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South Dakota

South Dakota Business Search

Written byRegistryWise Editorial TeamFact-checked against the South Dakota Secretary of State · How we research

The short answer

South Dakota businesses are searched for free on the Secretary of State's Business Information Search by name ("Starts With" or "Contains") or by Secretary of State Business ID, and each detail page shows the public filings and document images. DBA names have their own search, and every LLC owes an annual report on the 1st day of its anniversary month.

On this page
  1. LLC lookup, step by step
  2. What the status means
  3. Agent, filings, owners
  4. Your Secretary of State Business ID
  5. Is the name available?
  6. DBA and UCC search
  7. Fees and deadlines
  8. Questions
  9. Sources

South Dakota at a glance

Who runs it
South Dakota Secretary of State
Business Information Search
Cost to search
Free
Searching, viewing and printing are free. Certified copies are $15 plus $2 per page, and the full business database can be bought for a fee.
Account needed
No
Search without signing up
Search by
Search Name ("Starts With" or "Contains"), Business ID
and 1 more

State fees

  • Form an LLC$150$150 online, $165 on paper.Articles of OrganizationOfficial source
  • Annual Report$55$55 online, $70 on paper.Due every year on the 1st day of the anniversary month of the initial filing. You can file starting 2 months before the due date.Official source
  • Certificate of Good Standing / Existence$20Online only. A color PDF downloads right after payment.Proof the business is currentOfficial source
  • Change registered agent$10Statement of Change of Registered Agent and/or Address. $15 extra if filed on paper.Every LLC must have oneOfficial source

An LLC lookup in South Dakota is the same search as a business search. The Business Information Search, kept by the South Dakota Secretary of State, lists LLCs alongside corporations and other registered businesses. You can search by search Name, business ID or "Active Entities Only" filter. It's free, and you don't need an account.

  1. Open the Business Information Search.
  2. Type the name in "Search Name" and choose "Starts With" or "Contains", or enter the Business ID. Tick "Active Entities Only" to hide old records.
  3. Click "Search" and open the business from the results.
  4. Read the status, registered agent and annual report due date on the detail page.
  5. Open filed documents from the history. For filings before 11/12/2016, click the blue ID number on the "Initial Filing" line under "Image Links".

Good to know in South Dakota: South Dakota ties the annual report to the month the business first filed: it's due on the 1st day of that anniversary month every year. Two months after the due date the business turns "Delinquent" and owes a $55 late fee, and staying delinquent can lead to administrative dissolution. The Secretary of State also keeps no owner list for LLCs, only the organizers.

What the search shows you

  • Business name and Secretary of State Business ID
  • Status
  • Annual report due date
  • Registered agent
  • Filing history with image links (documents filed before 11/12/2016 open from the blue ID number next to "Initial Filing")

What the status words mean

South Dakota uses its own words for a company's status, and they don't always mean the same thing as in other states. Here's what you'll see on the Business Information Search, in the state's own wording.

StatusWhat it means
ActiveA registered business entity that can file its annual report and a Statement of Change online. The search has an "Active Entities Only" filter.
Good StandingCertificates of Good Standing are sold for any active entity in good standing.
DelinquentThe annual report wasn't filed within 2 months after its due date. A delinquent report costs an extra $55 late fee.
Dissolved or RevokedThe Secretary of State administratively dissolved or revoked the entity, for example for not filing the annual report, not keeping a South Dakota registered agent, or a declined payment. A domestic LLC can reinstate; a foreign entity must register again.

For how these compare across states, see what business entity status means.

Finding the registered agent, filing history and owners

Registered Agent

The detail page lists the registered agent. South Dakota agents must have a physical and mailing address in the state, and an LLC can't use an office holder as its agent.

Filing history

The history lists every filing with images. Most images from 1994 on are online; older records cost $2 per page by email request.

Owners, managers and officers

Owners of LLCs are not filed with the Secretary of State. Only LLC organizers are on file, plus shareholders for LLCs that qualified as family farms. LLC annual reports list the names and addresses of principal officers and directors (governors). If the state record doesn't name anyone, our guide on how to find the owner of an LLC covers where else to look.

Finding a South Dakota Secretary of State Business ID

South Dakota gives every business on its register a Secretary of State Business ID. It's the quickest way to pin down the right company when names are alike.

What it looks like
A letter and number code shown on each business record. The public help pages don't describe its layout.
Where to find yours
On the business detail page in the Business Information Search. The annual report, Statement of Change and good standing tools all ask for it.
Search by it
Yes. The Business Information Search accepts it.

It's easy to mix it up with these, which come from other offices:

  • Sales tax number (South Dakota Department of Revenue). Separate from the Business ID. The Secretary of State doesn't process sales tax or keep sales tax numbers.

