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Statewise Business The state fee almanac for LLCs, sourced line by line.

Foreign LLC guide · Montana

Montana Foreign LLCs (2026): Registration Fees and the 3 Best Services

Montana Registered Agent.co ($199), Registered Agent MT.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199): our 2026 order for foreign LLC registration in Montana. A foreign LLC pays Montana $70 up front; 1st of 50 over three years.

Entry by the Statewise Business almanac desk ·

Montana, as the state prices it

1stof 50, foreign LLC state feesCounted up from the least expensive. The complete table
Foreign registration fee
$70Entry from mca.legmt.gov, October 2026
Report each cycle
NoneAnnual report
State fees over three years
$70The registration and two years of upkeep

The services we would hire in Montana

Five published criteria, listed on the methodology page, decide the order.

1. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for a small yearly agent cost

Top entry$199 plus state fee; agent $99/yr from year two

Montana Registered Agent.co opens the list: registration at $199 plus state fees, agent covered for year one.

On three-year cost it is below Mainstay Filing, and that is the single biggest weight we use.

In the price

  • Registration filed for you
  • A year of agent service

Strengths

  • $99 a year for the agent afterward
  • $199 and the state fee
  • First agent year in the price

Weak points

  • The home state needs a separate agent
Visit Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Registered Agent MT.org: best for another Montana option

Local choice$199 plus state fee; agent $99/yr from year two

Rank 2, Registered Agent MT.org: registration at $199 plus state fees, agent covered for year one.

Its published prices are identical to Montana Registered Agent.co's, so the two sit close together.

In the price

  • Registration filed for you
  • A year of agent service

Strengths

  • $99 a year for the agent afterward
  • $199 and the state fee
  • First agent year in the price

Weak points

  • The home state needs a separate agent
Visit Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Mainstay Filing: best for a second or third state

Works anywhere$199 plus state fee; agent $149/yr from year two

Entry 3 is Mainstay Filing: a $199 service fee in any state, first agent year included.

Montana Registered Agent.co beats it by $100 on three-year service fees.

The free agent year ends and $149 a year begins, wherever the company registers.

In the price

  • The registration filing, handled for you
  • The registered agent role costs nothing in year one
  • A state-independent fee

Strengths

  • Registered agent free for year one
  • Covers your next state too
  • A $199 service fee

Weak points

  • Renewal $50 over Montana Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The 3 picks compared

#EntryYear-one priceYears two onService fees over three years
1Montana Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Registered Agent MT.org$199$99/yr$397Visit Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Every price here was read on November 12, 2026. Montana's $70 registration fee is extra in every row.

Registration and upkeep, by year

Registration fee $70, added to the service's prices.
$467 is the 3 years total with Montana Registered Agent.co, split $70 state and $397 service.

Montana among its neighbors in the rank

PositionStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
1stMontana$70
2ndHawaii$76
3rdUtah$95
4thOhio$99
5thIdaho$100
Find the other states in Foreign LLC fees by state.

How to register a foreign LLC in Montana

Registration is made on the Application for Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company), lodged with the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services, for $70.

Afterwards it files the annual report, April 15.

What to have ready

  • The exact legal name from the home state, plus the date of formation.
  • A registered agent in Montana; every pick on this page provides one.
  • A way to pay the $70 state fee.

The price of not registering

Until it registers, the LLC cannot file a lawsuit in the state (MCA 35-8-1002(1)). A daily penalty of $5 may apply.

Reasoning for the order

Of the five criteria, added cost over three years (32%) is where Montana Registered Agent.co pulled ahead of Registered Agent MT.org in Montana.

Over three years Montana Registered Agent.co charges $397 in service fees, $100 under Mainstay Filing.

Common questions

What does a foreign LLC pay to register in Montana?

$70 paid to the state. A service adds $199.

What is the foreign registration form in Montana?

Application for Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company), filed with the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services.

What does a foreign LLC owe each year?

It files the annual report.

What happens if the LLC operates there unregistered?

Until it registers, the LLC cannot file a lawsuit in the state (MCA 35-8-1002(1)). A daily penalty of $5 may apply.

Does a foreign LLC need a registered agent in Montana?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Who should handle the registration?

We would file with Montana Registered Agent.co: $199 plus the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent. Next come Registered Agent MT.org and Mainstay Filing.

Related entries

Citations for this entry

  1. Montana Secretary of State fee page and fee from sosmt.gov, read October 2026
  2. Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source from sosmt.gov, read October 2026
  3. Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source from sosmt.gov, read October 2026
  4. Montana report due date from mca.legmt.gov, read August 2026
  5. Mont from mca.legmt.gov, read August 2026
  6. Montana formation fee: Filing fee, official source from sosmt.gov, read October 2026
  7. Montana registered agent statute from mca.legmt.gov, read October 2026
  8. Montana Secretary of State, register a business from help.sosmt.gov, read October 2026
  9. MCA 35-8-1001, transacting business from mca.legmt.gov, read October 2026
  10. MCA 35-8-1002, consequences from mca.legmt.gov, read October 2026
  11. MCA 35-8-1003, application contents from mca.legmt.gov, read October 2026
  12. Hawaii DCCA, foreign LLC registration from cca.hawaii.gov, read October 2026
  13. Form FLLC-1 from files.hawaii.gov, read October 2026
  14. Foreign LLC filing fees from cca.hawaii.gov, read October 2026
  15. Hawaii Revised Statutes 428-1003, activities that are not from capitol.hawaii.gov, read October 2026
  16. New Hawaii business registration portal FAQs from cca.hawaii.gov, read October 2026
  17. Utah Division of Corporations, foreign LLC registration from commerce.utah.gov, read October 2026
  18. Division fee schedule from commerce.utah.gov, read October 2026
  19. Utah Code Title 16, Chapter 1a, Part 5 from le.utah.gov, read October 2026
  20. Utah Code Title 16, Chapter 1a, Part 4 from le.utah.gov, read October 2026
  21. Utah Business Registration System from businessregistration.utah.gov, read October 2026
  22. Ohio Secretary of State, filing forms and fee from ohiosos.gov, read October 2026
  23. Form 617, Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability from ohiosos.gov, read October 2026
  24. R.C. 1706.511, registration of foreign LLCs from codes.ohio.gov, read October 2026
  25. R.C. 1706.515, effect of failing to register from codes.ohio.gov, read October 2026
  26. R.C. 1706.09, statutory agent from codes.ohio.gov, read October 2026
  27. Idaho Secretary of State, Foreign Registration Statement from archive.sos.idaho.gov, read October 2026
  28. Idaho Secretary of State, business FAQ from sos.idaho.gov, read October 2026
  29. Idaho Code 30-21-505, activities that are not doing from legislature.idaho.gov, read October 2026
  30. Idaho Code 30-21-214, fees from legislature.idaho.gov, read October 2026
  31. Idaho Code 30-21-213, annual report from legislature.idaho.gov, read October 2026
  32. Withdrawal of Foreign Registration Statement from archive.sos.idaho.gov, read October 2026
  33. On November 12, 2026 we recorded the pricing page of Montana Registered Agent.co
  34. On November 12, 2026 we recorded the pricing page of Registered Agent MT.org
  35. On November 12, 2026 we recorded the Montana service page of Mainstay Filing