No.1
Best here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for all fifty states
$149 yearly, no change
Score9.5out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. The charge is $149 a year whether the company stays in one state or spreads out, and three government letters a year are scanned at no cost.
For a company not yet formed, the $199 yearly package adds the South Dakota filing and the annual report.
Its three-year total exceeds South Dakota Registered Agent.co's by $150; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- A registered office street address in any state you need
- Free same-business-day scans of anything served on the company
- Three government letters a year scanned without charge
- Compliance reminders
Why pick it
- Three government letters a year scanned at no charge
- $149 a year, unchanged at renewal
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- Accepts LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
Weak spots
- The agent plan runs $50 a year above South Dakota Registered Agent.co
- Annual report filing comes with the formation package, not the agent plan
No.2
Best local option
2. South Dakota Registered Agent.co: best for the least expensive year among these agents
$99 yearly, no change
Score9.3out of 10
Second place: South Dakota Registered Agent.co. It concentrates on South Dakota at $99 a year and supplies an in-state street address for the registered office.
The registered office is South Dakota Registered Agent.co's in-state street address, and you read whatever is served on the company as a scan in your account.
In the price
- The in-state street address that the state requires
- Legal papers served on the company are scanned to your account
Why pick it
- Charges less per year than Mainstay Filing
- A yearly charge of $99 that stays the same
- Forms LLCs too, with the first agent year free
Weak spots
- The annual report is yours to file
- Built for South Dakota; elsewhere you need another agent
No.3
South Dakota-focused
3. SD Registered Agent.org: best for South Dakota specialists
$99 yearly, no change
Score9.0out of 10
Third place: SD Registered Agent.org. It concentrates on South Dakota at $99 a year and supplies an in-state street address for the registered office.
SD Registered Agent.org lends the company a state street address for its registered office and scans served legal papers to you online.
No difference in price or features separates South Dakota Registered Agent.co from SD Registered Agent.org; choose whichever you prefer.
In the price
- An in-state registered office address
- Scans of served papers appear in your online account
Why pick it
- Costs less each year than Mainstay Filing
- Also forms LLCs and includes the first agent year
- Costs $99 yearly, unchanged at renewal
Weak spots
- The annual report is yours to file
- Built for South Dakota; elsewhere you need another agent
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Yearly charge | Renewal | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.5 | $149 | $149/yr | An agent usable in all fifty states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 2 | South Dakota Registered Agent.co | 9.3 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit South Dakota Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 3 | SD Registered Agent.org | 9.0 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit SD Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
Every mark out of 10 reflects the editorial team's reading of the criteria on
How we rank, not any customer rating.
South Dakota registered agent charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Price unchanged at renewal |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149 | $149 | $447 | Yes |
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| South Dakota Registered Agent.co | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
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| SD Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
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Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. South Dakota's own fees are the same whichever agent is chosen.
What decided the order
Two criteria carry 31% each in this ranking, charge over three years and work taken off the founder. Renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight share 38%, and in South Dakota the decisive one was work taken off the founder.
Mainstay's plan reaches further: papers served on the company are scanned within the same business day at no cost, the price is identical across all fifty states, and three government letters a year are scanned free. South Dakota Registered Agent.co charges less, so the margin is narrow.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
What South Dakota requires of a registered agent (source: South Dakota Secretary of State)
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. 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. Authority: SDCL 59-11-6.
The South Dakota annual report: its fee and due date
In South Dakota, the annual report comes due every year. $55 is payable to the state, and the deadline is due during the entity's anniversary month. Filing late adds $50. Notices about it are sent to your registered agent.
Questions on South Dakota registered agents
Is a South Dakota LLC obliged to appoint a registered agent?
Yes. South Dakota law expects every LLC to appoint a registered agent with a physical address in the state, and that appointment is public.
What is the going yearly rate for a South Dakota registered agent?
Yearly charges fall between $99 to $149, and every provider holds its price at renewal.
Is the owner permitted to serve as the registered agent?
Yes, when the state's conditions are met. 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.
What is the deadline for the South Dakota annual report?
$55 goes to the state, and the filing falls due due during the entity's anniversary month. Lateness costs $50 more.
Which registered agents were heard in this ranking?
Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), South Dakota Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and SD Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), ruled upon in that order.
Which South Dakota registered agent does the record favor?
Mainstay Filing, since its agent plan is $149 a year and does not rise at renewal, and legal papers served on the company are scanned within the same business day free of charge.
The record
- South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services / Corporations Division, on the record as of August 2026
- South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services / Corporations Division, on the record as of August 2026
- South Dakota yearly filing: Annual report: fee and how, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- South Dakota report due date, on the record as of August 2026
- SDCL 47-34A-203, on the record as of August 2026
- South Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- South Dakota formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- South Dakota registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, South Dakota service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: South Dakota Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: SD Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026