South Dakota Business Corporation Articles of Incorporation Preparation Worksheet
SOUTH DAKOTA BUSINESS CORPORATION ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION PREPARATION WORKSHEET
Before you use this: The Secretary of State provides an official domestic business corporation articles form and an online filing route. Use this worksheet to prepare the answers, then submit through the current Secretary of State route. This worksheet is not the filed articles.
1. Corporate name
Proposed legal name: [________________________________]
Alternative name to check: [________________________________]
Under §§ 47-1A-202(1) and 47-1A-401, the name needs a permitted corporate term or abbreviation. Check the proposed name with the Secretary of State before filing.
2. Authorized shares
Number of shares the corporation is authorized to issue: [________________]
Section 47-1A-202(2) requires this number. Obtain reviewed charter wording before adding classes, special rights, or other share terms.
3. Principal office
Street address: [________________________________]
City, state, ZIP: [________________________________]
Mailing address if different: [________________________________]
Section 47-1A-202(3) requires the principal office's street address. The official form also provides a mailing-address field.
4. South Dakota registered agent
Choose the applicable agent type for the official filing. Section 47-1A-202(4) incorporates the information required by § 59-11-6.
☐ Commercial registered agent. Name: [________________________________] CRA number from agent: [________________]
☐ Noncommercial registered agent. Name: [________________________________]
Agent's South Dakota street address, city, and ZIP: [________________________________]
Agent's mailing address if different: [________________________________]
☐ Office or position with the corporation. Title: [________________________________]
Office holder's South Dakota business street address, city, and ZIP: [________________________________]
Office holder's mailing address if different: [________________________________]
Confirm the proposed named agent has agreed to serve. Section 59-11-6 treats an appointment of a commercial or noncommercial named agent as the corporation's affirmation of that consent.
5. Incorporators
Section 47-1A-202(5) calls for every incorporator's name and address. Add rows if needed.
| Incorporator | Name | Street address, city, state, ZIP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | [________________________________] | [________________________________] |
| 2 | [________________________________] | [________________________________] |
| 3 | [________________________________] | [________________________________] |
Person who will sign the official submission: [________________________________]
6. Optional provisions for legal review
The official form permits an optional purpose and optional provisions by attachment. Record proposed terms here for review before putting them into filed articles.
Proposed purpose, if a limited purpose is intended: [________________________________]
Initial directors, if to be named: [________________________________]
Other proposed charter term and reason: [________________________________]
Counsel-approved attachment reference: [________________________________]
Filing record
☐ I checked the current official form or online prompts against these answers.
☐ I confirmed the registered agent selection and any reviewed attachments.
Date submitted to the Secretary of State: [__/__/____]
Filing confirmation or record number: [________________________________]
Under § 47-1A-203, corporate existence ordinarily begins when the articles are filed, unless a delayed effective date is specified. Keep the filing confirmation with the corporation's records.
Official references
About this template
- Last updated
- October 27, 2026
- Citations checked
- October 27, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- South Dakota
- Category
- Corporate & Business
Legal authority
- S.D. Codified Laws § 47-1A-202 (required articles contents)
- S.D. Codified Laws § 59-11-6 (registered agent filing information and consent)
- S.D. Codified Laws § 47-1A-401 (corporate name)
- S.D. Codified Laws § 47-1A-203 (beginning of corporate existence)
Corporate documents govern how a company makes decisions, records them, and handles disputes between owners, directors, and officers. Proper corporate paperwork is what lets a business take advantage of limited liability, pass clean audits, and survive an acquisition or investor review. Skipping formalities like written resolutions and signed consents is one of the fastest ways for a business owner to lose personal asset protection.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on October 27, 2026.
S.D. Codified Laws § 47-1A-202 (checked October 27, 2026): "The articles of incorporation shall set forth:"
S.D. Codified Laws § 47-1A-202(2)-(3) (checked October 27, 2026): "The number of shares the corporation is authorized to issue; The street address of its principal office"
S.D. Codified Laws § 59-11-6 (checked October 27, 2026): "A registered agent filing must state:"
S.D. Codified Laws § 59-11-6 (checked October 27, 2026): "the agent has consented to serve as such"
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