Everything you need to register a foreign LLC in Montana.
State filing fee$70one-time
Registered agent$125/yearbased on Northwest RA
Total, all in$445
Montana data last reviewed Aug 19, 2026 · sosmt.govTotals include the $70 filing fee once, Northwest RA at $125/year, and Montana recurring state costs over the selected period.
Foreign Qualification
Filing fee
$70
Form
Certificate of Authority (filed through the Montana SOS portal; no paper form is published)
Annual obligation
$0/year if filed on time, $35 if late
Processing time
Montana publishes no processing time for this filing. Filing is online only, Montana having moved off paper forms, and the fee schedule sells 24 hour priority handling at $20 and one hour expedite at $100, both worded as applying to all documents
Expedite
$20 for 24 hour priority handling, $100 for one hour expedite. Both are sold for all documents, so both reach this filing
Montana data last reviewed Aug 19, 2026 · sosmt.gov
Formation in Montana
Formation fee
$35
Annual cost
$0/year if filed on time, $35 if late
State income tax
Income tax up to 5.65% (2026 tax year)
Privacy
Low
Montana requires the names and business mailing addresses of the initial members, or of the managers if the company is manager-managed, on the Articles of Organization (Mont. Code Ann. 35-8-202(1)(e)). Montana accepts no paper forms. The filing is made through the Secretary of State's online portal.
What triggers foreign qualification in Montana?
Physical office or place of business
Employees working in the state
Important to know
The annual report costs nothing when filed on or before April 15 and $35 after that date. Montana is one of the few states where filing on time costs nothing at all.
Activities that do NOT require registration in Montana
The following activities are explicitly carved out by statute. On their own, they do not require a foreign LLC to register in Montana.
Maintaining, defending, or settling any proceeding
Holding meetings of members or managers, or carrying on other internal company affairs
Maintaining bank accounts
Maintaining transfer, exchange, or registration offices for the company's own securities, or trustees or depositaries for them
Selling through independent contractors
Soliciting or obtaining orders, if the orders require acceptance outside Montana to become contracts
Creating or acquiring debts, mortgages, and security interests in real or personal property
Securing or collecting debts, or enforcing mortgages and security interests in the property securing them
Owning property acquired through debt collection, if it is sold within 5 years, produces no income, or is not used in company operations
Conducting an isolated transaction completed within 30 days that is not one of a series of similar transactions
Transacting business in interstate commerce
Under MCA Section 35-8-1001(2). Montana has NO plain property-ownership safe harbor: item (i) protects only property acquired incident to debt collection and disposed of within 5 years, producing no income, or not used in operations. No tax disclaimer. Subsection (4): entering a contract with the State of Montana or a political subdivision IS transacting business and requires a certificate of authority first.
This page provides general information based on publicly available state requirements. It is not legal advice. Verify with the Montana SOS before filing.