Featured Partners
1
ZenBusiness
$0 + State Fees
Varies By State & Package
2
LegalZoom
$0 + State Fee
Varies By State & Package
3
Formations
$0 + State Fee
Varies By State & Package
4
Tailor Brands
$0 + state fee
Varies By State & Package
5 Best South Dakota LLC Services of 2025
- LegalZoom: Best for Growing Teams
- Bizee: Best for à la Carte Add-Ons
- Rocket Lawyer: Best for Legal Documents
- Active Filings: Best for International Entrepreneurs
- Filenow: Most Transparent LLC Package Pricing
LegalZoom
Best for Growing Teams
LegalZoom
Starting Price
$0 plus $150 state filing fee
Registered Agent Included
No
Processing Time
Five to 14 days, not including state processing time
$0 plus $150 state filing fee
No
Five to 14 days, not including state processing time
Features
LegalZoom is a great fit for growing businesses looking to transition to an LLC, in large part because of the company’s focus on expert support from licensed business attorneys with South Dakota-specific experience and other legal professionals.
Features vary widely depending on which package you select. That said, even the free Basic package includes everything you need to officially file for LLC creation. It even includes some added resources such as a welcome packet that will break down the steps you need to follow after registration.
At the Pro tier, LegalZoom will file for an employer identification number (EIN) for you, which you’ll need to hire staff. LegalZoom will also help you draft an operating agreement, which is essentially a mission statement for your company and can help set guidelines and settle disputes.
The Premium tier, meanwhile, offers you access to advice from a business attorney. LegalZoom allows you to select an attorney based on your state, their years of experience and rating.
Pricing
LegalZoom’s Basic tier is free, though you will still be responsible for South Dakota’s state filing fee. The Pro plan starts at $249 plus the filing fee, while the Premium tier is $299 before the fee.
Offering a free package that includes everything you need to file an LLC is a strong check in the pro column for LegalZoom, and its other packages are fairly competitively priced, considering what’s on offer in each.
The Premium tier isn’t a huge step up from Pro in terms of price, and legal advice from a professional business lawyer can be a huge boon for navigating some of the legal complexities of launching an LLC in South Dakota.
Customer Service
LegalZoom presents some forms and document resources on its site, including a document summarizer powered by AI. There’s also an article center covering topics relevant to LLCs and small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). LegalZoom also offers customer support by phone and live chat on its website.
Reputation
LegalZoom has a good reputation on Trustpilot with customers citing its customer service, speed and expertise. There are, however, some scattered complaints about fees and pricing.
Learn more: Read our full LegalZoom review.
- Focus on fast, easy filing
- State-specific advice
- Free basic service
- Basic package doesn’t include an EIN
- Follow-up document support only available at Premium tier
Bizee
Best for à la Carte Add-Ons
Bizee
Starting Price
$0 plus $150 state filing fee
Registered Agent Included
Yes, for the first year
Processing Time
One day, not including state processing time
$0 plus $150 state filing fee
Yes, for the first year
One day, not including state processing time
Features
One drawback of purchasing an LLC service package is the likelihood that your business is paying for more features than it needs. Bizee (formerly Incfile) takes a cafeteria approach to its South Dakota LLC service by allowing companies to choose its free Basic plan and then pay separately for each add-on feature such as EINs, banking resolution and business contract templates.
Bizee doesn’t offer much in the way of legal services, focusing instead on its core business offering. There is also no mobile app, but for a flexible, streamlined approach to starting your South Dakota LLC, it’s a solid option.
Pricing
New LLCs that prefer the all-in-one approach can select Bizee’s Premium package that costs $299 plus the state fee. Premium bundles EIN, operating agreement and document templates while also providing expedited filing, which costs $50 extra with the company’s Basic and Standard offerings. Unlike other South Dakota LLC services, Bizee includes lifetime compliance alerts with all of its products.
Choosing your company’s LLC service lineup cafeteria style runs the risk of exceeding your LLC budget, but Bizee keeps the overall price of its services in check by offering reasonable rates for each of its add-ons. For example, Bizee charges $99 for an operating agreement (included with Standard and Premium). ZenBusiness’ fee for an EIN is $99, while Bizee charges only $70.
Customer Service
Complications in the LLC formation process can hold a new company back before it’s able to find its stride. Staying in touch with Bizee’s support staff is made more difficult by the company’s limited telephone and live chat hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT, Monday to Friday. You can also reach out to Bizee support using a web form. Your client dashboard lets you check the status of your order. Self-support options include a guide to forming an LLC in South Dakota and an LLC FAQ.
Reputation
Bizee’s customer service is rated highly by users posting on popular review sites. Many of the reviews note the company’s reliability and low cost as prime benefits for new LLCs. The name switch from Incfile to Bizee doesn’t appear to have affected the quality of its assistance to its clients, which continues to earn consistent five-star ratings.
