reread October 2026).
  4. Class notes on South Dakota report due date come straight from sdlegislature.gov (reread August 2026).
  5. Class notes on SDCL 47-34A-203 come straight from sdlegislature.gov (reread August 2026).
  6. Class notes on South Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source come straight from sdsos.gov (reread October 2026).
  7. Class notes on South Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source come straight from sdlegislature.gov (reread October 2026).
  8. Class notes on South Dakota registered agent statute come straight from sdlegislature.gov (reread October 2026).
  9. Class notes on Processing, official source come straight from sdsos.gov (reread October 2026).
  10. The South Dakota service page at Mainstay Filing, November 13, 2026
  11. The pricing page at South Dakota Registered Agent.co, November 13, 2026
  12. The pricing page at SD Registered Agent.org, November 13, 2026