Foreign registration · no form number

Iowa Corporation Foreign Registration in South Dakota

A corporation formed in Iowa that wants to do business in South Dakota files an online registration (no form number), with $750 in state fees. South Dakota also wants Iowa's Certificate of Existence ($5). We file it with the Secretary of State from your Iowa records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

What Iowa and South Dakota each ask for

	Iowa formed here	South Dakota registering here
Document	Iowa Certificate of Existence	Application for Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Corporation) (no form number)
State fee	$5	$750 at order
How it is handled	Iowa: online as a printable PDF right after payment	Filed online with South Dakota
Paid expedite		$50
Office	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services	South Dakota Secretary of State
Official page	sos.iowa.gov	sdsos.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Biennial Report, $60, every two years	Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year
Due	April 1 of even-numbered years	By the first day of the registration anniversary month each year
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: immediately
Agent	Your Iowa registered agent	Our South Dakota registered agent

From Iowa to South Dakota, step by step

Order the Iowa certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($5) is ordered from Iowa separately; it is not part of our South Dakota order. South Dakota wants the Iowa certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file the registration
It names us as your South Dakota registered agent, with your Iowa name and formation date and the certificate attached. Iowa issues the certificate instantly, so the South Dakota filing can go in the same day. Once South Dakota approves it, the Iowa company can do business there.

South Dakota costs for Iowa companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$750
Certificate of Existence, paid to Iowa	$5
Our service, with a year of South Dakota registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Iowa certificate included	$954

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

Your Iowa name and South Dakota's rules

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

Agents: South Dakota and Iowa

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

Staying in good standing in Iowa and South Dakota

Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($60); South Dakota wants the Annual Report every year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Iowa to South Dakota

An LLC formed in Iowa files its own registration with South Dakota ($750 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($5)). After that come Iowa's Biennial Report ($30) and South Dakota's Annual Report ($55). See the LLC filing.

Registering a South Dakota company in Iowa

A corporation formed in South Dakota that registers with Iowa files Form 635_0110A with $100 in state fees. See that filing.

Common questions: Iowa to South Dakota

Does my Iowa company need to register in South Dakota?

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

How much does the South Dakota registration cost?

$949 at checkout plus $5 to Iowa for the Certificate of Existence, $954 in all (checkout is $750 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Iowa's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Dakota wants Iowa's Certificate of Existence ($5), current at filing.

How long does the South Dakota registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for Iowa and South Dakota?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Iowa's report ($60, every two years) and South Dakota's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Dakota?

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

Does South Dakota require a registered agent?

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

Will South Dakota accept my Iowa name?

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

Can I form a new South Dakota corporation instead?

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

Official sources

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