Top 7 Best South Dakota Registered Agents 2024: Reviews & Guides
Reviewed by Randolph Vialva, MBA
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If you have a business in South Dakota, then you need to designate a registered agent to remain in good standing with the South Dakota Secretary of State and avoid fines.
You can be your own registered agent, but doing so can pull you away from running your business by increasing the obligations you have during normal business hours. A better solution for most businesses in the state is hiring a South Dakota registered agent service.
We’ve created this guide to tell you why registered agent services are a better option and help you figure out which South Dakota registered agent will be the best fit for your South Dakota business.
Let’s get started.
What Is The Definition Of A Registered Agent?
A registered agent is a point of official contact for your company. They must have a physical address or business address to accept service of process, engage with a process server, and receive legal documents in an official capacity.
When you hire commercial registered agents in South Dakota, you can get many other benefits as well. For example, some plans will include support for business documents, annual reports, a physical street or local office, and even help with online filing and filing fees.
The specifics of what your business gets out of hiring a South Dakota registered agent service depends on the plan that it selects. We’ll tell you about the different ways domestic LLCs can benefit from working with a South Dakota registered agent during normal business hours and beyond in the sections below.
Read more: Best LLC Services In 2024
How Much Is South Dakota Registered Agent?
Your charges for corporate filing services and commercial registered agents that provide annual report reminders can vary.
Your statutory agent charges will be more if you need someone who can help you file annual reports through the mail, work with you on state fees, and help you complete state forms and public records as you go through the process of growing your business. Or they’ll be less if you just need someone who can receive service.
That being said, the average cost of a South Dakota registered agent service is between $99 and $299 per year.
Top 7 Best Registered Agents In South Dakota In 2024
- Zenbusiness: Best Overall
- Northwest Registered Agent: Most Affordable
- IncFile: Most Well-Rounded
- Harbor Compliance: Best Online Tools
- LegalZoom: Best Reputation
- Rocket Lawyer: Best Ongoing Legal Services
- Incorp: Easiest to Use
Read more: Best LLC Formation Services In South Dakota (SD) 2024
Top 7 Best South Dakota Registered Agents April 2024
Zenbusiness
ZenBusiness is an all-around winner that can do more than help your LLC stay in good standing.
- Starts at $0 plus state fees
- Premium registered agent and compliances services
- Affordable EIN and expedited filing options
- Doesn’t have a national reputation
When you hire Zenbusiness, you get an agent who can help with the service of process, processing of documents, filing through your online account, setting up a certificate of authenticity through the state for your LLC, and much more. From formation to the all-important registered agent services, they’ve got your back. And, with their worry-free compliance services, you can relax and focus on what you do best: operating your business.
The company can also help with accounting and taxes, and it offers after-hours customer support to give you the service that you need no matter when your business or office needs it.
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest is an affordable registered agent service with great service and features.
- Affordable
- Good reviews
- Lots of features
- Premium services are pricey
We’ve selected Northwest as our top registered agent service in South Dakota for a few reasons. It has great customer reviews, an easy online account system, and tons of added services to help you process mail, sign an important form, accept service of process, and help businesses like yours thrive.
The only potential downside to this agent is that its premium services can get a bit pricey.
Incfile
Incfile is an affordable registered agent in South Dakota that’s easy to start using.
- Affordable
- Helps with business entity registration
- Easy to use
- No discounts for large or consistent purchases
With IncFile, you don’t get all of the premium services and support that you get from other registered agent options. Instead, you get a very affordable registered agent’s name that will help your business stay in good standing in the state regardless of whether you’re an LLC or corporation with an office in multiple cities.
The company also has a simple online account system that makes tasks like filing, service of process, and signing a form extremely easy to do, no matter what documents or office needs you and your clients have.
Harbor Compliance
Harbor Compliance stands out with some excellent online tools that should help your office thrive.
- Easy to start
- Good online reviews
- Helpful online resources
- Missing premium services
When you hire Harbor Compliance, you get a registered agent that can be your office address, help your LLC with filing, complete your next state-mandated form for you, and much more. The company has very helpful online tools, and resources that will help you get as much value as possible from the South Dakota registered agent that you hire.
The disadvantage of using this registered agent is that you may not be able to acquire further services from them. But your business or LLC can also look elsewhere for those kinds of help if it needs it.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom has an industry-leading reputation and an excellent customer service team in the state of South Dakota.
- Excellent reputation
- Ongoing business and legal service
- Speedy customer support
- Can be more expensive than other options
If you want a registered agent’s name attached to your business address in the state that stands out, then LegalZoom could be your best fit. The company has a well-established, national reputation thanks to its many ongoing business and legal services.
The company also can provide you with a registered agent in South Dakota. Reviews talk about the excellent customer service that people get from their agents when they go through LegalZoom.
Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer offers plenty of ongoing legal services to help your business in the state of South Dakota thrive while maintaining compliance.
