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South Dakota Registered Agent for Your LLC

Every business entity formed in South Dakota must appoint a person or business to act as a Registered Agent.

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What is a Registered Agent?

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Registered Agent

    Your South Dakota Registered Agent provides various services, including the acceptance of formal and legal documents and continued correspondence with the South Dakota Secretary of State.


    Your LLC must have a Registered Agent at all times. You’ll appoint one when you first formally register and form your business. You can also replace your existing South Dakota Registered Agent at a later date, provided there you transition smoothly between the old and new agents.

    South Dakota Registered Agent Requirements

    • Every LLC, both foreign and domestic, must have a Registered Agent with a registered office within the State of South Dakota at all times.
    • The Registered Agent can be a domestic or foreign (licensed to transact business in the state) artificial legal entity (Corporation, LLC, LP or LLP) or a natural person.
    • The Registered Office must be in the state of South Dakota and located at a street address (a P.O. Box only is not acceptable).
    • If the Registered Agent is a person, they must live in South Dakota.
    • If the Registered Agent is a company, they must be authorized to conduct business in South Dakota.
    • The Registered Agent must be available in person to sign for any correspondence during normal business hours.

    Note that the address for your South Dakota Registered Agent does not need to be the same as your South Dakota LLC business address.

    What a South Dakota Registered Agent Does

    A Registered Agent’s main function in South Dakota is to accept official documentation and communications.

    This includes:

    • Correspondence from the South Dakota Secretary of State (SOS)
    • Service of process notices (e.g., if your LLC is sued or required to appear in court)
    • Tax forms and requests to complete permits, company filings and reports
    • Official state and federal government correspondence and notices

    Having a Registered Agent also provides proof to the state that your business exists.

    Bizee Provides Free South Dakota Registered Agent Service for the First Year

    Bizee provides complete South Dakota Registered Agent service for any LLC that’s formed in the state. As a bonus, your Registered Agent is completely free for the first year and only $119 a year after that if you’ve formed your business through Bizee.


    Bizee is authorized to conduct business in South Dakota and can legally act as your Registered Agent. Here’s what our Registered Agent service provides:

    • Automatic forwarding of all legal correspondence, documentation and information directly to you
    • An always-available South Dakota Registered Agent who can receive correspondence, documents and legal proceedings on your LLC’s behalf
    • Email notification whenever we receive documents for your business
    • A digital dashboard where you can access, store and retrieve any information we’ve received for your business

    Appointing a Registered Agent Service for Your LLC

    When you first register and form your LLC, you must appoint a Registered Agent. You can change it at any point after that. Here’s how to go about it.

    Assign a Registered Agent When You Form Your LLC

    Your business needs to have a Registered Agent as soon as it’s formed. You can do this two ways:

    Assign a Different Registered Agent After Formation

    After you’ve formed your LLC, you can still assign someone else to be your South Dakota Registered Agent. There are a couple of ways to achieve this.

    South Dakota Registered Agent Search

    In certain situations, it may be useful to know the name of the Registered Agent that represents another LLC in South Dakota. You can use the list of commercial registered agents provided by the South Dakota SOS to discover this information.


    If you can’t find the Registered Agent information there, you can request it from the Secretary of State.

    What Happens If You Don’t Have a Registered Agent?

    If you don’t assign or provide details of a Registered Agent to the South Dakota Secretary of State there are several possible ramifications, including:

    • Getting sued or served and not knowing about it. You could lose to a default judgment in your absence if your LLC is sued and you don’t respond.
    • Falling out of good standing with the South Dakota SOS. The state may revoke your right to do business if you don’t respond to certain correspondence (such as a request for your annual report).
    • Losing your status as an LLC in South Dakota. A Registered Agent is evidence to the state that your business exists. Without it, you could lose your business entity protections and your LLC may be dissolved.

    Acting as Your Own Registered Agent

    You can choose to be the Registered Agent for your LLC if you have a physical address in South Dakota, although there may be some drawbacks to this approach:

    • You can choose to be the Registered Agent for your LLC if you have a physical address in South Dakota, although there may be some drawbacks to this approach:
    • Someone must always be available during business hours at the South Dakota address to receive and sign for important documents and correspondence.
    • The Registered Agent must have a physical street address in South Dakota. If you’re forming an LLC outside the state, you’ll need to use an in-state Registered Agent.
    • If you change your business address or move out of state, you need to file additional documentation with the SD Secretary of State for the new address. This isn’t necessary if you use a Registered Agent service, making a move or address change much more smooth.

    Other Useful Resources

    FAQs About South Dakota Registered Agents

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