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South Dakota Business Entity Search

South Dakota’s Business Services Online has a Business Information Search, a separate Registered Agent search and a separate Name Availability search. The search page says individual business information can be searched, viewed and printed for free. A reCAPTCHA stopped our test search, so this guide covers the forms and the state’s own statements, not result screens.

Official agency: South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services

Open Official Government SearchOpens sosenterprise.sd.gov in a new tab. This is the official government site, not EntityLocator.

Direct links on the official site

Search methods offered

  • Business Information SearchSearch Name with Starts With (selected at first) or Contains, or a Business ID, plus an Active Entities Only checkbox (unchecked at first).
  • Search by Registered AgentFirst, Middle and Last Name, Agent Number, or Agent Business Name.
  • Business Name AvailabilityA separate tool with a Search Name field. It is an exact-name search only.

How to search

  1. Open the Business Information Search using the button above.
  2. Enter a Search Name or the Secretary of State Business ID.
  3. For a name search, choose Starts With or Contains. Tick Active Entities Only if you want it.
  4. Complete the reCAPTCHA yourself if the site asks, then select Search. Clear resets the form.
  5. Use the returned records to find the business detail. The hub says Search For A Business can be used to view business detail, but we didn’t verify the result controls.
  6. For an agent, use Business Services Online and choose Search For Registered Agents, then enter the name or agent number.
  7. For a proposed name, use the separate Name Availability search and read its warning.

What you can expect to find

  • We did not see business results or a detail page, so this guide does not say which fields (status, agent, address, formation date, document history) appear.
  • The Registered Agent page says you can search by registered agent name or a valid agent number. We didn’t submit a search in that tool.
  • The hub lists a DBA registry and trademarks. We didn’t verify their search fields or whether the main entity search covers them.

Limitations, fees and notices

  • The business search page says individual business information can be searched, viewed and printed for free, and the registered agent page says agent information can be viewed for free. We could not complete a search to test either statement.
  • A Login link exists, but no login was needed to open the public forms.
  • A full database download is a separate fee-based service. We didn’t confirm the price.
  • A Certificate of Good Standing/Existence is $20, separate from searching. The certificate instructions exclude general partnerships, reserved names, registered names and DBA business names. Certified copies are a separate paid request, and we did not confirm the copy price.
  • The official instructions say documents before November 14, 2016 are not available as certified copies online. That limits online certified copies, not whether older entities can be searched.
  • Name Availability is an exact-name search only. It warns that availability is time-sensitive, isn’t guaranteed at filing and is subject to Secretary of State review, so use Business Information Search to check variations. We didn’t submit it and saw no fee on the form.

Sources and research notes

Sources reviewed: . Official sites change; always confirm current details on the government site.

Research for this guide used the official South Dakota sites in a web browser. The business, registered agent and name availability forms were inspected, but a reCAPTCHA stopped the test search, so no business results or records were reviewed.

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