Foreign registration · no form number

Iowa LLC Foreign Registration in South Dakota

An LLC 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 using your Iowa records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Iowa vs South Dakota: the paperwork

	Iowa formed here	South Dakota registering here
Document	Iowa Certificate of Existence	Application for Certificate of Authority (Foreign LLC) (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, $30, every two years	Annual Report, $55, every year
Due	April 1 of odd-numbered years	During the entity's 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. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Iowa delays the South Dakota filing. After approval, your Iowa LLC is registered with South Dakota.

First-year cost, Iowa to South Dakota

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.

Will your Iowa name work for South Dakota?

South Dakota accepts your Iowa name if it includes 'limited liability company', 'limited company', or one of the abbreviations L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC (limited may be written Ltd. and company Co.). If the Iowa name already ends in LLC, it meets the rule. If another South Dakota company uses the Iowa name, an alternate name is allowed. 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 ($30); South Dakota wants the Annual Report every year ($55). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Iowa to South Dakota

A corporation 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 ($60) and South Dakota's Annual Report. See the corporation filing.

The other way: South Dakota into Iowa

An LLC formed in South Dakota that registers with Iowa files Form 635_0010 with $100 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing/Existence ($20) dated within 90 days. 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 10 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does it cost to register an Iowa LLC in South Dakota?

$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 ($30, every two years) and South Dakota's report ($55).

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. South Dakota names must include 'limited liability company', 'limited company', or one of the abbreviations L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC (limited may be written Ltd. and company Co.).

Can I form a new South Dakota LLC instead?

Yes, but Iowa keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files South Dakota's Annual Report ($55), and the original keeps Iowa's Biennial Report.

How do I withdraw from South Dakota later?

Iowa companies leave by filing a Notice of Cancellation of Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company; until then, South Dakota's report stays due alongside Iowa's filings.

Official sources

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