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Steps to Forming a South Dakota Corporation

Information We Need From You to Start Your Corporation

1: Select a Name: The name of your corporation must include the term Corporation, Incorporated, Company, Limited or an applicable abbreviation of one of those words.

2: Authorize Shares: Corporations are owned by their shareholders, who own shares of stock in the company. South Dakota requires you to designate how many shares you intend to authorize. Most corporations authorize only a small number of shares (say, 100). When you hold your first shareholders meeting, you can then issue 51% of those shares to yourself, giving you control of the company. The remaining 49% can be left for future business partners. 

3: Choose Management: Corporations are managed by their Directors. Directors are responsible for establishing major company policies, setting salaries and bonuses, issuing additional stock, and appointing the corporate officers (President, Treasurer, Secretary).

4: Remaining Info Needed to File:

  • Principal executive office: the physical street address of the main business office where your corporate records and financial books are kept.

  • Registered Agent: a registered agent must have a physical street address within the state, called a registered office (no PO boxes). All of our Speedy filings come with one free year of South Dakota registered agent service by Northwest Registered Agent. This service keeps your personal name and office addresses out of the public record and fulfills your registered agent, mailing and principal office requirements.

Form Your Corporation Here Online

Steps to Forming a South Dakota LLC

Information We Need From You to Start Your LLC

1: Select a Name: Your company name must include: Limited Liability Company, Limited Company, or the abbreviation L.L.C., LLC, L.C., or LC. The word “Limited” may be abbreviated as “Ltd.” The word “Company” may be abbreviated as “Co.” If you want to see if your company name is currently available, you can do a South Dakota business name search.

2: Membership: The owners of an LLC are known as members. They are not issued shares of stock, as they would be in a corporation. Instead, members are given an ownership percentage. This percentage is generally in direct proportion to the amount each member has invested in the company, though not always.

3: Choose Management: LLCs are most often managed by their members. The members set company policy and make financial decisions, as well as take part in everyday company business. However, an LLC can also opt to appoint a manager to run the LLC. Managers may be members, or they may be outside parties.

4: Remaining Info Needed to File:

  • Duration: if you want your LLC to be dissolved on a specific date, you can indicate a later day, otherwise the duration of your company is considered perpetual.

  • Initial designated office: the street address of the business office where you keep your company records and financial books.

  • Registered Agent: legal registered agents must maintain a physical street address within the state where they can accept service of process. This is called a registered office, and it cannot be a PO box. Our Speedy filings come with one free year of South Dakota registered agent service. This free service keeps your private home and office addresses off the public record and fulfills the registered agent, mailing and designated office requirements.

  • Management: whether your LLC will be managed by its members or by a manager. If your company will be managed by a manager (or managers), you must list the names and street addresses of each manager.

  • Liability: whether or not any of your members intend to be held liable for the debts and obligations of your LLC.

Form Your LLC Here Online

Testimonials

I can not be sure how large a company you really are or how your order fulfilment is handled, but when I received my paperwork yesterday I was totally delighted and blown away! by how easy the whole process way. If possible to convey my personal app” – Shirley V., Clark, South Dakota

Luck must have been with me the day I stumbled across your site. My partner and I look forward to many years of success with our incorporation.” – Marie C., Sioux Falls , South Dakota