How to Conduct a South Dakota Business Search

If you’re planning to start a business in South Dakota, your first step is to visit the South Dakota Secretary of State website. There, you can search whether or not the business name you want to use is available or not. This search tool is free to use for everyone.

South Dakota Secretary of State business search contact information

• Name: South Dakota Secretary of State
• Website: https://sdsos.gov/default.aspx
• Address: 215 E. Prospect Ave., Pierre, SD 57501
• Office hours: Monday-Friday, 8 am-5 pm
• Phone number: (605) 773-4845
• Email: corpinfo@state.sd.us

Step-by-step guide to an SD SOS business search

To search whether or not a business name is available to use in South Dakota, you’ll follow the steps below.

Navigate to the South Dakota Secretary of State's website

Your first step is to visit the South Dakota Secretary of State's website for a business information search.

On this page, you’ll see where you can type in the business name you desire and run a search.

Perform a search

To perform your search, you have a couple of options. You can search by:

• Business name
• Business ID

You can also refine your search by selecting “active entities only.”

If you’re using this search to discover if a business name is already in use or not, you’re going to use the “business name” search box.

In that box, type in the business name you’re interested in using for your business and complete the Recaptcha test.

For a more comprehensive test, which you want when searching for a business name, select “contains” to see how your desired name is used in all the businesses in South Dakota.

To run your search on the state's database, click the “search” button.

Review the results

The returned results will let you see how other businesses are using the same or similar names, as well as each entity's details. The results are viewed as a spreadsheet and include:

• Business ID
• Business entity type
• Name
• Filing date
• Status

If no other business is using the name you’ve searched for, then that name is likely available for you to use.

If there are names in the search results that are similar or the same, then you may need to perform another search to find a business name that’s available to use.

If the name you want to use is returned in the search results but is registered to a business that is inactive, it still may not be available to use. You can apply to use the name or call the business filings department of the South Dakota Secretary of State.

Reserve your business name

If you find a business name that appears to be available and that fits your business, your next step will either be to register your business or reserve your business name.

In South Dakota, you can reserve a business name for up to 120 days. To reserve your business name, you’ll submit the name reservation form to the Secretary of State and pay a $25 filing fee.

A name reservation holds an available business name for your use only. Reserving a business name can give you time to complete any plans you need to wrap up before starting your business.

Why conduct a South Dakota entity search or LLC lookup?

There are a few different reasons you might want to conduct a business name or entity search. You might want to:

• Discover if a business name is available to use for your new business
• Search for a specific business to find out what type of entity it is
• Find your business’s business ID number or file annual reports

Important naming guidelines in South Dakota

When choosing a potential name for your business, it’s important to keep these naming guidelines in mind.

• Distinguishability: Your name business name must be unique from other business’ names. This distinguishability ensures that customers aren’t mixing up two different businesses. This makes it easier for all businesses to market their services and bring in profit.
• Business entity designation: Registered businesses must use their business entity designation in legal documentation and naming. For example, if you choose to register your business as a Limited Liability Company, you’ll need to use “LLC” at the end of your business name.
• Prohibited terms: Unless your business is approved to do so, you won’t be able to use terms such as “bank” and “insurance.”

Other naming considerations

If you’ve completed your business name search and found a name you want to use, there are a few more steps you should consider before registering your South Dakota business. 

Check social media and domain availability

One of the most important marketing tools a business has is its online presence. This includes your social media channels and website.

Before settling on a final business name and registering your business, you’ll want to make sure you can get the social media handles and domain name or URL that you want.

You can check the availability through namechekr, which offers a single search for all channels and URLs. 

Conduct a trademark search

Another protection you can offer your business is trademark registration. This becomes especially important if you want to expand your business across state lines.

If you think you may want to trademark your business name, you can perform a trademark search before registering the name. You can do a trademark search for free on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website.

Next steps to start your business in SD

Once you’ve completed this process, your next step will be to register your business. You’re one step closer to getting your business up and running.

To register your business:

1. Go to the SOS website
2. Choose your business entity type
3. Enter your business name
4. Add your principal address
5. Select a registered agent

South Dakota business searches made easy

As an almost-business owner, you likely have a lot on your plate right now. If you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed about setting up your business on your own, you don’t have to. We have a number of tools that you can use to support you in setting up your business, including a business name search service that can identify whether the business name you want to use is available or not.

FAQs

How do I choose which business entity is right for me?

The right South Dakota business entity for your business will depend on how much liability you expect to take on, your tolerance for end-of-year paperwork, and how many owners your business will have.

Do I need a business license in South Dakota?

Many businesses in South Dakota do not need a state business license. Whether your business needs a license or not depends more on the type of business you’ll be operating than where it is located.