Skip to content
LLC PlainlyThe LLC stuff, in words you actually use.

Just the facts · Montana

3 Best LLC Services in Montana (2026), No Jargon

Our 2026 favorites for LLC formation services in Montana are Montana Registered Agent.co ($199), Registered Agent MT.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), best first. Plan on $35 for the state plus $397 to $597 in service fees over three years.
From the LLC Plainly editorial team

Quick take

Fee to file
$35, when you file
Later on
$20 a year
Registered agent
Yes, you must
Who we like
Montana Registered Agent.co, Registered Agent MT.org then Mainstay Filing

Our Montana picks

The order comes from our five checks: three-year cost first, then how much the price covers.
Number one

1. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for a tight budget

Pay $199 now and $99 each year later, state fee extra

Montana Registered Agent.co gets the top spot: $199 gets you formed, and the agent renews each year at $99.

It's the cheaper of the two over three years, and cost is our first check.

You'd handle the annual report separately.

Your money buys

  • The state filing, done
  • Year-one registered agent

The good

  • Just $199 to get formed
  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • Then $99 a year for the agent

Trade-offs

  • It doesn't take the annual report off your hands
  • The EIN add-on is $99
Local to Montana

2. Registered Agent MT.org: best for owners who do their own reports

Pay $199 now and $99 each year later, state fee extra

Registered Agent MT.org comes next since $199 gets you formed, and the agent renews each year at $99.

You'd handle the annual report separately.

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

Your money buys

  • The state filing, done
  • Year-one registered agent

The good

  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • Then $99 a year for the agent
  • Just $199 to get formed

Trade-offs

  • It doesn't take the annual report off your hands
  • The EIN add-on is $99
Goes where you go

3. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who want the upkeep handled

Annual price $199, renewal price $199, state fee on top

Mainstay Filing comes next since for $199 a year it forms your LLC, acts as your registered agent and files the annual report, and it renews at $199.

The three-year gap to Montana Registered Agent.co is $200, and that's why it ranks lower.

It handles each annual report and adds just the $20 the state charges.

Your money buys

  • Formation paperwork filed with the state
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Annual report prepared and filed
  • EIN request filed
  • State fees passed on at cost

The good

  • $199 each year buys everything on this list
  • Year two is $199
  • You won't pay extra to get an EIN

Trade-offs

  • After year one it costs $100 more a year

How they compare

#CompanyStart priceRenews atOver three yearsIn the price
1Montana Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397the state filing, done; Year-one registered agentTake a look at Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Registered Agent MT.org$199$99/yr$397the state filing, done; Year-one registered agentTake a look at Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597formation paperwork filed with the state; registered agent for the full year; annual report prepared and filedTake a look at Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's listed prices on November 13, 2026. State fees come on top and don't change by pick.

The questions, one by one

What will it cost me to form an LLC here?

Plan on $35 for the state and $199 for a service in year one.

When the recurring report are counted, the state collects $75 over three years. sosmt.gov · October 2026 · checked

What do I file and who gets it?

Just one paper forms the LLC: the Articles of Organization, sent to the Montana Secretary of State.

The rule comes from Mont. Code Ann. § 35-8-201. sosmt.gov · October 2026 · checked

Could I skip naming 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 · October 2026 · checked

What comes due in later years?

Put $20 aside every year for the annual report. The due date, per the state, is April 15; put it on your calendar.

The state's late fee is $15.

sosmt.gov · October 2026 · checked

Do I need someone to file this?

You don't need a service. State fees alone would run $75 across three years.

Services bill $397 to $597 over three years for taking this off your hands.

What put number one on top?

Cost across three years, worth 33%, put Montana Registered Agent.co first.

Together, cost across three years and work taken off your hands make up 64% of the score.

Picking Montana Registered Agent.co over Mainstay Filing keeps $200 in your pocket across three years.

The five checks

Montana requirements, with sources

WhatAmount or ruleWhere we found it
The state's formation fee$35sosmt.gov · October 2026 · checked
Registered agentYes, you mustmca.legmt.gov · October 2026 · checked
Annual report$20 every yearsosmt.gov · October 2026 · checked
What the state gets in three years$75Rows 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.

More questions

Does anyone handle the EIN for me?

It's included at Mainstay Filing, while Montana Registered Agent.co wants $99 and Registered Agent MT.org wants $99.

What happens if I'm late with the report?

Montana adds $15 if you're late.

How do the three-year costs stack up?

Over three years you'd pay $397 at Montana Registered Agent.co, $397 at Registered Agent MT.org, $597 at Mainstay Filing, not counting state fees.

What do the numbers rest on?

Official Montana sources on the state side and company pricing on the service side, all dated.

Is hiring help required?

No. The state takes filings straight from owners. A service saves you time and can serve as your agent, but nobody makes you hire one.

Who tops the list in Montana?

Montana Registered Agent.co is on top because it starts at $199 with the first agent year included and runs $99 a year after that; Registered Agent MT.org and Mainstay Filing follow.

Sources, with dates

  1. Montana Secretary of State fee (sosmt.gov), last confirmed October 2026
  2. Montana yearly filing: Annual report (sosmt.gov), last confirmed October 2026
  3. Montana yearly filing: Annual report (sosmt.gov), last confirmed October 2026
  4. Montana report due date (mca.legmt.gov), last confirmed August 2026
  5. Mont (mca.legmt.gov), last confirmed August 2026
  6. Montana formation fee: Filing fee (sosmt.gov), last confirmed October 2026
  7. Montana registered agent statute (mca.legmt.gov), last confirmed October 2026
  8. Montana Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  9. Registered Agent MT.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  10. Mainstay Filing Montana service page, read November 13, 2026