Colorado

Foreign registration · no form number

Colorado Corporation Foreign Registration in South Dakota

To do business in South Dakota, a corporation formed in Colorado registers there on an online registration (no form number), with $750 in state fees. South Dakota also wants Colorado's Certificate of Good Standing (free). We file it with the Secretary of State from your Colorado records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Colorado vs South Dakota: the paperwork

	Colorado formed here	South Dakota registering here
Document	Colorado Certificate of Good Standing	Application for Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Corporation) (no form number)
State fee	No fee	$750 at order
How it is handled	Colorado: online as an instant PDF	Filed online with South Dakota
Paid expedite		$50
Office	Colorado Secretary of State, Business Program	South Dakota Secretary of State
Official page	sos.state.co.us	sdsos.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Periodic Report, $25, every year	Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year
Due	Last day of the entity's anniversary month	By the first day of the registration anniversary month each year
Late yearly filing	$50 late fee	$50 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: immediately
Agent	Your Colorado registered agent	Our South Dakota registered agent

From Colorado to South Dakota, step by step

Order the Colorado certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing (free) is ordered from Colorado separately; it is not part of our South Dakota order. South Dakota wants the Colorado certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file the registration
It lists us as your South Dakota registered agent, next to your Colorado name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Colorado issues the certificate instantly, so the South Dakota filing can go in the same day. After approval, your Colorado corporation is registered with South Dakota.

South Dakota costs for Colorado companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$750
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Colorado	No fee
Our service, with a year of South Dakota registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Colorado certificate included	$949

South Dakota's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Will your Colorado name work for South Dakota?

If South Dakota's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Colorado company. South Dakota can hold a name for $25 before you file.

Agents: South Dakota and Colorado

Colorado and South Dakota both call it a registered agent. South Dakota papers come to us; Colorado's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in Colorado and South Dakota

Colorado wants the Periodic Report every year ($25); South Dakota wants the Annual Report every year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Colorado to South Dakota

An LLC formed in Colorado files its own registration with South Dakota ($750 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing (free)). After that come Colorado's Periodic Report ($25) and South Dakota's Annual Report ($55). See the LLC filing.

Registering a South Dakota company in Colorado

A corporation formed in South Dakota that registers with Colorado files Colorado's registration (no form number) with $100 in state fees; no South Dakota certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Colorado to South Dakota

Does my Colorado company need to register in South Dakota?

Yes, once a Colorado business operates there; South Dakota law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: South Dakota issues one to Colorado corporations once the filing is approved.

How much does the South Dakota registration cost?

$949 at checkout, plus Colorado's Certificate of Good Standing, which is free.

Do I need Colorado's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Dakota wants it (free), current at filing.

How long does the South Dakota registration take?

South Dakota approves online filings immediately; Colorado's certificate is an instant download, so there is no wait before filing. Paid expedite: $50.

What are the yearly costs for Colorado and South Dakota?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Colorado's report ($25) and South Dakota's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Dakota?

A Colorado company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does South Dakota require a registered agent?

Yes: the Colorado registered agent stays, and ours covers South Dakota for year one.

Will South Dakota accept my Colorado name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Colorado name at home.

Can I form a new South Dakota corporation instead?

Yes, but Colorado keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files South Dakota's Annual Report, and the original keeps Colorado's Periodic Report.

Official sources

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