Ranked quotes
Ranked by the
lab method. No quote includes the $150 state fee.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for upkeep you can ignore
Leads the board
$199 a year plus the $150 state fee
- Opening quote
- $199
- Quote from year 2
- $199/yr
- Reading at year 3
- $597
For South Dakota, Mainstay Filing gives the best value: $199 a year buys the filing, the registered agent and the annual report, then reads $199 again in year two.
Its three-year reading is $200 above South Dakota Registered Agent.co's, and the extra filings it handles outweigh that in the ranking.
Each annual report is covered, and South Dakota's $55 is billed at cost.
Quote includes
- Formation delivered to the state office
- Registered agent, for twelve months
- Annual report, filed as it falls due
- The EIN application, prepared
- State fee passed straight through
Reads well
- No increase on renewal ($199)
- It prepares the EIN application
- $199 per year, all included
Reads poorly
- Yearly premium over South Dakota Registered Agent.co: $100
2
2. South Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for companies that stay in one state
South Dakota only
$199 and fees; renewal $99
- Opening quote
- $199
- Quote from year 2
- $99/yr
- Reading at year 3
- $397
South Dakota Registered Agent.co ranks second. Reading: $199 to open with year-one agent service included, then $99 a year.
The annual report is not part of its quote.
Quote includes
- The South Dakota formation filing
- Agent service for the first year
Reads well
- $199 over the state fee
- Agent service at no cost in year one
- Then $99 a year
Reads poorly
- Annual report is not part of the quote
- $99 extra for the EIN
3
3. SD Registered Agent.org: best for a local formation service
South Dakota only
$199 and fees; renewal $99
- Opening quote
- $199
- Quote from year 2
- $99/yr
- Reading at year 3
- $397
SD Registered Agent.org ranks third. Reading: $199 to open with year-one agent service included, then $99 a year.
The annual report is not part of its quote.
Its quotes match South Dakota Registered Agent.co's exactly.
Quote includes
- The South Dakota formation filing
- Agent service for the first year
Reads well
- Agent service at no cost in year one
- $199 over the state fee
- Then $99 a year
Reads poorly
- Annual report is not part of the quote
- $99 extra for the EIN
Readings over time
Service fees only, from each company's prices sampled November 13, 2026. Readings keep one order for ten years.
Run your own reading
Choose a number of years and every quote's cumulative cost appears; tick the box to add the EIN application for each provider.
South Dakota fee schedule
The three-year state reading adds the filing fee, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax. Costs with no fixed amount, such as newspaper publication, are noted but not summed.
The reading behind South Dakota
Mainstay Filing wins filings handled per dollar, worth 30%, with South Dakota Registered Agent.co right behind.
Filings handled per dollar tipped it: the annual report is inside the quote.
Add the EIN application to the math and the crossing moves to year 2, when Mainstay Filing passes South Dakota Registered Agent.co.
South Dakota LLC filing fee and requirements, quoted from the source
For $150, the LLC comes into existence through the Articles of Organization, delivered to the South Dakota Secretary of State. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Official wording: sdlegislature.gov (logged October 2026) for the record
The state-fees-only case
File it yourself and only state fees remain: $260 over three years. The service quotes add $397 to $597 for the paperwork and the agent.
Questions
What do LLC formation services charge in South Dakota?
$199 for year one across our quotes, plus the state's $150 fee.
What do the quotes add up to over three years?
$397 to $597 across the quotes, not counting state fees.
How much does South Dakota take to file an LLC?
$150 paid to the state, via the Articles of Organization.
What does South Dakota bill each year after formation?
Annual report: $55 a year, with the deadline stated as due during the entity's anniversary month.
Is the EIN application part of the quote?
Mainstay Filing, no added charge, South Dakota Registered Agent.co, $99 and SD Registered Agent.org, $99.
When does one quote pass another in total cost?
No break-even inside ten years.
Which LLC formation service ranks best in South Dakota?
From the top of the board: Mainstay Filing, South Dakota Registered Agent.co and SD Registered Agent.org.
Logged references
- Reference for South Dakota Secretary of State: sdsos.gov, logged August 2026.
- Reference for South Dakota Secretary of State: sosenterprise.sd.gov, logged August 2026.
- Reference for South Dakota yearly filing: Annual: sdlegislature.gov, logged October 2026.
- Reference for South Dakota report due date: sdlegislature.gov, logged August 2026.
- Reference for SDCL 47-34A-203: sdlegislature.gov, logged August 2026.
- Reference for South Dakota formation fee: Filing: sdsos.gov, logged October 2026.
- Reference for South Dakota formation fee: Filing: sdlegislature.gov, logged October 2026.
- Reference for South Dakota registered agent statute: sdlegislature.gov, logged October 2026.
- South Dakota service page at Mainstay Filing, taken on November 13, 2026
- pricing page at South Dakota Registered Agent.co, taken on November 13, 2026
- pricing page at SD Registered Agent.org, taken on November 13, 2026