- Ongoing legal services
- Subscription-based pricing options
- Money-back guarantee
- Credit card required for a free trial
Rocket Lawyer is a good registered agent to choose if you want help with mail, filing, and more from your agent in this state. They’ll take care of many different things for you, and you’ll also be able to take advantage of their ongoing legal services.
That way, you can get the help you need without having to wait for the mail or a non-responsive agent each time you need to make a filing in the state. This is why customers in the state consistently rank this registered agent among the very best.
Incorp
Incorp could be the right registered agent for you if you enjoy being able to communicate with your agent on the go.
- Solid mobile app
- Helps with formation documents
- Can accept service at their street address
- Fewer premium services are available
Incorp stands out as a registered agent service with its strong mobile app. This allows you to stay in touch with your registered agent no matter where you are. Plus, the company offers various add-on services like help with formation documents and more.
The only true disadvantage of using this registered agency is that you won’t have access to as many premium choices.
Start Your Business with Registered Agent In South Dakota
If you still need to start an LLC or corporation in the state of South Dakota, then you may want to do so with a registered agent service. These companies often offer a free year of registered agent services when a business in South Dakota uses them to register with the South Dakota Secretary of State.
If you want to take advantage of this perk to set up a new business in South Dakota or address in South Dakota, then the process is very straightforward.
You simply choose the South Dakota registered agents you want to use. Then, go to their website and click on the option for forming an LLC or corporation.
After that, all that’s left to do is complete the form they give you, sign where they tell you to sign, and sit back while they complete filings in your home state through the mail and get a certificate from the South Dakota Secretary of State that will allow you to begin seeing clients at your physical street address or online account.
How Much Is South Dakota Registered Agent?
Your charges for corporate filing services and commercial registered agents that provide annual report reminders can vary.
Your statutory agent charges will be more if you need someone who can help you file annual reports through the mail, work with you on state fees, and help you complete state forms and public records as you go through the process of growing your business. Or they’ll be less if you just need someone who can receive service.
That being said, the average cost of a South Dakota registered agent service is between $99 and $299 per year.
Advantages Of Using South Dakota Registered Agent Services
Hiring a registered agent service in South Dakota is superior to acting as your own registered agent whether you need your business entity registered or not. That’s true for a few reasons.
First, there are only so many hours in the day. If you run a business in the state of South Dakota, you need to use those hours to grow your company – not worry about complying with legal requirements, service of process issues through the mail, and state fees. A registered agent in South Dakota will take over these responsibilities so that you can focus on growing your business and delivering great service to customers.
Additionally, a registered agent’s top priority is your business. They’ll be able to help with everything from acting as a registered agent’s address or physical address to helping you receive mail, avoiding the fate of being administratively dissolved with online search results support, and so much more.
Who Can Be A South Dakota Registered Agent Service?
There aren’t many requirements to become a registered agent in South Dakota. Businesses simply need to appoint an agent who is at least 18 years old and has a South Dakota address. As long as you meet those requirements, you won’t run into any issues with the South Dakota Secretary of State.
It’s important to note that South Dakota registered agent services also satisfy these requirements. Finding a new registered agent or resident agent through these companies will give your South Dakota business help with online filing, annual report reminders, legal documents through the mail, and more, while also keeping you in good standing.
Final Thoughts
Hiring a South Dakota registered agent will make it easier to grow your business, improve your service, and not have to worry as much about service of process or keeping your company on good terms with the state of South Dakota. That’s true regardless of whether you have an LLC or corporation.
Northwest Registered agents is our top pick for registered agent services in the state. But you may also prefer IncFile if you want an affordable South Dakota registered agent service or ZenBusiness if you also want help with accounting, taxes, and more.
Ultimately, you can use any of the registered agent service options on our list. The best one for your business will come down to your goals and preferences.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A registered agent is an official point of contact for your business that accepts legal documents, service of process, and other filings and documents.
Yes, if you run an LLC or corporation company in South Dakota, then you need to have a registered agent in order to comply with the South Dakota Secretary of State’s mandates.
You should expect to pay between $99 and $299 annually for a South Dakota registered agent.
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- 59-11-6. Appointment of registered agent. South Dakota Legislature. Accessed November 12, 2022. https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/2077499
- South Dakota Commercial Registered Agents. sdsos.gov. Accessed November 12, 2022. https://sdsos.gov/docs/business/CRA_list.pdf
- South Dakota Secretary of State Steve Barnett – Business. sosenterprise.sd.gov. Accessed November 12, 2022. https://sosenterprise.sd.gov/BusinessServices/Business/AnnualReportInstr.aspx/
- South Dakota Registered Agent | For LLCs & Corporations. Northwest Registered Agent. Accessed November 12, 2022. https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/registered-agent/south-dakota
- Get a South Dakota Registered Agent Today. ZenBusiness Inc. Accessed November 12, 2022. https://www.zenbusiness.com/south-dakota-registered-agent/