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LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Session 1 · Montana

How to Start an LLC in Montana (2026): a 7-Step Lesson and the 3 Best LLC Services

The graded picks for setting up an LLC in Montana this year (2026) are Mainstay Filing ($199), Montana Registered Agent.co ($199) and Registered Agent MT.org ($199), best grade first. Work through 7 steps below; the state's own fee is $35, plus $20 for the annual report.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

This lesson at a glance

Formation fee$35The official page is sosmt.gov, last confirmed in October 2026
Annual report$20 a yearThe state words the due date this way: April 15
State fees over three years$75Before any service fees
Number of steps7From start to finish

Lesson goals

  • Where to file in Montana and what the fee is
  • Who can serve as your registered agent
  • How to stay in good standing
  • Which services we would use and why

Montana: the services that earned a grade

We grade cost over three years first, then steps handled, renewal, Montana fit and clear pricing (report card).
First choice

1. Mainstay Filing: best for one bill for filing and upkeep

$199 yearly, renewing at $199

Mainstay Filing earns the highest mark because one yearly price of $199 does three lesson steps for you: the filing, the registered agent and the annual report.

Over three years it costs $200 more than Montana Registered Agent.co, but the grade rewards the extra steps it takes care of.

That includes the annual report, with the state's $20 billed at cost.

What the price covers

  • Filing with the state
  • Registered agent for twelve months
  • Annual report prepared and filed
  • The EIN application
  • The state fee is passed through at cost

Marks in its favor

  • $199 yearly, everything in one
  • $199 at renewal
  • The EIN step is in the price

Where it loses points

  • A $100 yearly premium over Montana Registered Agent.co
In-state service

2. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for an inexpensive Montana start

$199 in year one, $99 after

For number 2 we picked Montana Registered Agent.co: a $199 formation fee, then $99 a year to keep the agent.

Set aside time for the annual report every year, since the price does not include it.

What the price covers

  • The filing is done for you
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • $199 and the state fee
  • $99 a year after that
  • The first agent year is included

Where it loses points

  • The annual report is left to you
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
In-state service

3. Registered Agent MT.org: best for LLCs that stay in Montana

$199 in year one, $99 after

For number 3 we picked Registered Agent MT.org: a $199 formation fee, then $99 a year to keep the agent.

Set aside time for the annual report every year, since the price does not include it.

It posts the same prices as Montana Registered Agent.co.

What the price covers

  • The filing is done for you
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • The first agent year is included
  • $99 a year after that
  • $199 and the state fee

Where it loses points

  • The annual report is left to you
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra

The grades and prices at a glance

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Montana Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Registered Agent MT.org$199$99/yr$397Visit Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices come from each company's own site, read November 13, 2026. The state fee ($35) is not counted.

The steps

  1. Step
    1

    Settle on a name

    Before filing, search the business records at the Montana Secretary of State so you know the name is not already on the Montana register.

    Keep a second choice in your pocket.

  2. Step
    2

    Name a registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial agent: an individual, including an owner, or an entity in Montana.

    The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Montana. A P.O. box alone is not enough.

    Each of the picks above is able to act as your registered agent.

    Where this comes from: The official page is mca.legmt.gov, last confirmed in October 2026

  3. Step
    3

    Pick how you will file

    Doing it yourself means $35 to the state and nothing else. One of our picks charges $199 on top and takes over the paperwork.

  4. Step
    4

    Turn in the Articles of Organization

    Here is the filing that creates the company: the Articles of Organization, which you deliver to the Montana Secretary of State with a $35 fee, under Mont. Code Ann. § 35-8-201.

    Where this comes from: The official page is sosmt.gov, last confirmed in October 2026

  5. Step
    5

    Apply for an EIN

    Your EIN comes from the IRS rather than from Montana. Apply once the state has approved the filing, then give the number to your bank. If you hire Mainstay Filing, it files the EIN application for you.

  6. Step
    6

    Agree on the ground rules in writing

    The owners sign an operating agreement covering shares, votes and what happens if someone leaves. It stays in your files and is not filed with the state.

  7. Step
    7

    Look ahead to year two

    Once a year the LLC files the annual report and pays $20; the due date is April 15. A late filing costs $15 more.

    Where this comes from: The official page is sosmt.gov, last confirmed in October 2026

Costs, step by step

LineGoes toAmount
The formation stepState$35
Annual reportState$20 every year
Late reportState$15
Optional serviceService company$199 up front
State fees, years one to threeState$75
The three-year state figure is the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax; service fees are separate.

Behind the ranking

Homework the price handles carries 33% of the report card, and that is where pulled ahead in Montana.

Having the annual report handled counted for more than Montana Registered Agent.co's lower three-year cost.

Montana questions

How much does Montana charge to form an LLC?

The state's fee is $35. Service fees among our picks run $199.

Which form creates the LLC?

It is the Articles of Organization, and you hand it to the Montana Secretary of State.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Montana require each year?

Every year the LLC files the annual report, which costs $20 and is due April 15.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

A service is optional. Owners can send the paperwork themselves with the $35 fee, provided they appoint a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing: you pay $199 each year and the formation, the registered agent service and the annual report all get done. Then come Montana Registered Agent.co and Registered Agent MT.org.

Keep studying

Class references

  1. Source for Montana Secretary of State fee page and fee: sosmt.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  2. Source for Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: sosmt.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  3. Source for Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: sosmt.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  4. Source for Montana report due date: mca.legmt.gov, confirmed in August 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  5. Source for Mont: mca.legmt.gov, confirmed in August 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  6. Source for Montana formation fee: Filing fee, official source: sosmt.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  7. Source for Montana registered agent statute: mca.legmt.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  8. Prices taken from the Montana service page of Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026
  9. Prices taken from the pricing page of Montana Registered Agent.co on November 13, 2026
  10. Prices taken from the pricing page of Registered Agent MT.org on November 13, 2026