How to File South Dakota's Articles of Organization
What goes on South Dakota's Articles of Organization, what is filed with it and what it costs, read from South Dakota government sources.
The short answer. To form an LLC in South Dakota, you file the Articles of Organization with the state. The state charges $150 to file online and $165 by mail. Of the 15 items this page tracks, the form requires 5, asks for 4 only in some cases, makes 3 optional and leaves out 2, and 1 is not checked yet.
The South Dakota Articles of Organization at a Glance
| What South Dakota calls it | Articles of Organization |
| State filing fee | $150 online, $165 by mail |
| Processing time | Check with the South Dakota Secretary of State |
| Where to file | South Dakota Secretary of State |
| File online | Yes, online, open the filing portal |
| Blank form | Download it from the state |
| Law that sets its contents | SDCL § 47-34A-203 |
| Filed with it or right after | 1 filing, listed below |
Read from a South Dakota government source, last checked September 23, 2026. The filing fee and processing time come from our South Dakota cost record. See the sources.
What Goes on South Dakota's Articles of Organization
Each row is one of the 15 items this page tracks, with what South Dakota's Articles of Organization asks for. "Not on the form" means we checked and found no place for it on the Articles of Organization. "Not checked" means we have not confirmed it either way.
| Item | On the form |
|---|---|
| LLC name | Required |
| Registered agent's name | Required |
| Registered office address | Only when the registered agent is a noncommercial registered agent, such as an individual. A commercial registered agent is listed by name and its commercial registered agent number instead. |
| Principal office address | Required |
| Mailing address | Only when the office's mailing address is different from its street address. |
| Organizer's name | Required |
| Members' names | Not checked |
| Managers' names | Only when the LLC will be manager-managed. |
| Member-managed or manager-managed | Required |
| Business purpose | Optional |
| Duration | Only when the LLC will not exist perpetually. |
| Effective date | Optional |
| County | Not on the form |
| Email address | Optional |
| Registered agent's consent | Not on the form |
The registered agent rows are covered in more depth in South Dakota's registered agent requirements, and the steps before and after this filing are in how to start an LLC in South Dakota.
What the LLC's Name Must Include
The LLC's name must include one of these: "Limited Liability Company", "Limited Liability Co.", "Ltd. Liability Company", "Ltd. Liability Co.", "Limited Company", "Limited Co.", "Ltd. Company", "Ltd. Co.", "L.L.C.", "LLC", "L.C." or "LC".
Rule: SDCL § 47-34A-105(a).
File These With It or Right After
South Dakota has one more filing that goes with it or follows it.
| Filing | Required? | When |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification for Farming | Only for an LLC that is engaged in farming, or proposes to start farming, in South Dakota. | Filed after the Articles of Organization, once the company has a business ID, and before the company starts farming. There is no filing fee. |
Draft Your Articles of Organization
The generator below starts with South Dakota selected and drafts the document from what you enter. Compare the draft with the state's current form before you file.
MyStateLLC.com is not a law firm, not an attorney, and not a document preparation service. This is a self-service tool: it formats information you enter into a state template, and no one at MyStateLLC reviews, corrects, or files it for you. This tool and the document it generates are informational and are not legal, financial, or tax advice, and are not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney. MyStateLLC cannot give legal advice, does not prepare or file documents itself, and communications with MyStateLLC are not privileged. Using this tool does not create an attorney-client relationship. LLC laws vary by state and this document is not reviewed by anyone before you file it. Consult a licensed attorney or CPA in your state before you sign or file it.
Where are you forming your LLC?
After It Is Approved
| Certified copy of the filed Articles of Organization | See note below |
| Changing it later (Amended Articles of Organization) | $60 |
Where these fees come from: the sources.
Professional LLCs in South Dakota
We have not confirmed whether South Dakota allows a professional LLC; check with the South Dakota Secretary of State and the state licensing board.
Worth Knowing in South Dakota
A certified copy costs $15 plus $2 per page. The paper form has an optional section for beneficial owners, meaning anyone who holds or in some way controls an equity interest in the company, with each one's name and address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- sdsos.gov/docs/business/llc-domestic-articlesoforganization.pdfArticles of Organization, Domestic Limited Liability Company (SD Secretary of State)
- sdsos.gov/Business-Services/corporations/corporate-forms/limited-liability-companies.aspxLimited Liability Companies forms (SD Secretary of State)
- sdsos.gov/general-information/filing-fees.aspxFiling Fees (SD Secretary of State)
- sdsos.gov/docs/business/llc-domestic-amendmentarticles.pdfApplication for Amended Articles of Organization (SD Secretary of State)
- sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/47-34A-203SDCL 47-34A-203 Articles of organization
- sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/59-11-6SDCL 59-11-6 Appointment of registered agent
- sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/47-34A-105SDCL 47-34A-105 Name
- sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/47-34A-206SDCL 47-34A-206 Filing in Office of Secretary of State
- sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/47-34A-212SDCL 47-34A-212 Fees
- sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/47-34A-112SDCL 47-34A-112 Nature of business and powers
- sosenterprise.sd.gov/BusinessServices/Business/RegistrationInstr.aspxSD SOS online business registration
- sdsos.gov/docs/business/llc-domestic-farmqualification.pdfQualification for Farming, Domestic Limited Liability Company (SD Secretary of State)
- sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/47-9ASDCL Chapter 47-9A Corporate Farming Restrictions
The rows and fees on this page were read from the South Dakota government sources above, not from a formation service, and anything we could not confirm there is marked Not checked. See our editorial policy for how these are verified and corrected.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's filing office publishes about the document that forms an LLC, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own filing needs: fees and forms change between our reviews, several occupations cannot use an ordinary LLC at all and must use a professional entity or a separate professional form, and your city or county may require a registration of its own. Confirm the current fee and form with the filing office named on this page before you send anything.
Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC
Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.