How to search and claim an LLC name in South Dakota
- Search South Dakota's official entity records at no cost, leaving “LLC” off the name.
- Make sure the name ends with one of South Dakota's accepted endings, such as “Limited Liability Company” or “Limited Company”.
- Hold the name with a $25 reservation for 120 days if you need time before filing.
- File the Articles of Organization with the South Dakota Secretary of State for $150 online ($165 on paper).
What a South Dakota LLC name must include
South Dakota accepts these endings for a limited liability company:
- Limited Liability Company
- Limited Company
- L.L.C.
- LLC
- L.C.
- LC
South Dakota singles out one word: an LLC name containing “trust” needs the Division of Banking's approval, and the articles then have to go in on paper instead of online. The endings it lists run from “limited liability company” and “limited company” to “L.L.C.”, “LLC”, “L.C.” and “LC”, with “Ltd.” and “Co.” allowed for “Limited” and “company”.
How South Dakota decides two names are the same
South Dakota listens to names rather than reading them. Two names that sound alike are the same name to the Secretary of State even if they're spelled differently, as with Dear LLC and Deer LLC; an added word, like John in John Philips Avenue Diner, is what makes a difference. Every corporation, limited partnership and LLC on the state's records is in the comparison, along with reserved or registered names and foreign LLCs' fictitious names (SDCL 47-34A-105). If yours conflicts, the holder can consent in writing while undertaking to change its own name, or a court judgment can settle the right to it.
Where the rules are written. SDCL 47-34A-105 (LLC name); 47-34A-106 (reserved name); 47-1A-401 and 47-1A-401.1 (corporate name); 37-11-1 (fictitious names); 47-34A-211, 59-11-24 and 59-11-25 (annual report).
Searching for an LLC name in South Dakota
The Business Information Search is free, and so is the Business Name Availability tool, but that tool only reports exact matches. Because South Dakota compares by sound, search alternate spellings in the business search before you rely on a clear result.
Open the official South Dakota entity search
Leave the ending off when you search, so every version of the name shows up, then compare each result word by word. If one matches apart from spacing, punctuation or a plural, change a real word in your name.
Holding the name: South Dakota LLC name reservation
Reserving an LLC name costs $25 for 120 days. Once it lapses, you'll have to wait more than 60 days before reserving the same name again yourself (SDCL 47-34A-106).
File a South Dakota name reservation
Forming the LLC in South Dakota
Articles of Organization cost $150 online, or $165 on paper with the $15 paper fee. A name containing “trust” must be filed on paper.
File the Articles of Organization online
The annual report is due by the 1st day of the LLC's anniversary month and can be filed up to two months early: $55 online or $70 on paper. Two months after the due date the LLC is delinquent, owes a late fee ($55 on the fee schedule) and risks administrative dissolution. From January 1, 2027, a 2026 law lets an LLC pick January 31 as its due date instead. No newspaper notice is required. A Certificate of Good Standing costs $20 online or $35 on paper. Tax obligations weren't part of this research.
When the LLC trades under another name
An LLC trading under another name files a fictitious name statement for $10 per name: online through the Secretary of State, or on paper at any county's Register of Deeds. It's good for five years, and if it lapses it has to be filed again from scratch.
Sources
- Filing fees, sdsos.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Contact, sdsos.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Limited liability companies, sdsos.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Llc domestic articlesoforganization (PDF), sdsos.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Reservationofllcname20180215 (PDF), sdsos.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Domesticllcannualreport20250701 (PDF), sdsos.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Annual report instr, sosenterprise.sd.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Name availability, sosenterprise.sd.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Pamphlet domesticbusiness20170327 (PDF), sdsos.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- sdlegislature.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- sdlegislature.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- sdlegislature.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- sdlegislature.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- sdlegislature.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- sdlegislature.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- sdlegislature.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- sdlegislature.gov, checked 2026-10-07
These are the official pages behind every fact above. If one of them now says something different, it's right and this page is out of date.
Common questions
Can two LLCs in South Dakota have the same name?
No. South Dakota accepts a new LLC name only if it can be told apart from every name on its record.
How long can I hold an LLC name in South Dakota?
120 days, for $25.
Does a new South Dakota LLC have to publish a notice?
No. South Dakota has no newspaper publication requirement for LLCs.
How much is the South Dakota LLC filing fee?
$150 online ($165 on paper), paid when you file the Articles of Organization.