Montana in brief
1st
among 50 states for foreign LLC state fees
Fee the state takes at registration
$70
Report you must file again
None
Annual report
What the state collects in 3 years
$70
The registration fee, then reports in years 2 and 3
Montana ranking
Five weighted criteria set the order (see the
method): three-year fees 33%, filings covered 26%, and then renewal terms, fit with Montana rules and a clear state fee.
Ranked first
1. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for one additional state
$199 to register, then $99 a year
We start with Montana Registered Agent.co, and the reason is simple: it registers you in Montana for $199 and includes a year of agent service; the agent then costs $99 a year.
It costs less than Mainstay Filing over three years, and cost counts for 33% of the score.
What your money gets you
- Prepares and submits your registration
- A year of agent service
What works
- $199 above the state fee
- Agent covered in year 1
- The agent renews at $99
What to weigh
- No help beyond this state
Montana specialist
2. Registered Agent MT.org: best for a local filer
$199 to register, then $99 a year
Registered Agent MT.org is second for you since it registers you in Montana for $199 and includes a year of agent service; the agent then costs $99 a year.
On price it is exactly level with Montana Registered Agent.co.
What your money gets you
- Prepares and submits your registration
- A year of agent service
What works
- Agent covered in year 1
- The agent renews at $99
- $199 above the state fee
What to weigh
- No help beyond this state
All-in-one
3. Mainstay Filing: best for registering in several states
$199 to register, then $149 a year
In third place we put Mainstay Filing. $199 plus state fees covers the registration, and the registered agent costs nothing in year 1.
Over three years it runs $100 above Montana Registered Agent.co, and cost is the biggest weight in our score.
When the free year is over, the agent costs $149 a year, whatever the state.
What your money gets you
- Prepares your registration and files it
- Your registered agent for the first year is free
- A service for all fifty states
What works
- All fifty states covered
- Registered agent is free in year 1
- Its fee is $199
What to weigh
- $50 more a year for the agent
Montana picks in one table
All prices come from the companies' own pages, as they stood on November 13, 2026. You will also owe Montana's $70 registration fee on every row.
Registration cost calculator
The registration fee is $70, and provider fees are added on top.
How Montana compares with the states near it in the ranking
Montana foreign registration: the fee, the form and the office
If your LLC was formed elsewhere, you file the Application for Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company) with the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services and pay $70.
After you register, you must file the annual report, April 15.
Gather these first
- The legal name of your LLC and the day it was formed.
- Somebody to serve as a registered agent in the state, and each of our picks offers this.
- Enough to cover the $70 registration fee.
What not registering can cost you
A lawsuit you file before registering is blocked until you make the filing (MCA 35-8-1002(1)). The daily rate is $5 may be added.
What decided the order
What settled Montana was price over three years, at 33%.
Over three years you would pay Montana Registered Agent.co $397 in fees ($100 below Mainstay Filing).
Quick answers
How much will it cost to register my out-of-state LLC with Montana?
$70 to the state. Hiring one adds $199.
Which form do I use to register an out-of-state LLC with Montana?
Use the Application for Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company) and send it to the Montana Secretary of State, Business Services.
Will my foreign LLC have to file anything every year?
Yes, you file the annual report.
What happens if my LLC does business there without registering?
A lawsuit you file before registering is blocked until you make the filing (MCA 35-8-1002(1)). The daily rate is $5 may be added.
Must I appoint a registered agent when registering in Montana?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Which service should I choose to register a foreign LLC?
Start with Montana Registered Agent.co: their fee is $199, and the agent renews at $99. Then look at Registered Agent MT.org and Mainstay Filing.
Where this briefing comes from
- Want to double-check Montana Secretary of State fee page and fee? Go to sosmt.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source? Go to sosmt.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source? Go to sosmt.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Montana report due date? Go to mca.legmt.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
- Want to double-check Mont? Go to mca.legmt.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
- Want to double-check Montana formation fee: Filing fee, official source? Go to sosmt.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Montana registered agent statute? Go to mca.legmt.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Montana Secretary of State, register a business? Go to help.sosmt.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check MCA 35-8-1001, transacting business? Go to mca.legmt.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check MCA 35-8-1002, consequences? Go to mca.legmt.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check MCA 35-8-1003, application contents? Go to mca.legmt.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Hawaii DCCA, foreign LLC registration? Go to cca.hawaii.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Form FLLC-1? Go to files.hawaii.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Foreign LLC filing fees? Go to cca.hawaii.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Hawaii Revised Statutes 428-1003, activities that are not? Go to capitol.hawaii.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check New Hawaii business registration portal FAQs? Go to cca.hawaii.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Utah Division of Corporations, foreign LLC registration? Go to commerce.utah.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Division fee schedule? Go to commerce.utah.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Utah Code Title 16, Chapter 1a, Part 5? Go to le.utah.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Utah Code Title 16, Chapter 1a, Part 4? Go to le.utah.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Utah Business Registration System? Go to businessregistration.utah.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Ohio Secretary of State, filing forms and fee? Go to ohiosos.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Form 617, Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability? Go to ohiosos.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check R.C. 1706.511, registration of foreign LLCs? Go to codes.ohio.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check R.C. 1706.515, effect of failing to register? Go to codes.ohio.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check R.C. 1706.09, statutory agent? Go to codes.ohio.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Idaho Secretary of State, Foreign Registration Statement? Go to archive.sos.idaho.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Idaho Secretary of State, business FAQ? Go to sos.idaho.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Idaho Code 30-21-505, activities that are not doing? Go to legislature.idaho.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Idaho Code 30-21-214, fees? Go to legislature.idaho.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Idaho Code 30-21-213, annual report? Go to legislature.idaho.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Withdrawal of Foreign Registration Statement? Go to archive.sos.idaho.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Pricing page for Montana Registered Agent.co was confirmed on the company site on November 13, 2026
- Pricing page for Registered Agent MT.org was confirmed on the company site on November 13, 2026
- Montana service page for Mainstay Filing was confirmed on the company site on November 13, 2026