Forming a South Dakota LLC takes six steps: name search, Articles of Organization ($150 state fee), registered agent, operating agreement, EIN, and bank account. End-to-end timeline is 5-10 business days with Anonymousllc.co. South Dakota lists members or managers on the public formation record, so founders who want ownership privacy form a Wyoming or New Mexico anonymous LLC and foreign-qualify into South Dakota. The all-in cost for a South Dakota LLC is $447 ($297 service fee plus the $150 state fee).
Search the South Dakota Secretary of State business name database and confirm the name is distinguishable from every existing entity. The name must contain "Limited Liability Company", "LLC", or "L.L.C." Anonymousllc.co runs the name check and prepares two or three backup names before filing, so a rejected first choice never delays the process. South Dakota does not require a separate name reservation for standard formation; the name locks the moment the Articles are accepted. A separate 120-day name reservation is available for founders who want to hold a name before filing.
The Articles of Organization list the LLC name, the South Dakota registered agent and office address, the principal address, the management structure, and the organizer. South Dakota requires either members or managers to be disclosed on this public filing. Because ownership appears on the public record, a South Dakota LLC does not keep owners private. Founders who need anonymity form a Wyoming or New Mexico anonymous LLC and foreign-qualify into South Dakota when local operations require it. Articles are filed online with the Secretary of State for a $150 fee and accepted within 1-3 business days.
Every South Dakota LLC must list a registered agent with a physical street address in South Dakota to receive legal service and state mail. The agent's address appears on the public record instead of the owner's. Anonymousllc.co provides South Dakota registered agent service at $100/year, included for year one in the formation package. The agent forwards state notices and any legal service the same day it arrives. Using a commercial agent keeps the founder's home or business address off the Secretary of State database.
Yes. South Dakota does not file the operating agreement with the state, but every US bank requires it to open an account and courts examine it in liability disputes. It is the document that proves who owns and controls the LLC. Anonymousllc.co includes a South Dakota-specific operating agreement tailored to South Dakota statute with every formation package. It sets out ownership percentages, management structure, capital contributions, profit distribution, and transfer rules. A single-member LLC still needs one: without it, the liability shield is weaker and banks decline the account. South Dakota series LLCs require additional series-specific provisions.
The EIN is the LLC's federal tax ID from the IRS, and it is required before any bank account or tax filing. A non-resident without an SSN gets it by fax filing IRS Form SS-4, where the responsible party writes "Foreign" instead of a tax ID number. US-resident founders complete the EIN online in minutes. Non-resident founders receive it in 5-7 days through Anonymousllc.co acting as third-party designee on the SS-4. No SSN, ITIN, or visit to the US is needed. The EIN confirmation letter (CP-575, or a 147C on reissue) is the document banks ask for at account opening.
Anonymousllc.co submits applications to four or five US partner banks (Mercury, Relay, Bluevine, and others) in parallel, using the stamped Articles, EIN letter, and operating agreement. Approval averages 8-10 days after the EIN. Applying to multiple banks at once raises the overall approval rate to about 90%, because a decline at one bank does not end the process. These are US business accounts with routing and account numbers, wire and ACH access, and debit cards. Non-residents open them remotely; no US visit is required. A funded account lands by day 10-12 of the overall timeline.
A South Dakota LLC costs $447 all-in through Anonymousllc.co: a $297 service fee plus the $150 South Dakota state filing fee. That single price covers the state filing, registered agent for year one, operating agreement, EIN, and four to five US bank applications. Year two onward, the recurring cost is the $100/year registered agent plus the $50 annual report, so ongoing maintenance runs $150/year. Founders who want ownership privacy compare this against a Wyoming anonymous LLC at $397 all-in or a New Mexico LLC at $347 with no annual report. Add-on services are priced separately: EIN $99, ITIN $299, BOI $150 when applicable.
No. South Dakota lists members or managers on the public formation record, so a South Dakota LLC does not keep ownership private on its own. The state database shows the listed names to anyone who searches. The privacy path is a Wyoming or New Mexico anonymous LLC that foreign-qualifies into South Dakota for local operations. A Wyoming LLC costs $397 all-in and keeps members and managers off the public record while operating anywhere. See /wyoming-anonymous-llc/ and /anonymous-llc/ for the two structures Anonymousllc.co uses for owners whose priority is privacy.
Yes. Non-US residents form South Dakota LLCs without an SSN, ITIN, or visa, and never need to visit the United States. South Dakota places no citizenship or residency condition on ownership. Anonymousllc.co files the Articles, obtains the EIN by fax without an SSN, provides the South Dakota registered agent and address, and submits US bank applications remotely. The founder handles the entire process from abroad over WhatsApp. Banking is harder for non-residents, so the four-to-five bank strategy raises approval odds to about 90%.
A Wyoming or New Mexico anonymous LLC operates legally in South Dakota by foreign-qualifying: filing an Application for Certificate of Authority with the South Dakota Secretary of State plus a certificate of good standing from the home state. This is the standard path when the founder wants privacy but has a South Dakota presence. The qualified LLC appoints a South Dakota registered agent and files the same $50 annual report as a domestic LLC, while ownership stays governed by the anonymous home-state record. Anonymousllc.co forms the Wyoming LLC at $397 all-in and files the South Dakota foreign qualification together, so the founder ends up with one structure that keeps members off the public record and stays compliant for South Dakota operations. See /wyoming-anonymous-llc/ for the full privacy path.
A South Dakota LLC files one annual report each year for a $50 fee and maintains a registered agent with a South Dakota street address. Those two obligations keep the entity in good standing on the public record. The annual report is tied to the LLC's formation anniversary month, so the due date follows the month of formation rather than a single statewide date. It confirms the registered agent, principal office, and member or manager information. Missing it moves the LLC to delinquent status and, after continued non-filing, triggers administrative dissolution that can retroactively void the liability shield. South Dakota charges no franchise tax and no state income tax, so the $50 report is the main recurring state cost. Anonymousllc.co tracks the anniversary date and files the report as part of the $100/year registered agent service, so ongoing maintenance runs $150/year without the owner watching the calendar.
After a South Dakota LLC is formed, you receive the stamped Articles of Organization, a South Dakota-specific operating agreement, the EIN confirmation letter, and confirmations for four to five US bank applications. These four items are the complete formation record. The stamped Articles are the state's proof the LLC exists and carry the filing date and entity number. The operating agreement governs ownership and control and is the document banks and courts request. The EIN letter arrives as a CP-575 from the IRS, or a 147C on reissue, and is required to open the bank account and file taxes. Anonymousllc.co delivers the full document set over WhatsApp as each piece clears, so a non-resident owner assembles a bank-ready package without a US visit. This is the same set a bank, a payment processor, and a tax preparer ask to see.
5-minute WhatsApp intake. 5-10 day turnaround.