Start a Free LLC in Montana

Per the Montana Secretary of State, as of September 2026, Montana charges $35 to file the Articles of Organization. After that, the Annual Report is free to file every year. With LLC Register, formation is included in the $99-a-year Montana registered agent service, so year one costs $134.

Processing takes about 5–6 business days. Expedited filing is available for $20 extra (24-hour processing) or $100 extra (1-hour processing). Your LLC exists once the state accepts your filing.

To start an LLC in Montana, choose an available name, appoint a Montana registered agent, and file the Articles of Organization with the Montana Secretary of State for $35. Then sign an operating agreement, get a free EIN from the IRS, open a business bank account and register for any state taxes. LLC Register files it for you as part of the $99-a-year registered agent service.

Yes. You can file online only through the Montana Business Filing Portal, Montana does not accept LLC formation filings by mail. The Articles of Organization costs $35.

In Montana you form an LLC by filing the Articles of Organization with the Montana Secretary of State. Other states call this document the articles of organization or the certificate of formation. The filing fee is $35.

Yes. Expedited filing is available for $20 extra (24-hour processing) or $100 extra (1-hour processing). Processing takes about 5–6 business days.

Use the Montana Secretary of State's free online business name search to check whether your LLC name is available. Your Montana LLC name must contain "limited liability company," "limited company" or an abbreviation such as "LLC," "L.L.C.," "LC" or "L.C." It must be distinguishable from every other business name on record with the Secretary of State.

Your Montana LLC name must contain "limited liability company," "limited company" or an abbreviation such as "LLC," "L.L.C.," "LC" or "L.C." It must be distinguishable from every other business name on record with the Secretary of State. The rules are set by the Montana Limited Liability Company Act, MCA Title 35, Chapter 8.

Yes. You can reserve a name for $10; the reservation lasts 120 days and cannot be renewed. A reservation is optional; filing the formation document also secures the name.

Yes. Every Montana LLC must have a registered agent. Your registered agent must be at least 18, keep a physical Montana street address (no PO box), be available during normal business hours, and consent in writing to serve.

Yes. A member or manager can serve as the LLC's noncommercial registered agent as long as they meet the age, address and availability requirements. Your address becomes public record, and someone must be there during business hours to accept legal papers.

Not as your registered agent's address. Your registered agent must be at least 18, keep a physical Montana street address (no PO box), be available during normal business hours, and consent in writing to serve. A PO box can usually serve as a mailing address, but the registered agent needs a physical address in Montana.

File the Statement of Change of Registered Agent/Office, filed through the Business Filing Portal with the Montana Secretary of State. There is no fee to file it.

Serving as your own Montana registered agent is free if you qualify. Commercial registered agents charge a yearly fee. LLC Register's Montana registered agent service is $99 a year and includes LLC formation and annual report filing.

Yes. Montana LLCs must file the Annual Report every year. There is no state fee to file it.

The Annual Report is due by April 15 every year, with no fee if filed on time. Your first one is due by April 15 of the year after your LLC is formed. It is filed with the Montana Secretary of State.

Per the Montana Secretary of State, as of September 2026, there is no state fee to file the Annual Report. It is due by April 15 every year, with no fee if filed on time. LLC Register files it for you at no extra service fee while your registered agent service is active.

Filing after April 15 costs $35. An LLC that never files can be administratively dissolved; reinstating costs $35 plus $35 for each delinquent report year. File as soon as possible to keep your LLC in good standing.

Montana has no franchise or privilege tax on LLCs.

Montana taxes an LLC's profits the same way the IRS does, so they pass through by default to the members' Montana income tax returns. An LLC taxed as a partnership or S corporation can instead elect Montana's Pass-Through Entity Tax, paid at the entity level and credited back to the owners. Federally, a single-member LLC is taxed like a sole proprietorship and a multi-member LLC like a partnership, unless it elects to be taxed as a corporation.

Montana has no general state sales tax, so there is no sales tax permit to register for.

