Foreign registration · Form 326

South Dakota Corporation Foreign Registration in Louisiana

To do business in Louisiana, a corporation formed in South Dakota registers there on Form 326, with $160 in state fees. Louisiana may ask for South Dakota's Certificate of Good Standing/Existence ($20). We file it with the Secretary of State, Commercial Division using your South Dakota records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

South Dakota vs Louisiana: the paperwork

	South Dakota formed here	Louisiana registering here
Document	South Dakota Certificate of Good Standing/Existence	Form 326, Application of Foreign Corporation for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$20	$160 at order
How it is handled	South Dakota: online	Filed with Louisiana
Paid expedite		24-hour $35, 2 to 4 hour $60
Office	South Dakota Secretary of State	Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division
Official page	sosenterprise.sd.gov	sos.la.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, $30, every year
Due	By the first day of the registration anniversary month each year (form opens that day	On or before the anniversary of the date authority to do business was issued
Agent	Your South Dakota registered agent	Our Louisiana registered agent

How South Dakota companies register with Louisiana

We prepare and file Form 326
It lists us as your Louisiana registered agent, next to your South Dakota name and formation date. If Louisiana wants the South Dakota certificate, it is ordered first. Once Louisiana approves it, the South Dakota company can do business there.

Your South Dakota name and Louisiana's rules

We check your exact South Dakota name against Louisiana's records before filing.

Agents: Louisiana and South Dakota

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

Yearly filings: Louisiana and South Dakota

South Dakota wants the Annual Report every year; Louisiana wants the Annual Report every year ($30). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, South Dakota to Louisiana

An LLC formed in South Dakota files Form 972 with Louisiana ($190 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing/Existence ($20)). After that come South Dakota's Annual Report ($55) and Louisiana's Annual Report ($35). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Louisiana company in South Dakota

A corporation formed in Louisiana that registers with South Dakota files South Dakota's registration (no form number) with $750 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($25). See that filing.

Questions South Dakota owners ask about Louisiana

Does my South Dakota company need to register in Louisiana?

Yes, once a South Dakota business operates there; Louisiana law lists 10 activities that do not count on their own.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Louisiana issues one to South Dakota corporations once the form is approved.

How much does it cost to register a South Dakota corporation in Louisiana?

$359 at checkout; Louisiana may also want South Dakota's Certificate of Good Standing/Existence, at extra cost.

What are the yearly costs for South Dakota and Louisiana?

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

What if I don't register with Louisiana?

A South Dakota company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does Louisiana require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Louisiana corporation instead?

Yes, but South Dakota keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Louisiana's Annual Report ($30), and the original keeps South Dakota's Annual Report.

What does a Louisiana company file to register in South Dakota?

It files South Dakota's registration with $750 in state fees, plus Louisiana's good standing certificate.

Official sources

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