Learn more: Read our full Bizee review.
- Fee-only plan lets businesses pay for only the features they need
- Business services include virtual addresses and foreign qualification
- All packages come with lifetime compliance alerts
- Midrange Standard plan charges an extra $150 for access to business templates
- Telephone and live chat support are limited to business hours, Monday to Friday
- Basic plan doesn’t include an operating agreement ($99 added charge)
Rocket Lawyer
Best for Legal Documents
Rocket Lawyer
Starting Price
$19.99 per month (billed annually) plus $150 state filing fee
Registered Agent Included
No
Processing Time
One to three weeks, including state processing time
$19.99 per month (billed annually) plus $150 state filing fee
No
One to three weeks, including state processing time
Features
As the name implies, Rocket Lawyer is a business support company that focuses on legal issues and services. Part of that service offering is a deep library of legal documents backed by legal professionals who can assist you in building and completing them.
Because Rocket Lawyer’s remit is much broader than just LLC creation, the company offers a number of unrelated or peripherally related services. This is a double-edged sword because it means that while there’s a broad array of services on offer that may be of use to your business, there’s not an exclusive, deep focus on LLC formation.
There’s also registered agent service, a requirement for South Dakota LLCs to receive any legal correspondence, and trademark service if you need to file protections for your products.
Pricing
The core of Rocket Lawyer’s offerings are subscriptions that give you variable access to Rocket Lawyer’s feature set. There are two membership tiers, Rocket Legal and Rocket Legal+. Rocket Legal+ allows you to create your first LLC (or other company) for free.
With the Rocket Legal subscription, filing for an LLC will cost you $99.99. The subscriptions also include legal advice, document support and other features, though some premium functionality is an added cost.
Premium functionality includes the registered agent service, which costs $249.99 with Rocket Legal or $124.99 with Rocket Legal+, as well as trademark help and tax assistance, both of which are half off with the higher-level subscription. If you plan to make substantial use of these Pro features, the $19.99 per month (billed annually) for Rocket Legal+ is a reasonable expense.
Customer Service
Rocket Lawyer offers a number of free legal resources on its website, with guides relating to business, personal affairs as well as real estate concerns. There’s also a newsroom on the website with updates on legal and business topics, and you can reach customer service by live chat, phone or email.
Reputation
Rocket Lawyer has a very solid reputation online; customers single out the accessibility and legibility of its online documents and the ease and convenience of its services.
Learn more: Read our full Rocket Lawyer review.
- Offers tax support and trademark filing
- Legal services and document review available
- Free personalized support
- Free LLC registration requires Rocket Legal+ subscription
- Best rates on other services require membership
Active Filings
Best for International Entrepreneurs
Active Filings
Starting Price
$0 plus $150 state filing fee
Registered Agent Included
Yes, for the first year
Processing Time
Two to 15 business days, not including state processing time
$0 plus $150 state filing fee
Yes, for the first year
Two to 15 business days, not including state processing time
Features
Active Filings is one of the best LLC services available for international entrepreneurs. Its incorporation services are available to non-U.S. residents as well as foreign registration service, allowing your LLC to operate outside of the state in which it was originally registered.
For domestic companies, Active Filings splits its services into three different plans, including a free plan (plus the $150 state filing fee) it calls The Starter. A standout of this basic plan is that it includes free registered agent services for the first year, which is an expensive add-on at many other companies.
Another fairly uncommon feature is available at the middle and highest tiers: access to one of Active Filings’ local offices to use as your business address. This is a benefit if you run a business out of your home, as it shields your personal address from public exposure.
The highest-priced plan, The Finisher, also includes a corporate seal and leather corporate book, though relatively few other standout features to justify the increase in price.
Pricing
One convenient feature of Active Filings’ site is that it lists pricing specifically for states and entities. Taking advantage of its free Starter plan, you can see that filing an LLC in South Dakota will cost $150 after state fees.
The other two plans are priced slightly below many of the company’s competitors, starting at $100 for the middle plan ($250 total after fees) and $250 for The Finisher ($400 total after fees). For many small businesses, the starting package will be the best value, though you won’t get access to the business address, nor will Active Filings apply for an EIN for you.
Customer Service
Active Filings hosts a help center online where you can look up specific requirements for state filing, explore popular articles and download free resources. You can also reach its customer support team by phone or through a contact form on the website during its regular business hours Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
Reputation
Active Filings has a very limited presence on customer review aggregators and thus a fairly neutral reputation online.
Learn more: Read our full Active Filings review.
