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Your question, answered · Montana

3 Best LLC Services in Montana (2026): Who to Ask First

In Montana for 2026, our answer on LLC formation services is Mainstay Filing ($199), Montana Registered Agent.co ($199) and Registered Agent MT.org ($199), ranked from first to last. Every option pays Montana $35 to file, then charges $397 to $597 for three years of service.

Answered by the Ask About LLC editorial team ·

Four quick answers

What does the state charge?
$35, one time
What comes after?
$20 each year
Registered agent
Yes, the law says so
Our pick
Mainstay Filing, Montana Registered Agent.co then Registered Agent MT.org

Montana: the ranking

Curious why this order? Read how we choose.

1Ask this one first

1. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who want upkeep handled

$199 a year, with the $35 state fee added

Why Mainstay Filing at the top? The annual report is filed for you inside the $199 yearly price, along with formation and the registered agent.

Montana Registered Agent.co saves $200 across three years, but you would do more of the work yourself.

Because the annual report is inside the service, the only extra is Montana's own $20, billed at cost.

What the price covers

  • Your LLC formation, filed with the state
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed for you
  • EIN application
  • No markup on state fees

Good news

  • Formation, agent and report for $199 a year
  • No charge for the EIN application
  • Renewal is $199

The catch

  • Renews $100 a year above Montana Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Montana only

2. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for a one-state LLC

Forming costs $199, then $99 each year after

Montana Registered Agent.co is the second answer because with a $99 renewal, three years total $397.

Leave room in your calendar for the annual report, because the price does not cover it.

What the price covers

  • The LLC, filed for you
  • A year of agent service to start

Good news

  • Agent renews at $99 afterward
  • Forms the LLC for $199 plus the state fee
  • First-year agent service is covered

The catch

  • The annual report is yours to prepare and send
  • Add $99 for EIN help
Visit Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Montana only

3. Registered Agent MT.org: best for another local choice

Forming costs $199, then $99 each year after

Registered Agent MT.org is the third answer because with a $99 renewal, three years total $397.

Leave room in your calendar for the annual report, because the price does not cover it.

It charges the same as Montana Registered Agent.co, which makes the order between them a close call.

What the price covers

  • The LLC, filed for you
  • A year of agent service to start

Good news

  • Agent renews at $99 afterward
  • First-year agent service is covered
  • Forms the LLC for $199 plus the state fee

The catch

  • The annual report is yours to prepare and send
  • Add $99 for EIN help
Visit Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The picks side by side

#WhoFirst yearEvery year afterThree years in allWhat the price covers
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Your LLC formation, filed with the state; registered agent for the whole year; annual report filed for youVisit Mainstay Filing
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Montana Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397The LLC, filed for you; A year of agent service to startVisit Montana Registered Agent.co
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Registered Agent MT.org$199$99/yr$397The LLC, filed for you; A year of agent service to startVisit Registered Agent MT.org
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.

Questions owners ask

What will forming an LLC cost in this state?

$35 goes to the state. Hiring a service in year one adds $199.

Over three years the state collects $75, filing fee included. sosmt.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer

Which form do I file, and where does it go?

The Montana Secretary of State receives the Articles of Organization, and once it approves, the LLC exists.

Statute: Mont. Code Ann. § 35-8-201. sosmt.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer

Does this state require 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.

mca.legmt.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer

What will I owe in later years?

One filing keeps coming back: the annual report, each year, for $20. The state says it is due April 15.

Miss the deadline and you owe an extra $15.

sosmt.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer

Is it okay to skip the service?

Nothing stops you. Without a service your three-year bill is the state's $75.

Expect $397 to $597 more over three years if you hire someone.

Why is the list in this order?

Chores the price takes care of counts 29%, and Mainstay Filing leads there.

62% of the score comes from what you pay over three years and chores the price takes care of.

Montana Registered Agent.co is the smaller bill, but you would still prepare the annual report yourself.

See the five questions

Montana: the formation checklist

QuestionAmount or ruleLook it up
LLC filing fee$35sosmt.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
Registered agentYes, the law says somca.legmt.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
Annual report$20 every yearsosmt.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
State fees, years one to three$75Our sum of the rows above
How was the bottom line figured? Add the filing fee, the next two reports and the minimum tax if the state has one. Anything with no fixed price, a newspaper notice for instance, is described above and kept out of the sum.

Questions people also ask

Is the EIN application included?

With Mainstay Filing it costs nothing extra. Montana Registered Agent.co charges $99, Registered Agent MT.org charges $99.

Is there a late fee?

A late report costs $15 more.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Mainstay Filing comes to $597; Montana Registered Agent.co comes to $397; Registered Agent MT.org comes to $397, before state fees.

Where do these numbers come from?

State fees come from Montana's official documents, and service fees come from each company's own pricing page. Both carry dates on this page.

Do I have to use a service?

Not at all. The state takes filings from owners directly. A service just saves you time, and it can double as your agent.

Who should I ask first about a LLC service in Montana?

Mainstay Filing comes first: for $199 a year the formation, the registered agent and the annual report are all taken care of. Next are Montana Registered Agent.co and Registered Agent MT.org.

Where did we look this up?

  1. Ask-about note for Montana Secretary of State fee: the state publishes it at sosmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, so you can look it up yourself
  2. Ask-about note for Montana yearly filing: Annual report: the state publishes it at sosmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, so you can look it up yourself
  3. Ask-about note for Montana yearly filing: Annual report: the state publishes it at sosmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, so you can look it up yourself
  4. Ask-about note for Montana report due date: the state publishes it at mca.legmt.gov, confirmed August 2026, so you can look it up yourself
  5. Ask-about note for Mont: the state publishes it at mca.legmt.gov, confirmed August 2026, so you can look it up yourself
  6. Ask-about note for Montana formation fee: Filing fee: the state publishes it at sosmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, so you can look it up yourself
  7. Ask-about note for Montana registered agent statute: the state publishes it at mca.legmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, so you can look it up yourself
  8. The Mainstay Filing Montana service page, as it stood on November 13, 2026
  9. The Montana Registered Agent.co pricing page, as it stood on November 13, 2026
  10. The Registered Agent MT.org pricing page, as it stood on November 13, 2026