Foreign registration · Form 972

South Dakota LLC Foreign Registration in Louisiana

Louisiana registers an LLC from South Dakota as a foreign LLC on Form 972, with $190 in state fees. Louisiana also asks for South Dakota's Certificate of Good Standing/Existence ($20), no older than 90 days. 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 972, Application of Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$20	$190 at order (filing fee $185 plus charges collected at filing)
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
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 90 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $55, every year	Annual Report, $35, every year
Due	During the entity's anniversary month each year	On or before the anniversary date of registration in Louisiana
Agent	Your South Dakota registered agent	Our Louisiana registered agent

How South Dakota companies register with Louisiana

Order the South Dakota certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing/Existence ($20) is ordered from South Dakota separately; it is not part of our Louisiana order. Louisiana accepts it within 90 days of South Dakota's issue date, so it is ordered shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form 972
It lists us as your Louisiana registered agent, next to your South Dakota name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Once South Dakota's certificate is in hand, Louisiana's filing goes in. Once Louisiana approves it, the South Dakota company can do business there.

First-year cost, South Dakota to Louisiana

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$190
Certificate of Good Standing/Existence, paid to South Dakota	$20
Our service, with a year of Louisiana registered agent service	$199
First-year total, South Dakota certificate included	$409

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

Will your South Dakota name work for Louisiana?

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

Staying in good standing in South Dakota and Louisiana

Each year your LLC files South Dakota's Annual Report ($55) and Louisiana's Annual Report ($35). With our $149 registered agent renewal, South Dakota plus Louisiana comes to $239 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, South Dakota to Louisiana

A corporation formed in South Dakota files Form 326 with Louisiana ($160 in state fees). After that come South Dakota's Annual Report and Louisiana's Annual Report ($30). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Louisiana into South Dakota

An LLC 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.

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

$389 at checkout plus $20 to South Dakota for the Certificate of Good Standing/Existence, $409 in all (checkout is $190 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need South Dakota's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Louisiana wants it ($20), no more than 90 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for South Dakota and Louisiana?

$239 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $55 to South Dakota and $35 to Louisiana for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Louisiana?

A South Dakota company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Louisiana can add a civil penalty of up to $1,000.

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 LLC instead?

Yes, but South Dakota keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Louisiana's Annual Report ($40), 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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