‹ Montana Filing Guide
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How to Change Your Registered Agent in Montana
The form, the fee, and how to file it.
Filing details
- Form name
- Statement of Change - Registered Office, Agent, Both (filed through the Montana SOS Business Filing Portal; no paper form is published)
- Filing fee
- Free
- Online filing
- Yes
- Processing time
- Immediate online; 24 Hour Priority handling $20, 1 Hour Expedite $100
- Filing agency
- Montana SOS ↗
Note: Montana charges nothing to change the registered agent. File online through the Montana SOS portal at biz.sosmt.gov; there is no paper form, because the SOS moved to online-only filing. Expedite is sold separately as 24 Hour Priority handling at $20 or 1 Hour Expedite at $100, and the schedule offers both "for all documents", so they are available on this no-fee filing. You can also update the registered agent for free during the annual report, which is due April 15 and costs $35 if filed late.
Open online filing portal ↗
How to change your registered agent in Montana
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Choose your new registered agent first.
Do not file the change form until you have a new agent lined up. The new agent has to consent to the appointment, and most states will not process the change without that consent in hand. If you let coverage lapse, the Montana SOS can administratively dissolve your LLC.
Two ways to go. Name yourself or someone you know. Nothing to pay beyond the state filing fee above, but your address goes in the public record and somebody has to be there during business hours to accept legal mail.
Or use a service at $125/year. That keeps your address private and prepares the change form for you. If you are here because your current agent resigned, missed a delivery, or raised its price, this is usually the reason. See what Northwest charges, or compare what the major agents cost first.
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Get the Statement of Change - Registered Office, Agent, Both (filed through the Montana SOS Business Filing Portal; no paper form is published). Download the form ↗
You can file this online through the Montana Secretary of State portal. The form requires your LLC name, the new agent name and address, and a signature. The new agent must consent to the appointment.
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Pay the Free filing fee.
Montana does not charge a state filing fee for this change. The only cost is what you pay your new registered agent.
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Notify your old agent.
Once the change is processed, your old agent's responsibility ends. If you are paying them an annual fee, cancel that subscription so it does not auto-renew. Most agents do not refund the unused portion, so time the cancellation against your renewal date.
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Verify the change in state records.
Search your LLC name on the Montana SOS business search and confirm the new registered agent is listed. Check back after the processing window shown above.
Important to know about Montana
- Montana is one of the most user-friendly states for this - free filing, fast online processing, and the form is online-only.
- Annual report filing is online-only (no paper accepted). Same requirement applies to this change filing.
- Only someone with access to the business record in the SOS portal can file the change. If you cannot reach the record, the current registered agent is the other party who can act.
- Montana sells expedite as 24 Hour Priority handling at $20 or 1 Hour Expedite at $100. Both are offered "for all documents", so they apply on top of this filing even though the filing itself is free.
Have a service handle the change for you
Northwest will prepare and file the Statement of Change - Registered Office, Agent, Both (filed through the Montana SOS Business Filing Portal; no paper form is published) for you when you sign up. The state filing fee is yours to pay. The change is usually filed the same business day.
Get Northwest Registered Agent ↗
$125/year · All 50 states · Privacy included
Harbor Compliance
$99 first year, then $149/year · Full-service compliance option
Registered Agents Inc
$200/year · Report filing included, state fees extra
Choosing a replacement agent? Our full Northwest Registered Agent review and Harbor Compliance review compare pricing, renewals, and service before you file.
This page provides general information based on publicly available Montana Secretary of State requirements. It is not legal advice. Forms, fees, and procedures can change. Verify with the Montana SOS before filing.