Before you hire, register with the Montana Department of Labor & Industry for an unemployment insurance account and with the Montana Department of Revenue for withholding tax through the TransAction Portal. You also need an EIN from the IRS before you run payroll.

It depends on your industry and location: Montana regulates some professions and activities through state licenses, and many cities and counties require local business licenses. Start with the Montana Department of Commerce, Business.

Montana does not require an operating agreement, and you never file one with the state. Montana law recognizes written or oral agreements among the members, though a series LLC's series-level agreements must be in writing. LLC Register includes an operating agreement with every Montana LLC it forms.

You need an EIN if your LLC has employees or more than one member, and most banks ask for one to open a business account. A single-member LLC without employees can use the owner's Social Security number for federal taxes, but an EIN keeps it off business paperwork.

Apply for free on the IRS website once the state has approved your LLC; online applicants receive the EIN immediately. Owners without a Social Security number can apply with Form SS-4 by fax or mail.

Yes. You do not have to live in Montana or be a U.S. citizen to form a Montana LLC. You do need a registered agent with a physical address in Montana. Non-U.S. owners without a Social Security number apply for an EIN with IRS Form SS-4.

Yes. Montana allows an LLC with a single owner. By default the IRS taxes a single-member LLC like a sole proprietorship, reported on the owner's personal return.

Yes. Montana allows series LLCs; each series must have a written operating agreement and keep its assets and records separate from the LLC and any other series.

Yes. Licensed professionals can form a professional limited liability company under Chapter 8, Part 13, following the same licensing rules as a professional corporation.

No. Montana does not require newspaper publication to form an LLC.

Order a Certificate of Existence from the Montana Secretary of State for $5. Banks, lenders and other states often ask for one as proof your LLC is current with the state.

An LLC formed in another state registers to do business in Montana by filing the Certificate of Authority with the Montana Secretary of State. The fee is $70, and the LLC needs a Montana registered agent.

File the Articles of Amendment with the Montana Secretary of State for $15. Amend when you change your LLC's name or other information in the formation document.

File the Articles of Termination with the Montana Secretary of State for free. Before you file, wind up the business: pay debts, close tax accounts and distribute what is left to the members.

File a Registration of Assumed Business Name with the Montana Secretary of State for $20 before you transact business under any name other than your LLC's legal name. A DBA lets your LLC trade under another name without forming a new company.

Yes. An eligible LLC can elect S corporation tax status by filing IRS Form 2553. The election can reduce self-employment tax once profits are high enough to pay yourself a reasonable salary. Montana taxes an LLC's profits the same way the IRS does, so they pass through by default to the members' Montana income tax returns. An LLC taxed as a partnership or S corporation can instead elect Montana's Pass-Through Entity Tax, paid at the entity level and credited back to the owners.

An LLC separates your personal assets from business debts and lawsuits, keeps pass-through taxation, and needs less paperwork than a corporation. In Montana it costs $35 to form and the Annual Report is free every year.

A sole proprietorship costs nothing to start, but you are personally liable for the business's debts. A Montana LLC costs $35 to form and protects your personal assets, with the same pass-through taxes by default.

Usually not if your business operates in Montana. An out-of-state LLC doing business here must also register as a foreign LLC in Montana for $70 and keep a Montana registered agent, so you pay two states' fees.

No. Formation is included in the $99-a-year Montana registered agent service. The state still charges its $35 filing fee, which we pass through at cost.

For $99 a year plus the $35 state fee: Montana LLC formation in year one, a Montana registered agent, an operating agreement, and filing of your Annual Report every year. Renewal is $99 a year. State fees are passed through at cost.

No. FinCEN has exempted companies created in the United States from beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting. Only foreign companies registered to do business in a U.S. state still have to report.

The Montana Secretary of State, Business Entity & UCC Division, handles LLC formations, amendments and annual filings. Its office is at State Capitol, Room 260, 1301 6th Avenue, Helena, MT 59620.

Yes, you should. Mixing business and personal money can weaken the liability protection your LLC gives you. Banks usually ask for your filed Articles of Organization, your EIN and your operating agreement.