Foreign registration · no form number

Louisiana Corporation Foreign Registration in South Dakota

A corporation formed in Louisiana that wants to do business in South Dakota files an online registration (no form number), with $750 in state fees. South Dakota also wants Louisiana's Certificate of Good Standing ($25). We file it with the Secretary of State using your Louisiana records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Louisiana and South Dakota side by side

	Louisiana formed here	South Dakota registering here
Document	Louisiana 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	Louisiana: online or by mail	Filed online with South Dakota
Paid expedite		$50
Office	Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division	South Dakota Secretary of State
Official page	sos.la.gov	sdsos.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $30, every year	Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year
Due	On or before the anniversary of the date of incorporation	By the first day of the registration anniversary month each year
Agent	Your Louisiana registered agent	Our South Dakota registered agent

From Louisiana to South Dakota, step by step

Order the Louisiana certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($25) is ordered from Louisiana separately; it is not part of our South Dakota order. South Dakota wants the Louisiana 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 Louisiana name and formation date and the certificate attached. The Louisiana certificate comes first; then the South Dakota filing goes in. Once South Dakota approves it, the Louisiana company can do business there.

First-year cost, Louisiana to South Dakota

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

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

Will your Louisiana name work for South Dakota?

If another South Dakota company uses the Louisiana name, an alternate name is allowed. South Dakota can hold a name for $25 before you file.

Agents: South Dakota and Louisiana

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

Staying in good standing in Louisiana and South Dakota

Louisiana wants the Annual Report every year ($30); South Dakota wants the Annual Report every year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Louisiana to South Dakota

An LLC formed in Louisiana files its own registration with South Dakota ($750 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($25)). After that come Louisiana's Annual Report ($40) and South Dakota's Annual Report ($55). See the LLC filing.

Registering a South Dakota company in Louisiana

A corporation formed in South Dakota that registers with Louisiana files Form 326 with $160 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Louisiana owners ask about South Dakota

Does my Louisiana company need to register in South Dakota?

Yes, once a Louisiana 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 Louisiana corporations once the filing is approved.

How much does the South Dakota registration cost?

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

Do I need Louisiana'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, once Louisiana's certificate is in hand. Paid expedite: $50.

What are the yearly costs for Louisiana and South Dakota?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Louisiana's report ($30) and South Dakota's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with South Dakota?

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

Does South Dakota require a registered agent?

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

Will South Dakota accept my Louisiana name?

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

Can I form a new South Dakota corporation instead?

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

Official sources

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