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No jargon · Montana

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Montana (2026): Our Honest Take

Our 2026 favorites for foreign registration services in Montana are Mainstay Filing ($199), Montana Registered Agent.co ($199) and Registered Agent MT.org ($199), best first. Montana charges $70 to register, and the services add $397 to $497 over three years.
From the LLC Plainly editorial team

Short answer

You pay the state
$70
Home-state paper needed?
Not needed
What comes next
No fee, annual report
Best first
Mainstay Filing, Montana Registered Agent.co then Registered Agent MT.org

Who we'd use in Montana

Ranked best first using the checks on our method page.
Start here

1. Mainstay Filing: best for your second, third and fourth state

Pay $199 now and $149 yearly later, with the state fee extra

Mainstay Filing gets the top spot: registration is $199, and the registered agent costs nothing until year two.

You'd save $100 over three years with Montana Registered Agent.co. The catch is it doesn't work outside Montana.

You skip the registered agent charge in year one and pay $149 a year after.

Your money buys

  • Application prepared and sent
  • Registered agent, first year on us
  • Same price anywhere

The good

  • $199 on top of Montana's fee
  • It's the same fee in every state
  • You skip the registered agent fee in year one

Trade-offs

  • The renewal lands $50 over Montana Registered Agent.co
Montana only

2. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for adding just this one state

Pay $199 now and $99 yearly later, with the state fee extra

Number 2 is Montana Registered Agent.co: the service fees come to $397 across three years.

Your money buys

  • State registration done
  • First-year agent comes with it

The good

  • Then $99 a year for the agent
  • You don't pay for an agent in year one
  • Just $199 to register

Trade-offs

  • Only one state covered
Montana only

3. Registered Agent MT.org: best for adding one more state

Pay $199 now and $99 yearly later, with the state fee extra

Number 3 is Registered Agent MT.org: the service fees come to $397 across three years.

The same published prices as Montana Registered Agent.co, so go with whichever you like.

Your money buys

  • State registration done
  • First-year agent comes with it

The good

  • Then $99 a year for the agent
  • Just $199 to register
  • You don't pay for an agent in year one

Trade-offs

  • Only one state covered

The numbers side by side

#ServiceFirst yearRenewalOver three yearsCovers
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497application prepared and sent; registered agent, first year on us; same price anywhereCheck out Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Montana Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397state registration done; First-year agent comes with itCheck out Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Registered Agent MT.org$199$99/yr$397state registration done; First-year agent comes with itCheck out Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
We read these prices on November 13, 2026. Three years means year one plus two renewals.

Straight answers

At what point do I register?

If your LLC was formed elsewhere and plans to work in Montana, registering comes first.

Not registering can cost you Montana's courts won't hear its claims (MCA 35-8-1002(1)); a fine for every day of $5.

mca.legmt.gov, last seen October 2026

What should I expect to pay to register?

State fee $70; service $199 extra.

Over three years the state itself takes $70, counting any recurring report. mca.legmt.gov, last seen October 2026

Where does the registration go?

Once the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services approves the Application for Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company), you're registered.

A home-state certificate isn't part of this filing.

What keeps the registration active?

You'll file a annual report on schedule (no fee).

The due date reads: April 15.

What put number one on top?

Work taken off your hands, worth 31%, put Mainstay Filing first.

Five checks set the order: cost across three years (33%), work taken off your hands (31%), prices stated clearly (14%), renewal price (12%) and where it works (10%).

Two states, one company: that's what puts it first.

The five checks

Montana rules at a glance

ItemThe answerWhere we found it
What you pay to register$70mca.legmt.gov, last seen October 2026
Good standing proofNot neededmca.legmt.gov, last seen October 2026
What the state gets in three years$70Rows above, totaled
The last row is our own sum: the filing fee, the reports for years two and three and any minimum tax. Costs with no set price, like a newspaper notice, are left out.

A few more

Do I still need an agent where I formed the LLC?

Most likely yes. A national provider can look after the home state and this one together.

What does each one cost over three years?

Mainstay Filing: $497 / Montana Registered Agent.co: $397 / Registered Agent MT.org: $397 for the services alone.

Can I check these fees?

Montana's fee schedules and forms for state costs; each company's price page for service costs.

Do I need to hire a service?

It's your call. You can file on your own if you meet the rules on this page.

Will a company file this for me?

Each company on this page files for you, at the same state fee.

Who tops the list in Montana?

Mainstay Filing, because it charges $199 plus state fees and waives the registered agent for the first year. After that, Montana Registered Agent.co and Registered Agent MT.org.

Where we got this

  1. sosmt.gov covers Montana Secretary of State fee; we confirmed it October 2026
  2. sosmt.gov covers Montana yearly filing: Annual report; we confirmed it October 2026
  3. sosmt.gov covers Montana yearly filing: Annual report; we confirmed it October 2026
  4. mca.legmt.gov covers Montana report due date; we confirmed it August 2026
  5. mca.legmt.gov covers Mont; we confirmed it August 2026
  6. sosmt.gov covers Montana formation fee: Filing fee; we confirmed it October 2026
  7. mca.legmt.gov covers Montana registered agent statute; we confirmed it October 2026
  8. help.sosmt.gov covers Montana Secretary of State, register; we confirmed it October 2026
  9. mca.legmt.gov covers MCA 35-8-1001, transacting business; we confirmed it October 2026
  10. mca.legmt.gov covers MCA 35-8-1002, consequences; we confirmed it October 2026
  11. mca.legmt.gov covers MCA 35-8-1003, application contents; we confirmed it October 2026
  12. Mainstay Filing Montana service page, read November 13, 2026
  13. Montana Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  14. Registered Agent MT.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026