Session 2 · Montana
Registered Agent in Montana (2026): a 6-Step Lesson and the 3 Best Agents
Key facts
What you will learn
- What Montana requires of a registered agent
- The eligibility and address rules
- Recording the agent
- How the graded agents compare
Who we would hire in Montana
1. Mainstay Filing: best for founders planning to expand
Mainstay Filing comes first, and here is why: $149 a year, renewing at $149, with the same plan working in every other state.
You pay $150 more than at Montana Registered Agent.co over three years and do less of the paperwork yourself.
What the price covers
- A physical in-state address
- A same-business-day scan of each served paper comes at no charge
- Government mail scanned free, three pieces a year
- Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs
Marks in its favor
- The same price in all fifty states
- $149 yearly with no increase
Where it loses points
- $50 more per year than the local pick
- You still file the reports yourself
2. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for Montana founders
Next on the report card comes Montana Registered Agent.co, graded second: a plan built for one state, $99 a year, renewing at $99.
What the price covers
- A registered office address
- Served documents posted online
Marks in its favor
- Under Mainstay Filing on price
- $99 yearly
Where it loses points
- Serves only Montana
- No help with the annual report
3. Registered Agent MT.org: best for a Montana office address
Next on the report card comes Registered Agent MT.org, graded third: a plan built for one state, $99 a year, renewing at $99.
Montana Registered Agent.co and this service charge the same.
What the price covers
- A registered office address
- Served documents posted online
Marks in its favor
- $99 yearly
- Under Mainstay Filing on price
Where it loses points
- Serves only Montana
- No help with the annual report
Compare the picks
| # | Service | Annual price | Renewal price | Three-year total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149/yr | $447 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Montana Registered Agent.co | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | Registered Agent MT.org | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
The steps
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Step
1Read the Montana rule
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Where this comes from: Look it up at mca.legmt.gov; last checked October 2026
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Step
2Learn who can do the job
A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial agent: an individual, including an owner, or an entity in Montana. You will find this in Mont. Code Ann. § 35-7-105.
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Step
3Use an address that qualifies
The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Montana. A P.O. box alone is not enough.
A service gives you a Montana street address, which keeps your home address off the filing.
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Step
4Decide: serve yourself or hire someone
You may serve if you qualify. A professional agent from our list costs $99 to $149 a year.
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Step
5Put the agent on file
New companies list the agent on the Articles of Organization; changing agents later means filing with the Montana Secretary of State again.
Where this comes from: Look it up at sosmt.gov; last checked October 2026
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Step
6Watch the recurring filing
Montana sees your agent's details through the annual report ($20, every year, due April 15), and the state's letters about it go to your registered agent.
Where this comes from: Look it up at sosmt.gov; last checked October 2026
What you will pay
| Line | Payee | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Registered agent service | The provider | $99 to $149 a year |
| Agent renewal | The provider | $99 to $149 a year |
| Annual report | Paid to the state | $20 every year |
Why Mainstay Filing comes first
What settled it was homework the price handles, worth 33% of the grade.
One agent for any state won out over the one-state option.
Short answers
Is a registered agent compulsory for a Montana LLC?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Can I be my own registered agent?
The answer is yes when you satisfy the eligibility and address rules laid out in steps 2 and 3.
Can I change my registered agent later?
Yes, at any time. Step 5 shows how to file the change with the Montana Secretary of State.
What does a registered agent cost in Montana?
Our picks charge $99 to $149 a year.
What does the LLC pay the state each year?
It files the annual report for $20 every year.
Which registered agent would you choose?
Mainstay Filing: an agent at $149 a year who can come along when the company adds a state. Then come Montana Registered Agent.co and Registered Agent MT.org.
Class references
- Class reference on Montana Secretary of State fee page and fee: sosmt.gov (the state's own page), reread in October 2026 for this lesson.
- Class reference on Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: sosmt.gov (the state's own page), reread in October 2026 for this lesson.
- Class reference on Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: sosmt.gov (the state's own page), reread in October 2026 for this lesson.
- Class reference on Montana report due date: mca.legmt.gov (the state's own page), reread in August 2026 for this lesson.
- Class reference on Mont: mca.legmt.gov (the state's own page), reread in August 2026 for this lesson.
- Class reference on Montana formation fee: Filing fee, official source: sosmt.gov (the state's own page), reread in October 2026 for this lesson.
- Class reference on Montana registered agent statute: mca.legmt.gov (the state's own page), reread in October 2026 for this lesson.
- November 13, 2026: the Montana service page for Mainstay Filing
- November 13, 2026: the pricing page for Montana Registered Agent.co
- November 13, 2026: the pricing page for Registered Agent MT.org