Registered agent required
Yes
According to mca.legmt.gov, as of October 2026
Registered agent guide · Montana
Montana Registered Agents (2026): State Rules, Fees and the 3 Best Agents
Our 2026 recommendation for a registered agent in Montana, best first: Montana Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and Registered Agent MT.org ($99 a year). Naming a registered agent is not optional in Montana. The yearly state bill is $20, ranking 18th of 50.
Montana: the figures
18th
place among 50 on the yearly state bill
The smaller the number, the less the state charges. The whole table
Annual report
$20 / yr
The state sets the deadline as April 15. According to sosmt.gov, as of October 2026
State charges, per year
$20
The state side of a single year
Services that file for you, for Montana
The order follows five published criteria. They are set out on the methodology page.
1. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for a small flat agent fee
$99 yearly, renewing at $99
Why Montana Registered Agent.co leads: $99 each year and no change at renewal, a fit for a company that never leaves one state.
The three-year service bill is smaller than Mainstay Filing's, which is our heaviest criterion.
What the price buys
- A physical Montana location for the office
- Legal papers served on the company are scanned and posted for you
In its favor
- $99 yearly with no increase
- Each year it bills less than Mainstay Filing
Against it
- Limited to Montana; elsewhere you need a separate agent
- Annual report stays with you
2. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who plan to expand
$149 yearly, renewing at $149
In second place we have Mainstay Filing, because a $149 agent plan that travels with the company into any new state.
The three-year bill is $150 larger than Montana Registered Agent.co's, and cost is the heaviest of our criteria.
What the price buys
- An address inside the state, kept on file
- Anything served on the company is scanned and sent to you that business day, free of charge
- The first three letters from government agencies each year are scanned at no charge
- Also open to nonprofits, partnerships and corporations, not only LLCs
In its favor
- Any state at one price
- $149 per year
Against it
- Montana Registered Agent.co bills $50 less per year
- It covers the agent role alone, so you send in the reports
3. Registered Agent MT.org: best for an office address inside the state
$99 yearly, renewing at $99
Registered Agent MT.org follows: $99 each year and no change at renewal, a fit for a company that never leaves one state.
On price it is level with Montana Registered Agent.co.
What the price buys
- A physical Montana location for the office
- Legal papers served on the company are scanned and posted for you
In its favor
- Each year it bills less than Mainstay Filing
- $99 yearly with no increase
Against it
- Limited to Montana; elsewhere you need a separate agent
- Annual report stays with you
Montana picks compared
| No. | Service | Yearly price | Renews at | Service charges, three years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana Registered Agent.co | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit Montana Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149/yr | $447 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | Registered Agent MT.org | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit Registered Agent MT.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
We took these prices from the companies' sites on November 12, 2026. The state bills the same whoever serves as agent.
Yearly cost calculator
Each agent's price is combined with the state charges that repeat (the annual report from year two). Formation fees are not in the total.
Montana next to the states ranked around it
The complete ranking applies one method to all fifty states.
What Montana law requires of a registered agent
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Montana. A P.O. box alone is not enough.
Who may serve: A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial agent: an individual, including an owner, or an entity in Montana. This follows Mont. Code Ann. § 35-7-105.
Montana's recurring fees
The state's mail about the annual report arrives at your registered agent. The report costs $20 every year and is due April 15.
Why the list reads this way
Montana Registered Agent.co moved ahead of Mainstay Filing on three-year service charge, a criterion weighted 34%.
At $297 for three years, $150 less than Mainstay Filing, Montana Registered Agent.co wins on cost.
Frequently asked questions
Does every Montana LLC need a registered agent?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who may act as the registered agent for Montana LLCs?
A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial agent: an individual, including an owner, or an entity in Montana.
What is the yearly price of registered agent service for Montana?
The agents on this page charge $99 to $149 a year.
What does the state itself charge an LLC each year?
About $20 a year by our yearly measure, which comes from the annual report ($20 every year).
Which registered agents are recommended on this page?
Montana Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and Registered Agent MT.org ($99 a year), in the order we rank them.
Which registered agent is the best choice?
Montana Registered Agent.co, because a Montana-based agent for $99 a year, whose street address goes on the public record. Behind it come Mainstay Filing and Registered Agent MT.org.
Sources for this chapter
- sosmt.gov supplies Montana Secretary of State fee page and fee, last opened October 2026
- sosmt.gov supplies Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, last opened October 2026
- sosmt.gov supplies Montana yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, last opened October 2026
- mca.legmt.gov supplies Montana report due date, last opened August 2026
- mca.legmt.gov supplies Mont, last opened August 2026
- sosmt.gov supplies Montana formation fee: Filing fee, official source, last opened October 2026
- mca.legmt.gov supplies Montana registered agent statute, last opened October 2026
- inbiz.in.gov supplies Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division, last opened August 2026
- forms.in.gov supplies Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division, last opened August 2026
- corporations.utah.gov supplies Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, last opened August 2026
- corporations.utah.gov supplies Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, last opened August 2026
- sos.state.co.us supplies Colorado Secretary of State, last opened August 2026
- sos.state.co.us supplies Colorado Secretary of State, last opened August 2026
- coloradosos.gov supplies Colorado yearly filing: Periodic report, official source, last opened October 2026
- michigan.gov supplies Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, last opened August 2026
- michigan.gov supplies Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, last opened August 2026
- Montana Registered Agent.co lists its pricing page; we copied it November 12, 2026
- Mainstay Filing lists its Montana service page; we copied it November 12, 2026
- Registered Agent MT.org lists its pricing page; we copied it November 12, 2026