- Free registered agent service
- Offers foreign registration service to conduct business in other states
- Incorporation services for non-U.S. residents
- Expedited service not available in the basic plan
- Privacy protections not included at the lower tier
Filenow
Most Transparent LLC Package Pricing
Filenow
Starting Price
$49 plus $150 state filing fee
Registered Agent Included
First year included only with Premium plan
Processing Time
24 hours, not including state processing time
$49 plus $150 state filing fee
First year included only with Premium plan
24 hours, not including state processing time
Features
Filenow’s Starter plan offers the core features you need to set up your business in South Dakota such as filing the articles of organization, company alerts for upcoming deadlines and electronic delivery of state documents. However, the Premium service offers plenty of extras for forming your LLC, including an EIN, operating agreement, a banking resolution and contract templates.
It also offers 24-hour internal order processing and a free year of its registered agent service.
However, Filenow doesn’t offer much else in the way of legal services, so it’s likely better for those who need its main LLC filing service and value its full pricing transparency.
Pricing
Filenow is one of the few LLC formation services on our list that doesn’t offer a free basic plan, but it’s completely transparent with the rest of its pricing. Its Starter plan costs $49 plus South Dakota’s state fee of $150 for its core services. The Premium plan is $199 and adds on six additional services mentioned earlier.
It’s definitely one of the more reasonably priced providers on our list, but if you’re looking for a range of extra services to help with your business, then it might not be the best pick.
Customer Service
Filenow stands out for its excellent customer support options—it’s one of very few business formation services that offers 24/7 support by live chat, phone and email. This is ideal for business owners, as it gives you plenty of channels to access support with no worries about getting help after hours.
Reputation
As a relatively small company, Filenow doesn’t have the strong reputation of others on our list, and with only a couple of reviews on Trustpilot, it’s hard to understand exactly how customers view the provider. If a company’s reputation is a big factor, you might want to opt for one of the bigger services we’ve reviewed.
Learn more: Read our full Filenow review.
- Simple pricing structure
- Quick internal processing time
- 24/7 customer support
- Limited extra services
- No free formation plan
- No annual report filing
Forbes Advisor Ratings
The table below includes our full list of the best LLC services in the United States. To learn more about other top LLC services in South Dakota, read our full ranking.
Methodology
| Decision Factor | Scoring Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 30% | General features for the best LLC companies include name availability search, online document access, registered agent add-on, articles of organization and whether additional legal services are available. |
| Value | 30% | We researched the average price points of small business-oriented LLC services and scored providers based on their transparency and affordability. Companies with prices listed publicly on their websites scored better than those that don’t display this information. |
| Service and Support | 20% | We looked at what LLC formation services offer in terms of over-the-phone support, live chats and the availability of 24/7 help to get an overall sense of customer support quality. |
| Expert Score | 20% | Our expert score considered overall value for money, ease of use, popularity and standout features. Some of those features may include security features, access to customer support, whether the service offers a knowledge base and what type of money-back guarantee is offered, if any. |
Learn how we evaluate company formation services.
State LLC Services Guides
What Is an LLC Service?
An LLC service is intended to help business owners set up their LLC. While different LLC services vary in the specific services and features they provide, they all can assist you with filing the necessary paperwork with the South Dakota Secretary of State and making sure you complete the process as required. You do not have to use an LLC service to set up a limited liability company.
You could choose to hire an attorney or to complete the paperwork yourself, including the articles of organization required by South Dakota, but these services offer competitive pricing and experience that many small business owners find advantageous. Moreover, most LLC services also offer additional features, such as registered agent services or compliance support, which are required by the state of South Dakota.
Learn more: For a step-by-step guide, read our walk-through on how to set up an LLC in South Dakota.
South Dakota LLC Requirements
You need to be aware of state-specific rules before you begin your filing in South Dakota.
First, the name of your company must include the words Limited Liability Company or Limited Company, or abbreviations including L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC to be legally registered as an LLC in South Dakota. Also, ensure that the name of your company is available; many of the best LLC services will conduct a business name search for you, some for free as part of the LLC formation package. If you need to reserve a name until you’re prepared to file, you can file a corporate name reservation application with the state for $25.
A registered agent is also required to form an LLC in South Dakota. The business owner can act as a registered agent, or you can get registered agent service through a third party. Again, many of the services on our list will provide registered agent service, some for free, some for an added fee.
You can then register your business online through the South Dakota Secretary of State website or complete the articles of organization form and mail it to the South Dakota Secretary of State. You must then the pay filing fee of $150 plus an extra $15 if you mail in your form.
Finally, most South Dakota LLCs are required to file a beneficial ownership information (BOI) report to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network within their first 90 days of business. Beginning on January 1, 2025, this filing period will be reduced to 30 days.
How To Choose the Best South Dakota LLC Service
Which LLC service is best for you will come down in large part to what services you need, what your budget is and how much of the paperwork you’re willing to handle manually yourself. The more of the filing and paperwork you do, the less you’ll ultimately pay in most cases, though expert service can expedite the entire process.