Your federal EIN is a different number again. See which business number a form is asking for.

Checking whether a business name is available in South Dakota

  1. Use the Secretary of State's Business Name Availability Search for a preliminary check.
  2. A new name must be "distinguishable on record", which means it can't sound the same as an existing name. "Dear LLC" and "Deer LLC" are not distinguishable.
  3. A name reservation costs $25.
  4. Search the DBA database too, since DBA names are kept in a separate search.

A clear result on the state search isn't a trademark clearance. If the name matters to you, also search the USPTO trademark database and check the domain. More in our business name search guide.

DBA and UCC search in South Dakota

DBAs and assumed names

What it's called
DBA / Fictitious Business Name
Where they're filed
Register online with the Secretary of State or on paper at your county Register of Deeds. Both land in one statewide DBA database.
State fee
$10. Same fee online or at the county. Renewals and amendments are also $10; cancellation is free.
How long it lasts
Five years. Renew before it expires; an expired DBA must be registered again as new.

An LLC must file a DBA when it does business under a name other than the one on file with the Secretary of State. The DBA search shows active DBAs filed after July 1, 2004, plus expired and cancelled ones for one year.

UCC liens

Lenders file UCC financing statements with the South Dakota Secretary of State, UCC Filings. The online search is paid and needs an account. Our South Dakota UCC search guide has the steps and fees.

South Dakota fees and deadlines

These are the state's own fees, before any service charges. Each row links to the official page we took it from.

Form an LLC

$150
  • Articles of Organization.
  • Online filings are processed immediately. Paper filings take 1 to 3 business days on average.
  • Faster options: $50 for completion sooner than the normal course of business.
File online Fee source

Annual Report

$55
  • Due: Due every year on the 1st day of the anniversary month of the initial filing. You can file starting 2 months before the due date.
  • If you're late: The status turns "Delinquent" 2 months after the due date, and a $55 late fee is added. Continued delinquency can lead to administrative dissolution.
  • The online annual report instructions page lists the late fee as $50, while the fee schedule and FAQ list $55.
File the report Fee source

Change your registered agent

$10
  • Every South Dakota LLC must have one.
  • Statement of Change of Registered Agent and/or Address. $15 extra if filed on paper.
Fee source

Certificate of Good Standing / Existence

$20
  • Proof the company exists and is current, from the South Dakota Secretary of State.
  • Online only. A color PDF downloads right after payment.
Order one Fee source

10,965 new business applications were filed in South Dakota from January to September 2026, up 18.6% on last year, according to the Census Bureau. See every state.

Starting a business in South Dakota?

A lot of people search the Business Information Search to see if a name is taken before they file. If that's you, here's the order to do things in.

  1. 1Check the name is free in South DakotaTakes two minutes, steps on this page
  2. 2File your LLC with the stateArticles of Organization, $150 state fee
  3. 3Or let a service file it for youCompared on what you pay in year two

Step 3 goes to our comparison page, which has sponsored links. We earn a commission if you buy, and it doesn't change our rankings. How that works.

Frequently asked questions

How do I look up an LLC in South Dakota?

Search the Business Information Search, the official database kept by the South Dakota Secretary of State. You can search by search Name, business ID or "Active Entities Only" filter. It's free, and you don't need an account. Open the matching record to see the LLC's status, registered agent and filing history.

Is the South Dakota business search free?

Yes. Business information can be searched, viewed and printed for free. A Certificate of Good Standing is $20 online.

Can I find out who owns a South Dakota LLC?

Usually not. Owners of LLCs are not filed with the Secretary of State. Only organizers are on record, and LLC annual reports list principal officers and directors.

What does "Delinquent" mean in South Dakota?

The annual report is more than 2 months past its due date. The report can still be filed online, with an added $55 late fee.

When is a South Dakota LLC's annual report due?

On the 1st day of the month the LLC was first filed, every year. An LLC filed June 11, 2026 owes its first report June 1, 2027.

Sources

We take every fee, deadline and rule on this page from these pages and nowhere else. Rules change, so open the source before you pay anything.

  1. 1.Business Information SearchChecked November 8, 2026
  2. 2.Secretary of State: Business FAQ and contact pageChecked November 8, 2026
  3. 3.Secretary of State: Filing FeesChecked November 8, 2026
  4. 4.File an Annual Report: instructionsChecked November 8, 2026
  5. 5.Start a New Business: instructionsChecked November 8, 2026
  6. 6.Certificate of Good Standing: instructionsChecked November 8, 2026
  7. 7.File a Statement of Change: instructionsChecked November 8, 2026
  8. 8.DBA Business Name ServicesChecked November 8, 2026
  9. 9.DBA Business Name Information SearchChecked November 8, 2026
  10. 10.UCC ServicesChecked November 8, 2026

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