Best LLC services in South Dakota (2026)

How are LLC services for South Dakota ranked?

Our rating sets the order, highest first. Where two providers share a rating, the tie follows our editorial order.

Each first-year figure adds the $150 online filing fee to the plan we compare for that provider. The second-year figure adds the $55 online annual report fee to the plan's renewal, if it has one. Paper filing would raise both, to $165 and $70.¹

Two pairs share a rating. Bizee (formerly Incfile) and ZenBusiness both sit at 8.0, and BizFilings and Rocket Lawyer both sit at 6.8. The rating blends customer satisfaction, services and dashboard, and plan value, none of which change from state to state; how we rate gives the weights.

Second year: the recurring South Dakota report fee as the state lists it (some states charge it every two years) plus the plan's renewal, if it renews. Registered agent renewals are extra unless the plan includes the agent for good.

The second-year column splits the list in two. Plans sold once, such as LegalZoom Managed Service, Bizee (formerly Incfile) Premium and Northwest Registered Agent's formation, drop to the state's $55 report fee, provided any trial that renews on its own is cancelled. Plans billed yearly carry their price into year two: Tailor Brands reaches $304, ZenBusiness $354 and Rocket Lawyer $204. The $352 shown for doola is our assumption, because its terms renew at the rates then in effect (renewal price not stated). Some of the yearly plans file an annual report for you, which the one-time plans sell separately. Registered agent renewals after a free period aren't in either column. The list ordered by cost across both years ranks every provider nationally on that basis.^{1, 2}

Which South Dakota LLC service fits which need?

The picks below each follow from one published fact. South Dakota adds a question that repeats every year, which is who files the annual report, so several headings come back to it.

• Lowest first-year total in South Dakota: Inc Authority, Free LLC, $150 with the state fee.
• Lowest two-year total in South Dakota: Inc Authority, Free LLC, $205 over two years with state fees. Full list
• Fastest filing: Tailor Brands, 1 business day stated on Elite. Full list
• Best for first-time founders: Tailor Brands, all three supports included in a plan (annual report filing, coaching, AI guidance). Full list
• Best all-in-one platform: Tailor Brands, sells 9 of the 10 business service types we track, with an online dashboard. Full list
• Best for non-U.S. founders: Tailor Brands, highest-rated provider whose own pages say it serves founders outside the U.S. Full list

Each line is decided by the published fact it names. First-time founder support counts an annual report filed for you, business coaching and AI guidance; the all-in-one count is the business service types a provider sells nationally.

Lowest cost across both years

Inc Authority Free LLC comes to $150 and then $55, the same as filing alone. Its registered agent is free for the first year and then renews at $249/year, which the second-year figure leaves out. It offers a 60-day money-back guarantee on the first purchase. Northwest Registered Agent is next on the first year at $189, with its agent renewing at $125/yr. The Inc Authority profile and Northwest's pricing list what each sells on top.^{3, 4, 5}

Annual report filed for you

South Dakota's Annual Report is due by the 1st day of the anniversary month of the original filing, every year. Tailor Brands Elite lists mandatory report filing, and ZenBusiness Premium lists state-required annual reports; neither plan page names South Dakota's report. doola's compared plan leaves the filing out, and its pricing says Starter does not include ongoing compliance filings.^{6, 7, 8, 9}

Other providers sell report filing separately, at national prices.

• Northwest Registered Agent: $100 plus state fees, and agent customers are enrolled automatically.¹⁰
• LegalZoom lists a one-time filing at $99 + state filing fees.¹¹
• InCorp Services: $89 + state fees.¹²
• Swyft Filings: ComplianceGuard $199/year, as a 14-day free trial then auto-charged.¹³
• Harbor Compliance: $199 per state per year plus filing fees.¹⁴
• Rocket Lawyer: $100 per filing with a Pro membership.¹⁵

Bizee (formerly Incfile) sells a filing service too, with no amount or renewal cadence published.¹⁶

First-time founders

We count three supports for a founder starting out: an annual report filed for you, business coaching from a person, and AI guidance. Tailor Brands includes all three supports: the report filing above, its Business Coaching Program, and Navi, an AI assistant built into every plan. ZenBusiness includes all three supports, with Personal Velo AI guidance on every plan and a one-on-one consultation, Premium only. The first-time founders list shows every provider's count.^{17, 18, 19}

Fastest stated filing

Tailor Brands and ZenBusiness each state 1 business day on their compared plans, and Inc Authority states 24 hours. South Dakota says online filings are processed immediately, so a provider's own stated time may be most of the wait. The fastest services list orders every provider by stated time.²⁰

Registered agent included

South Dakota lets an owner act as a noncommercial registered agent with an actual street address or rural route box number in this state, so an included agent is a convenience, not a requirement. Plans that include one mostly do so for a limited time.²¹

• Bizee (formerly Incfile): first year, then $149/year.²²
• Northwest Registered Agent: first year, then $125/yr.⁵
• BizFilings: 3 months free, then $220/yr.^{23, 24}
• doola: Registered Agent Service within its yearly Starter plan.²⁵

Tailor Brands sells its agent separately at $199/year. See the registered agent included list.²⁶

All-in-one and non-U.S. founders

Of the 10 business service types we track, Tailor Brands sells 9 and ZenBusiness sells 7 (all-in-one list). For founders abroad, doola states it accepts non-U.S. founders, and Tailor Brands links a sign-up flow for non-US citizens without published eligibility details (non-U.S. founders list).²⁷

What does South Dakota charge no matter who files?

South Dakota charges $150 to file online or $165 on paper, and $55 online for each year's report. Every total on this page adds them to the plan price.¹

• Formation filing fee: $150 online, $165 by paper
• Faster state processing: $50 expedite fee (completion sooner than the normal course of business on request)
• Recurring report: due every year by the 1st day of the anniversary month of the original filing, $55 online, $70 by paper
• Optional name reservation: $25

The paper surcharge is easy to avoid if your service files through SOS Enterprise; ask which way it files. The $50 expedite fee buys little for an online filing that is already processed immediately, and paper filings average 1-3 business days.^{1, 20}

The report fee is the cost no service removes. Every report-filing price listed above adds the state fee on top, and a report 2 months past due adds a $55 late fee. On the other side, South Dakota has no corporate income tax and no franchise tax on LLCs, so the yearly state bill stays at the report fee.^{20, 28}

Whose names does the South Dakota annual report list?

The annual report lists the names and addresses of the LLC's principal officers and directors (governors). An agent service puts its address in the agent field; it doesn't replace the officer names the report asks for.²⁹

Trial items also deserve a check before you buy. Tailor Brands Elite includes a bookkeeping trial that later bills $39/month, and for Managed Service, LegalZoom lists that its Business Advisor Plan auto-renews at $49/mo after 30 days. Tailor Brands pricing and the LegalZoom pricing page list what bills after each trial.^{30, 31}

Can you form a South Dakota LLC without a service?

Yes. South Dakota takes filings directly through SOS Enterprise, processes online filings immediately, and charges only the $150 state fee.^{1, 20}

Doing it yourself means naming an agent, which can be you with a South Dakota street address or rural route box, and filing the report each year in your anniversary month. The South Dakota formation guide covers each filing, and the cost calculator shows what a plan adds.