South Dakota Foreign Registration / Cost
South Dakota foreign LLC registration prices, line by line
A foreign LLC pays the South Dakota Secretary of State $750 to apply for its certificate of authority online, and then $55 each year for its annual report. Preparing and filing the application through us is $199, listed separately at checkout.
The Secretary of State's prices for a foreign LLC
| Filing | State fee |
|---|---|
| Certificate of authority, filed online | $750 |
| Certificate of authority, on paper | $765 |
| Certificate of authority for an LLC that may establish series | $800 |
| Amended certificate of authority | $750 |
| Annual report, online | $55 |
| Annual report, on paper | $70 |
| Change of registered agent or address | $10 |
| Reservation of a name | $25 |
| Expedited handling of any filing | $50 |
| Notice of cancellation | Quoted when you order |
Copies of filed documents cost $2 a page, and a certified copy is $15 plus the page charge.
Other kinds of entity
| Entity | Application fee | What else it pays |
|---|---|---|
| Business corporation | $750 | Annual report at $55 |
| Nonprofit corporation | $125 | Annual report at $10 |
| Limited partnership | $125 | When you order, we quote amendment and cancellation fees |
| Limited liability partnership | $125 | Annual report at $55 |
A corporation amending its certificate pays $250, and one withdrawing pays $10. A nonprofit pays $25 to amend and $5 to withdraw.
First-year totals
| Case | State total | Sum |
|---|---|---|
| LLC applies online | $750 | $750 |
| LLC applies by mail | $765 | $750 + $15 |
| LLC applies online and expedites | $800 | $750 + $50 |
| LLC applies and files its first annual report | $805 | $750 + $55 |
| LLC applies and changes its agent | $760 | $750 + $10 |
| LLC applies and later amends | $1,500 | $750 + $750 |
| Corporation applies and withdraws | $760 | $750 + $10 |
| Delaware LLC: first year including Delaware's tax | $1,205 | $750 + $55 + $400 |
| Delaware LLC with its Delaware certificate | $800 | $750 + $50 |
| Wyoming LLC: first year including Wyoming's minimum | $865 | $750 + $55 + $60 |
Where the money goes in year one
The application is the big item at $750. Add the first annual report at $55 and an LLC that applies online has paid $805 to the state. Your home state's certificate is billed by that state and sits outside these totals.
The paper surcharge
The Secretary of State adds $15 to a paper filing of any document that could have been filed online. The online tool can build the form for you to print, sign and mail with the fee, and the surcharge still applies. The state processes online filings immediately.
Costs outside the state fee
The home state's certificate of existence is its own charge. If you want a South Dakota registered agent from us, that is described at checkout. A Delaware LLC adds Delaware's $400 annual tax, and a Wyoming LLC adds its $60 minimum, both on their own pages.
What our fee covers
Our charge, $199, covers the name check, drafting the application from your answers, ordering the home certificate to match, and filing the application. The do-it-yourself page shows the same steps if you would rather file alone.
Paying the state
Online payment is by Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express card through the state's system. A mailed filing goes with the filing fee and carries the paper surcharge. Either way the state's amount is a separate line from ours, so the receipt you keep from South Dakota matches the state column of the tables above.
Series LLCs
An LLC that is authorized to establish series pays $800 for its certificate of authority, and so does a series applying on its own behalf.
Copies of what the state files
Copies of filed documents cost $2 a page. A certified copy costs $15 and the page charge, which is the form to ask for when a lender or a buyer wants proof of authority.
Settle the details before filing
A change of name after approval needs an amended certificate, and that costs $750, the same as the original application. Settling the name and the entity details before filing keeps the first application the only large payment.
Registered agent: first year included, then $149 a year
$199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.
Cost questions
Where does the fee come from?
The LLC Act itself sets the foreign filing fee at $750.
Is the annual report really required of a foreign LLC?
Yes. It is $55 online.
Does the paper route cost more?
Yes, by $15.
What does it cost to speed a filing up?
$50.
Where will I see our fee versus the state fee?
Checkout lists them on separate lines.
What you pay
Apply in South Dakota
South Dakota$199
+ $750 South Dakota fee
- The application, drafted from your answers
- Your home certificate of existence, ordered to match the filing
- A South Dakota registered agent, either ours or your own pick
- The filed certificate of authority, sent to you
- Renewal: after the first year, the agent service renews at $149 a year
For an LLC, $750 is paid to the Secretary of State and appears as its own line; other kinds of entity are priced on their own pages. $199 plus the state fee, including your first year of registered agent service; after that the agent service renews at $149 a year.
Sources
- SDCL 47-34A-212, limited liability company fees
- South Dakota Secretary of State, filing fee schedule
- SDCL 47-1A-122, business corporation fees
- SDCL 59-11-3, registered agent filing fees
- SDCL 1-8-12, fee for expedited service
- South Dakota Secretary of State, corporations FAQ
- South Dakota Business Services Online, register a business instructions
- SDCL 59-11-24 and 59-11-25, annual report contents and timing
- Delaware Division of Corporations fee schedule (PDF)
- Delaware Division of Corporations, LLC/LP/GP annual tax
- Wyoming Secretary of State, Business Division fee schedule
- SDCL 47-34A-1001 to 47-34A-1009, foreign limited liability companies
Doing business in South Dakota?
Order now and we prepare and file the application for you.