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Founder Primer

LLC paperwork, boiled down for founders.

Primer 1 · Montana

LLC Formation in Montana (2026): 7 Moves and the 3 Best LLC Services

Best picks for starting an LLC in Montana in 2026, in order: Montana Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Registered Agent MT.org ($199). The primer has 7 moves. The state charges $35 and $20 for the annual report.
From the Founder Primer desk

Start here

Fee to form
$35
Check it yourself at sosmt.gov; we read it in October 2026
Annual report
$20 a year
Filing window: April 15
What the state collects in 3 years
$75
Filing plus recurring state fees
Move count
7
Each one explained

Primer goals

  • The Montana formation form, its price and where it goes
  • What the agent rule says
  • What you file every year after
  • The services we rank

Who we would hire in Montana

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we score); three-year cost and to-dos cleared count most.

Best overall $199 year one, $99 later

1. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for a bootstrapped formation

We start with Montana Registered Agent.co: $199 to file, then $99 a year to keep the agent.

A lower three-year cost than Mainstay Filing puts it first; cost is worth 27%.

The annual report is still yours every year.

Inside the price
  • Formation filing
  • Agent service for year one
In its favor
  • A low $99 renewal
  • No agent fee in year one
  • $199 and the state fee
Against it
  • You prepare the annual report yourself
  • It charges $99 for the EIN
Visit Montana Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Most work done for you $199 first year, $199 renewal, state fee extra

2. Mainstay Filing: best for one invoice for filing and upkeep

Mainstay Filing takes second; $199 covers formation, the registered agent and the annual report; year two costs $199.

Add up three years: $200 more than Montana Registered Agent.co.

Included: the annual report, with the state's $20 charged exactly as Montana sets it.

Inside the price
  • We prepare and file the formation
  • Registered agent all year
  • Annual report filed on time
  • EIN application included
  • State fee billed at cost
In its favor
  • Renewal stays at $199
  • EIN application included
  • Flat $199 a year
Against it
  • Montana Registered Agent.co renews for $100 less
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Montana specialist $199 year one, $99 later

3. Registered Agent MT.org: best for founders who file their own reports

Third place is Registered Agent MT.org, because $199 to file, then $99 a year to keep the agent.

The annual report is still yours every year.

Montana Registered Agent.co and this service charge alike.

Inside the price
  • Formation filing
  • Agent service for year one
In its favor
  • $199 and the state fee
  • A low $99 renewal
  • No agent fee in year one
Against it
  • You prepare the annual report yourself
  • It charges $99 for the EIN
Visit Registered Agent MT.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

All prices in one table

# Service First year From year two Three-year total
1 Montana Registered Agent.co $199 $99/yr $397 Visit Montana Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199 $199/yr $597 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Registered Agent MT.org $199 $99/yr $397 Visit Registered Agent MT.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Posted prices, read November 13, 2026. The $35 state fee is not in these figures.

Formation in order

  1. Move 1

    Check the name is free

    Do not file under a name someone else holds. the Montana Secretary of State lets you check in a minute.

    Have a backup ready.

  2. Move 2

    Fill the registered agent seat

    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.

    Every pick above takes the registered agent role.

    Where this comes from: Check it yourself at mca.legmt.gov; we read it in October 2026

  3. Move 3

    File yourself or pay a service

    DIY costs the $35 state fee and your time. A service adds $199 and does the forms; our ranking says which.

  4. Move 4

    Send in the Articles of Organization

    The Articles of Organization is the document that forms the company. Deliver it to the Montana Secretary of State; the fee is $35 (Mont. Code Ann. § 35-8-201).

    Where this comes from: Check it yourself at sosmt.gov; we read it in October 2026

  5. Move 5

    Request an Employer Identification Number

    The IRS issues EINs, not Montana. Apply after approval and hand the number to your bank. Mainstay Filing does this for you, no extra fee.

  6. Move 6

    Get the owners' deal on paper

    A single-owner Montana LLC still benefits from a written operating agreement in the files.

  7. Move 7

    Plan for year two

    Calendar the annual report: $20, every year, due April 15. Miss it and it is $15 more.

    Where this comes from: Check it yourself at sosmt.gov; we read it in October 2026

What each move costs in Montana

What Payee Price
The formation move State office $35
Annual report State office $20 every year
Late report State office $15
Optional service The service $199 to begin
Three-year state total State office $75

We get the three-year state number by adding the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax. Service fees stay separate.

How the marks came out

Founder outlay over three years decided first place in Montana. It is 27% of the mark; the rest is to-dos the price takes off you, year-two price, fit with the state's rules and pricing you can read at once.

Three years with Montana Registered Agent.co come to $397, $200 under Mainstay Filing.

Common questions

How big is the Montana formation fee?

$35, per the official fee schedule. Services we rank charge $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

Move 4 shows how to fill out the Articles of Organization and where it goes: 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?

Montana requires the annual report every year, at $20, with the deadline stated as April 15.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes. Pay the state $35 at filing; the LLC still needs a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Montana Registered Agent.co, since $199 up front and no agent fee in year one; $99 a year from year two. Then Mainstay Filing and Registered Agent MT.org.

More primers

Sources, so you can check us

  1. For Montana Secretary of State fee page and fee the primer cites sosmt.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  2. For Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source the primer cites sosmt.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  3. For Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source the primer cites sosmt.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  4. For Montana report due date the primer cites mca.legmt.gov, a page we went back to in August 2026.
  5. For Mont the primer cites mca.legmt.gov, a page we went back to in August 2026.
  6. For Montana formation fee: Filing fee, official source the primer cites sosmt.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  7. For Montana registered agent statute the primer cites mca.legmt.gov, a page we went back to in October 2026.
  8. pricing page at Montana Registered Agent.co, pulled November 13, 2026
  9. Montana service page at Mainstay Filing, pulled November 13, 2026
  10. pricing page at Registered Agent MT.org, pulled November 13, 2026