Essential LLC Service Features
Regardless of which service you choose, you’ll need a handful of core services to set up your LLC and start operating your business.
- State filing: The most essential part of creating a new LLC is filing the appropriate paperwork; in South Dakota, file the articles of organization with the South Dakota Secretary of State. An LLC service can complete forms and make sure all of the appropriate documents are accurate and properly submitted.
- EIN/Tax ID: An EIN, which you can obtain through the IRS, is required to hire employees. An LLC service can guide you through the process and complete the application for you, so you can focus on other elements of your business.
- Compliance: The best LLC services will file all the necessary reports to ensure your business remains legally compliant.
Packages and Add-Ons
Beyond the core features, there is a range of extras that many LLC services will provide, either as part of one of their plans or as optional add-ons.
- Expedited filing: If you’re looking to get your LLC established quickly, many services will offer same-day processing or expedited shipping to get things moving quickly.
- Website support: Many LLC services now offer website packages, often including a custom domain, website builder and business email, so you can establish your business online or start engaging in e-commerce.
Ease of Use
For LLC services, the key to ease of use is how much of the process a company will take off your plate and how effortless it makes the entire process of founding an LLC. The best LLC services will get some basic information about you and your business and then take care of nearly all the administrative tasks, including filing and reporting.
More importantly, they’ll complete and file everything accurately, so you don’t have to constantly go back and forth making revisions and wasting valuable time.
Customer Service
Given how important the LLC formation process is, and especially if you’re paying for ongoing support with compliance or taxes, customer support is extremely important. Ensure that the company you hire is available through your preferred channel of contact (email, phone or live chat), and consider other customer reviews online, which tend to heavily focus on the customer service experience.
How Much Do LLC Services Cost in South Dakota?
| Company | Free Plan ($0 Plus $150 State Filing Fee) | Premium Package (Base Price Before State Fee) | Plans Include Registered Agent (RA) or Compliance? |
|---|---|---|---|
| LegalZoom | Yes | $0 to $299 | Compliance included in Pro and Premium plans only; available as add-on |
| ZenBusiness | Yes | $0 to $349 | Compliance only; RA as add-on |
| Bizee | Yes | $0 to $299 | RA through first year, compliance alerts |
| Rocket Lawyer | Yes, with a premium membership | $19.99 to $39.99 per month plus $0 to $99.99 for business registration | No, available as add-on |
| Active Filings | Yes | $0 to $250 | RA for first year, annual report compliance |
| Swyft Filings | Yes | $0 to $299 | No, available as add-on |
| Northwest Registered Agent | No | $39 | RA service free for first year |
| BetterLegal | No | $299 (flat rate) | No, add-ons only |
| Filenow | No | $49 to $199 | RA through first year (Premium plan), compliance alerts |
| Inc Authority | Yes | $0 basic package; call for a quote on premium bundles | RA for first year, yearly compliance notifications |
A number of LLC services will offer free plans, which can be suitable for covering the basics of establishing an LLC if you’re comfortable handling some of the paperwork yourself. Several also offer the features available in paid plans as à la carte add-ons.
This often means that choosing the best plan is a matter of determining which features you need, and whether a mid-tier or premium plan would be cheaper overall than paying to add those features to a free plan. Generally, premium plans are best for business owners looking for a completely hands-off experience or those who want specific (often pricey) features only included in those premium plans.
Alan Bradley, Alison Kilian, Dennis O’Reilly, Deirdre Mundorf and Mehdi Punjwani also contributed to this article.
Featured Partners
1
ZenBusiness
$0 + State Fees
Varies By State & Package
2
LegalZoom
$0 + State Fee
Varies By State & Package
3
Formations
$0 + State Fee
Varies By State & Package
4
Tailor Brands
$0 + state fee
Varies By State & Package
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I register an LLC in South Dakota?
Creating an LLC in South Dakota is a fairly straightforward process involving selecting your name, hiring or selecting a registered agent and then filing the articles of organization with the South Dakota Secretary of State. For more details, check out our detailed guide to starting an LLC in South Dakota.
Can I start an LLC for free in South Dakota?
Though many LLC services offer free plans to establish an LLC, you’ll still be responsible for the state filing fee and potentially other costs. In South Dakota, filing fees start at $150.
Does an LLC need a registered agent in South Dakota?
Yes, South Dakota law requires that an LLC have a registered agent on record to handle legal correspondence from the state.
Does South Dakota require an LLC operating agreement?
No, South Dakota doesn’t require that LLCs in the state have an operating agreement, though it may still be advisable for some businesses, especially those where ownership percentages differ significantly.
How do I check if an LLC name is available in South Dakota?
Some LLC services will offer a business name search function as part of their LLC formation plans, or you can use the state’s Business Information Search page.
