Foreign registration · no form number

Illinois Corporation Foreign Registration in South Dakota

South Dakota registers a corporation from Illinois as a foreign corporation on an online registration (no form number), with $750 in state fees. South Dakota also wants Illinois's Certificate of Good Standing ($25). We file it with the Secretary of State using your Illinois records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Illinois vs South Dakota: the paperwork

	Illinois formed here	South Dakota registering here
Document	Illinois Certificate of Good Standing	Application for Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Corporation) (no form number)
State fee	$25	$750 at order
How it is handled	Illinois: online as an instant PDF, printed from the receipt page or sent by email link	Filed online with South Dakota
Paid expedite		$50
Office	Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division	South Dakota Secretary of State
Official page	ilsos.gov	sdsos.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05), $75, every year	Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year
Due	Before the first day of the entity's anniversary month each year	By the first day of the registration anniversary month each year
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: immediately
Agent	Your Illinois registered agent	Our South Dakota registered agent

How Illinois companies register with South Dakota

Order the Illinois certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($25) is ordered from Illinois separately; it is not part of our South Dakota order. South Dakota wants the Illinois 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 Illinois name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Illinois issues the certificate instantly, so the South Dakota filing can go in the same day. After approval, your Illinois corporation is registered with South Dakota.

South Dakota costs for Illinois companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$750
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Illinois	$25
Our service, with a year of South Dakota registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Illinois certificate included	$974

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

Will your Illinois name work for South Dakota?

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

Agents: South Dakota and Illinois

Illinois and South Dakota both call it a registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Illinois; ours takes South Dakota's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: South Dakota and Illinois

Illinois wants the Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05) every year ($75); South Dakota wants the Annual Report every year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Illinois to South Dakota

An LLC formed in Illinois files its own registration with South Dakota ($750 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($25)). After that come Illinois's Limited Liability Company Annual Report (Form LLC-50.1) ($75) and South Dakota's Annual Report ($55). See the LLC filing.

Questions Illinois owners ask about South Dakota

Does my Illinois company need to register in South Dakota?

Yes, once an Illinois 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 Illinois corporations once the filing is approved.

How much does it cost to register an Illinois corporation in South Dakota?

$949 at checkout plus $25 to Illinois for the Certificate of Good Standing, $974 in all (checkout is $750 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Illinois's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Dakota wants it ($25), current at filing.

How long does the South Dakota registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for Illinois and South Dakota?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Illinois's report ($75) and South Dakota's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Dakota?

An Illinois company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does South Dakota require a registered agent?

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

Will South Dakota accept my Illinois name?

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

Can I form a new South Dakota corporation instead?

Yes, but Illinois keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files South Dakota's Annual Report, and the original keeps Illinois's Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05).

Official sources

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