Montana LLC Cost: Average Fees Explained

Montana's formation fee is small, and the bigger question for most owners is the annual report. The amount depends on when you file, and the state has changed how that fee applies in recent periods.

The figures below come from the sources named in each table and were checked on Oct 11, 2026. Confirm the current schedule with the Montana Secretary of State before you pay anything.

The state charges one fee to create the LLC, plus a short list of smaller items you may need along the way.

The name reservation is the cheapest way to hold a name while you prepare your paperwork. A certificate of existence, Montana's version of a good standing certificate, costs $5. If you plan to operate under a name other than the LLC's legal name, an assumed business name registration costs $20 per form.

Montana LLCs file an annual report, and the cost depends on timing.

Filing before April 15 costs $20/yr, according to ZenBusiness. Filing after that date costs $35/yr. One source also reports that the state did not charge the fee to on-time filers for 2026 and 2027. Treat that as a possible exception, not a permanent rule: the state has waived this fee for some filing periods, so check the current rule with the Secretary of State before you budget for it.

Even in a period when the fee is waived, the report itself still has to be filed. Skipping it can put the LLC out of good standing.

Standard handling works for most filers. Montana lists two paid speeds for people in a hurry.

A 24-hour turnaround costs $20 and a 1-hour turnaround costs $100. Because the base fee is already low, the rush can easily cost more than the filing itself. Pay for it only when a deadline forces your hand.

Montana requires every LLC to keep a registered agent with an in-state address. A member who lives in Montana can serve, and many small owners do. Hiring a commercial agent costs about $125/yr, per LLC University.

That service line is the single largest recurring cost in many Montana setups, since the state filing fees are so low. An out-of-state owner has no real choice here and will need to hire one.

All three sources quote the same filing fee. When the numbers match this closely, you can take it as a sign the state schedule is simple and that the sources are reading it directly. Formation services may add their own processing fee on top, so a quote that arrives a few dollars higher usually reflects the service, not the state.

If your LLC was formed elsewhere and you want to do business in Montana, you register as a foreign LLC. The certificate of authority is listed at $70, which is double the cost of forming a new Montana LLC in the same table. That difference is worth weighing if you are choosing where to organize. A licensed attorney can explain how the two paths compare for your situation.

Start with the Articles of Organization. Add a name reservation if you want to hold the name before filing. Then decide who will serve as registered agent: yourself, or a paid service. When the annual report comes due, check whether the fee applies that year and whether you can file before April 15.

A Montana LLC run by one owner who acts as their own agent can come in very low. Adding a commercial agent more than quadruples the visible costs.

The gap between the early and late annual report fee is small in dollars, but the real cost of ignoring the deadline is the status of the LLC. A company that falls behind can lose good standing, which matters when a bank, a landlord, or a buyer asks for proof that the business is current. The certificate of existence, listed at $5, is the document that shows it.

Setting a reminder for early spring costs nothing and keeps you on the lower fee in any year the state charges one.

The low filing fee makes Montana attractive for owners who want a simple entity without a large upfront bill. Low state fees do not make the whole business cheap, though. The registered agent, a formation service if you use one, and any local licensing all sit outside the state schedule. Pricing those separately gives a truer picture than looking at the state fee alone.

None of these figures include income tax, payroll tax, or local licensing. Those depend on what the business does and how it is taxed, so ask a licensed CPA. If you are drafting ownership terms among several members, a licensed attorney can help.